BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

The Living Plant Chapter Chapter 8.2unintentionally — e.g., inadvertently uprooting grass while raking leaves, orgrabbing onto a plant for support while climbing a hill and inadvertentlyuprooting it.Also, there is no penalty in telling an unordained person to make an item allowable;in asking for leaves, flowers, etc., without specifically saying which leaves orflowers are to be picked; or in indicating indirectly that, e.g., the grass needscutting ("Look at how long the grass is") or that a tree needs pruning ("This branchis in the way") without expressly giving the command to cut. In other words, this isanother rule where one may avoid an offense by using kappiya-vohāra: "wording itright."Cv.V.32.1 says that if a brush fire is approaching a dwelling, one may light acounter-fire to ward it off. In doing so, one is exempt from any penalty imposed bythis rule.Also, according to the Sub-commentary to NP 6, a bhikkhu whose robes have beensnatched away and who cannot find any other cloth to cover himself may pick grassand leaves to cover himself without incurring a penalty here.Summary: Intentionally cutting, burning, or killing a living plant is a pācittiya offense.12. Evasive speech and causing frustration are to be confessed.This rule deals with a bhikkhu's behavior in a Community meeting when beingformally questioned about a charge made against him. The factors for the fulloffense here are three.1) Intention: One's motive is to hide one's offenses.2) Effort: One continues engaging in evasive speech or in causingfrustration3) Object: when being questioned in the Community about a rule or anoffense after the Community has brought a formal charge of evasive speechor causing frustration against one.Effort. Evasive speech is illustrated in the origin story as follows:"Now at that time Ven. Channa, having misbehaved and being examined about theoffense in the midst of the Community, wandered around (§) one thing by way ofanother: 'Who has committed the offense? What was committed? With regard towhat matter was it committed? How was it committed? What are you saying? Whydo you say it?'"The Vibhaṅga, following the lead of the origin story, gives examples of evasivespeech that are all in the form of questions. However, the Commentary argues thatthe Vibhaṅga's examples are not intended to be exhaustive, and that evasivespeech covers any and all forms of speaking beside the point when being formally267