BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

The Living Plant Chapter Chapter 8.2Perception. Knowing, according to the Vibhaṅga, means that one either knows onone's own or has been told that the living creatures are there. The K/Commentaryadds two points: (1) knowing on one's own means that one has either seen orheard them; and (2) knowing also includes knowing that they will die from the factorof effort, defined below.If one is in doubt as to whether water contains living beings (e.g., the water ismurky or in a dark place; it contains seeds that bear a resemblance to insects), thento use it in a way that would cause their death if they were there is to commit adukkaṭa. If one thinks that the water contains living beings when it actually doesn't,the penalty for using it in such a way is also a dukkaṭa.Effort. Because of a peculiarity of Pali grammar, the Commentary states that, inaddition to the above reading, this rule can also be interpreted as reading, "Shouldany bhikkhu knowingly pour grass or clay — or have it poured — in water containingliving beings, it is to be confessed." It also states that grass and clay in the contextof this second reading would include any material that would cause death to livingbeings in the water. There are two objections to the Commentary's second reading:One is that it defies the natural word order of a prose sentence in canonical Pali;the other is that the Pali word for "pour" — siñcati — is used only for water and notfor solids like grass and clay. Still, even if this second reading is not quitegrammatical, the Great Standards could be invoked for including it under this rule toprevent the pouring of lethal pollutants into water. Thus actions covered by this rulewould include, under the first reading, such things as emptying old water from aflower vase onto the ground or pouring water into a basin filled with cement-mix;and, under the second reading, pouring a toxic chemical into the water.Unlike some of the other rules that deal with giving orders, simply giving the order topour is enough to fulfill this factor. Thus, for example, a bhikkhu who tells someoneelse to dump an aquarium of fish on the floor incurs a pācittiya for giving the orderand another pācittiya when the other person does as told.Intention. This factor is fulfilled simply by the immediate aim of pouring the water orhaving it poured (or of pouring "grass and clay" into the water or having it poured).As the K/Commentary notes, one need not have murderous motives toward theliving beings in order to fulfill this factor. For example, if after perceiving that thewater contains insects, one chooses to ignore their existence and pours the wateron a burning log — not to kill the insects, but to put out the fire — one commits anoffense all the same.Result is not a factor here. Whether the living beings actually die is of noconsequence in determining the offense.Non-offenses. There is no offense in using water containing living beings in any ofthe ways covered by this rule —unknowingly — e.g., not knowing that it contains living beings; pouring atoxic chemical into the water thinking it to be harmless;283