BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

The Alcoholic Drink Chapter Chapter 8.6dukkaṭa; adding new fuel to a fire — according to the Commentary — is grounds fora pācittiya.Intention. There is no offense if one lights a fire or has one lit for purposes otherthan warming oneself. Thus one may light a lamp or light a fire to boil water, burndead leaves, or fire an alms bowl without penalty. Cv.V.32.1 says that if a forest fireis approaching one's dwelling, one may light a counter-fire to ward off its approach.In other circumstances, though, Pc 10 would impose a penalty for lighting a fire ontop of "live" soil; and Pc 11 would impose a further penalty for damaging plant life.Non-offenses. In addition, there is no offense in warming oneself at raked-outcoals or at a fire lit by someone else (not at one's request). And there is no offensein lighting a fire when there are dangers. This, the Commentary says, refers tocases when one is bitten by a snake (and wants to make the snake-bite medicinementioned under Pc 40), when one is surrounded by robbers, or disturbed by nonhumanbeings or beasts of prey.Cv.V.14.1 allows bhikkhus to use a "fire hall (§)," similar to a sauna at present, forthe purpose of inducing perspiration for health reasons. According to the Vibhaṅga,there is no offense in lighting a fire in a place such as this.The purpose of this rule is suggested by AN V.219, which lists the fivedisadvantages of sitting around a fire: It is bad for one's eyes, bad for one's skin,bad for one's strength, and (most importantly, in this context) groups tend to form(that can turn into factions), and they spend their time in animal talk.Summary: Lighting a fire to warm oneself — or having it lit — when one does notneed the warmth for one's health is a pācittiya offense.57. Should any bhikkhu bathe at intervals of less than half a month,except at the proper occasions, it is to be confessed. Here the properoccasions are these: the last month and a half of the hot season, thefirst month of the rains, these two and a half months being a time ofheat, a time of fever; (also) a time of illness; a time of work; a time ofgoing on a journey; a time of wind or rain. These are the properoccasions here."Now at that time bhikkhus were bathing in the hot spring (at Rājagaha). Then KingSeniya Bimbisāra of Magadha, having gone to the hot spring with the thought, 'I willbathe my head,' waited to one side, (thinking,) 'I will wait as long as the masters arebathing.' The bhikkhus bathed until nightfall."Then King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha, after having bathed his head at the wrongtime (night) — the gates of the city being closed — spent the night outside the citywalls... (The Buddha learned of the incident and rebuked the bhikkhus:) 'How canyou worthless men, even though you saw the king, bathe not knowing moderation?'"365