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1. Now at that time Visâkhâ the mother of Migâra was anxious to have a storeyed building (pâsâda), with a verandah (âlinda) to it, supported on pillars with capitals of elephant head 1, built for the use of the Samgha. Then the Bhikkhus thought, 'Of things which appertain to a storeyed building, which has been permitted by the Blessed One, and which not 2?'
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow, O Bhikkhus, the use of all appurtenances to a storeyed building.'
Now at that time the grandmother of Pasenadi of Kosala had died, and many unauthorised things had come into the hands of the Samgha, such as couches, divans (&c., as in chapter 8 above, and Mahâvagga V, 10, 4).
They told this matter to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to use the stuffed couches (âsandi) after having broken off the legs 1, and the divans (pallaṅka) after having removed the hair, and to comb out the cotton of the mat-tresses and make pillows of it 2, and to use all the rest as floor covering 3.'
208:1 Hatthi-nakhakam, 'supported on the frontal globes (kumbhe) of elephants,' says Buddhaghosa.
208:2 On the meaning of paribhoga here compare VI, 18, 1. The doubt here expressed is curious, as a storeyed building (pâsâda) is one of the five kinds of abodes (lenâni) specially sanctioned by Mahâvagga I, 30, 4, and Kullavagga VI, 1, 2; and a verandah (âlinda) has been also authorised by Kullavagga VI, 3, 5. No doubt the special point here is as to the carved pillars: but, even so, that this rule should be thus separated from the other rules as to buildings, in the commencement of this book (VI, 1-4), is a proof of the unsystematic way in which the Khandhakas have been put together. Even the final redaction which we have now before us contains much similar evidence of the gradual growth of these rules. See note 3 on the next paragraph.
209:1 Compare the 87th Pâkittiya.
209:2 This rule has already been given in VI, 2, 6.
209:3 It is distinctly laid down without any reservation in Mahâvagga V, 10, 5 (in the paragraph erroneously numbered V, 10, 4 in vol. ii, p. 28, of the present work), that the use of any of these things is a dukkata offence. That this relaxation of that rule should be inserted only here, looks very much like an after-thought, even though the former passage merely refers to the use of these things as seats. This is more. especially noteworthy from the fact mentioned in the last note.
The rules as to new rugs or mats to be used for sitting upon, are contained in the 11th to the 15th Nissaggiya Pâkittiyas.