THE CHAPTER VII OF SAṂGHĀDISESA

7.Vihārakāra sikkhāpada

When the Buddha was staying at Gositārāmamonastery in Kosambicity, a rich man who was the supporter of the Ven.Channa said to the Ven. Channa: "Venerable sir, please find out a site for a Vihāra (a large dwelling); I will have a Vihāra built for you."  In clearing a site for the Vihāra, the Ven. Channa had a tree cut down that was used as a shrine revered by city, revered by the countryside, revered by the Kingdom.

The people began to reproach, condemn and criticize this affair. Bhikkhus heard what the people had reproached, condemned the Ven. Channa. Then they reported the matter to the Buddha. And then the Buddha laid down this sikkhāpada.

Mahallakaṃ pana bhikkhunā vihāraṃ kārayamānena sassāmikaṃ attuddesaṃ bhikkhū abhinetabbā vatthudesanāya, tehi bhikkhūhi vatthu desetabbaṃ anārambhaṃ saparikkamanaṃ. Sārambhe ce bhikkhu vatthusmiṃ aparikkamane mahallakaṃ vihāraṃ kāreyya bhikkhū vā anabhineyya vatthudesanāya, saṃghādiseso.

When a bhikkhu constructs a large monastery with a donor for his own advantage, bhikkhus must be collected to point out a site. Those monks must point out the safe place with an open space round it. Should the monk construct a large monastery on an unsafe place with no open space round it, or should the monk not collect the monks to point out the site, this entails samghadisesa offence.

Three kinds of Kuṭi (hut)

1. Ullittā kuṭi             =The large monastery which is smeared only inside with the marl or cement.

2. Avalittā kuṭi          =The large monastery which is smeared only outside with the marl or cement.

3. Ullittāvalittā kuṭī  =The large monastery which is smeared both inside and outside with the marl

                                 or cement.

Six factors

1. Ullittādīnaṃ aññatartā                =Being one of the three large monasteries (smeared with cement).

2. Heṭṭhimappamāṇa saṃbhavo     =By means of breadth, at least, that must be four cubits.

3. Adesitavatthukatā                        =Being the site not having been pointed out.

4. Attuddesikatā                               =Having one’s own advantage which is pointed out.

5. Vāsāgāratā                                    =Being the large monastery to dwell for one’s own.

6. Lepaghaṭaṇā                                 =Having completely joined smearing the large monastery.

The definition of some words

-Mahallaka    = large which means the monastery having a benefactor or owner.

-Vihāra           = the monastery which is smeared with cement inside or outside or both side.

N.B    

The most of things are the same with Kuṭikāra sikkhāpada. The difference between them is only that there is no owner in Kuṭikāra sikkhāpada in which measurement is limited. But there is an owner in Vihārakāra sikkhāpada in which the measurement is not limited.

Summary:

A monk should not build a Vihāra destined for one's own use, without having obtained the Saṃgha's approval.

------------------------------------------------------