Bu Sk 56

56. Sasitthakasikkhāpada

Tena samayena buddho bhagavā bhaggesu viharati susumāragire bhesakaḷāvane migadāye. Tena kho pana samayena bhikkhū kokanade pāsāde sasitthakaṁ pattadhovanaṁ antaraghare chaḍḍenti. Manussā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma samaṇā sakyaputtiyā sasitthakaṁ pattadhovanaṁ antaraghare chaḍḍessanti, seyyathāpi gihī kāmabhogino”ti. Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū tesaṁ manussānaṁ ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ. Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti— “kathañhi nāma bhikkhū sasitthakaṁ pattadhovanaṁ antaraghare chaḍḍessantī”ti …pe… “saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, bhikkhū sasitthakaṁ pattadhovanaṁ antaraghare chaḍḍentī”ti? “Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti. Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe… kathañhi nāma te, bhikkhave, moghapurisā sasitthakaṁ pattadhovanaṁ antaraghare chaḍḍessanti. Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe… evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—

Discarding waste water with rice Origin story

At one time when the Buddha was staying in the Bhagga country at Susumāragira in the Bhesakaḷā Grove, the monks in the Kokanada stilt house were discarding their bowl-washing water containing rice in inhabited areas. People complained and criticized them, “How can the Sakyan monastics discard their bowl-washing water containing rice in inhabited areas? They’re just like householders who indulge in worldly pleasures!” The monks heard the complaints of those people, and the monks of few desires complained and criticized those monks, “How can those monks do this?” … “Is it true, monks, that they do this?” “It’s true, sir.” The Buddha rebuked them … “How can those foolish men do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

“Na sasitthakaṁ pattadhovanaṁ antaraghare chaḍḍessāmīti sikkhā karaṇīyā”ti.

Final ruling

‘“I will not discard bowl-washing water containing rice in inhabited areas,” this is how you should train.’”

Na sasitthakaṁ pattadhovanaṁ antaraghare chaḍḍetabbaṁ. Yo anādariyaṁ paṭicca sasitthakaṁ pattadhovanaṁ antaraghare chaḍḍeti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.

One should not discard bowl-washing water containing rice in an inhabited area. If a monk, out of disrespect, discards bowl-washing water containing rice in an inhabited area, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

Anāpatti—

Non-offenses

There is no offense:

asañcicca, assatiyā, ajānantassa, gilānassa, uddharitvā vā bhinditvā vā paṭiggahe vā nīharitvā vā chaḍḍeti, āpadāsu, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.

if it is unintentional; if he is not mindful; if he does not know; if he is sick; if he discards it after removing the rice, after breaking it up, into a container, or after taking it outside; if there is an emergency; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.