… at Āḷavī in the chief shrine at Āḷavī. Now at that time the monks of Āḷavī, making repairs, were cutting down trees and having them cut down; and a certain monk of Āḷavī cut down a tree, and the devatā living in that tree said to this monk:

“Do not, honoured sir, desiring to make an abode for yourself, cut down my abode.”

This monk, taking no notice, cut it down, and in doing so, struck the arm of that devatā’s son. Then it occurred to that devatā:

“What now if I, just here, should deprive this monk of life?” Then it occurred to that devatā:

“But this would not be suiting in me, that I were, just here, to deprive this monk of life. What now if I were to tell this matter to the lord?”

Then this devatā approached the lord, and having approached she told this matter to the lord.

“Very good, devatā, it is good that you, devatā, did not deprive this monk of life. If today you, devatā, had deprived this monk of life, you, devatā, would also have produced much demerit. You go, devatā; in a certain place there is a solitary tree, go you into it.”

People looked down upon, criticised, spread it about, saying:

“How can these recluses, sons of the Sakyans, cut down trees and have them cut down? These recluses, sons of the Sakyans, are harming life that is one-facultied.” Monks heard these people who looked down upon, criticised, spread it about. Those who were modest monks looked down upon, criticised, spread it about, saying:

“How can these monks of Āḷavī cut down trees and have them cut down?” …

“Is it true, as is said, that you, monks, cut down trees and had them cut down?”

“It is true, lord,” they said.

The enlightened one, the lord, rebuked them, saying:

“How can you, foolish men, cut down trees and have them cut down? It is not, foolish men, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … And thus, monks, this rule of training should be set forth:

“For destruction of vegetable growth there is an offence of expiation.”

Vegetable growth means: there are five kinds of propagation: (what is) propagated from roots, propagated from stems, propagated from joints, propagated from cuttings, and fifthly (what is) propagated from seeds.

Propagated from roots means: turmeric, ginger, orris root, white orris root, garlic, black hellebore, khus- khus, nut-grass, or whatever others are born from a root, arise from a root; this means propagated from roots.

Propagated from stems means: the fig-tree, the banyan-tree, (a kind of) fig-tree, (another kind of) fig-tree, the Indian cedar wood, the wood-apple, or whatever others are born from a stem, arise from a stem; this means propagated from stems.

Propagated from joints means: sugar-cane, bamboo, reeds or whatever others are born from a knot, arise from a knot; this means propagated from joints.

Propagated from cuttings means: basil, camel- grass, a kind of andropogon, or whatever others are born from a cutting, arise from a cutting; this means propagated from cuttings.

Propagated from seeds means: grain, pulses, or whatever others are born from a seed, arise from a seed; this means propagated from seeds.

If he thinks that it is a seed when it is a seed (and) cuts it or has it cut or breaks it or has it broken or cooks it or has it cooked, there is an offence of expiation. If he is in doubt as to whether it is a seed (and) cuts it … or has it cooked, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he thinks that it is not a seed when it is a seed (and) cuts it … or has it cooked, there is no offence. If he thinks that it is a seed when it is not a seed, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he is in doubt as to whether it is not a seed, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he thinks that it is not a seed when it is not a seed, there is no offence.

There is no offence if he speaks, saying: “Find this, give this, convey this, this is wanted, make this allowable”; if it was unintentional, if (he was) not thinking, if he did not know; if he is mad, if he is the first wrong-doer.

The First