[431] In whatever dwelling (vihāra) a bhikkhu stays, if that dwelling is dirty, and if he is able, it should be cleaned. When cleaning the dwelling, first the bowl and robe should be taken out and laid aside to one side; the sitting-cloth and coverlet should be taken out and laid aside to one side; the mattress and pillow should be taken out and laid aside to one side. The bed, having been lowered, should be taken out carefully, without scraping it and without knocking it against the door-panel and frame, and set down to one side. The bench, having been lowered, should be taken out carefully, without scraping it and without knocking it against the door-panel and frame, and set down to one side. The bed-supports should be taken out and set down to one side; the spittoon should be taken out and set down to one side; the leaning-board should be taken out and set down to one side. The floor-covering, having been noted as to how it was laid out, should be taken out and set down to one side.
If there are cobwebs in the dwelling, they should first be removed from the ceiling downwards; the window-openings and the corners should be wiped. If a wall that has been treated with red ochre has become stained, it should be wiped with a cloth that has been moistened and wrung out. If a floor that has been blackened has become stained, it should be wiped with a cloth that has been moistened and wrung out. If the floor is untreated, it should be sprinkled with water and swept, thinking, "Let not the dwelling be soiled with dust." The rubbish should be gathered up and discarded to one side.
The bedding should not be beaten out in the vicinity of a bhikkhu; the bedding should not be beaten out in the vicinity of the dwelling; the bedding should not be beaten out in the vicinity of drinking-water; the bedding should not be beaten out in the vicinity of water for use; the bedding should not be beaten out in a courtyard upwind; the bedding should be beaten out downwind.
The floor-covering, having been sunned to one side, cleaned, and beaten out, should be brought back and laid out as it was laid out before. The bed-supports, having been sunned to one side and wiped, should be brought back and placed in their proper place. The bed, having been sunned to one side, cleaned, and beaten out, having been lowered, should be brought back in carefully, without scraping it and without knocking it against the door-panel and frame, and laid out as it was laid out before. The bench, having been sunned to one side, cleaned, and beaten out, having been lowered, should be brought back in carefully, without scraping it and without knocking it against the door-panel and frame, and laid out as it was laid out before. The mattress and pillow, having been sunned to one side, cleaned, and beaten out, should be brought back and laid out as they were laid out before. The sitting-cloth and coverlet, having been sunned to one side, cleaned, and beaten out, should be brought back and laid out as they were laid out before. The spittoon, having been sunned to one side and wiped, should be brought back and placed in its proper place. The leaning-board, having been sunned to one side and wiped, should be brought back and placed in its proper place.
The bowl and robe should be put away. When putting away the bowl, one should take the bowl with one hand, feel under the bed or under the bench with the other hand, and put the bowl away; and the bowl should not be put away on the bare ground. When putting away the robe, one should take the robe with one hand, wipe the robe-rail or robe-line with the other hand, and put the robe away with the edges on the far side and the fold toward oneself.
If dusty winds blow from the east, the eastern windows should be closed; if dusty winds blow from the west, the western windows should be closed; if dusty winds blow from the north, the northern windows should be closed; if dusty winds blow from the south, the southern windows should be closed. If it is the cold season, the windows should be opened by day and closed by night; if it is the hot season, the windows should be closed by day and opened by night.
If the surrounding court is dirty, the surrounding court should be swept; if the gatehouse is dirty, the gatehouse should be swept; if the attendance hall is dirty, the attendance hall should be swept; if the fire hall is dirty, the fire hall should be swept; if the privy is dirty, the privy should be swept. If there is no drinking-water, drinking-water should be set out; if there is no water for use, water for use should be set out; if there is no water in the rinsing-pot, water should be poured into the rinsing-pot.
If one dwells in the same dwelling with a senior, without asking the senior's leave one should not give recitation, should not give interrogation, should not do recitation-practice, should not speak Dhamma, should not light a lamp, should not extinguish a lamp, should not open the windows, should not close the windows. If one walks on the same walking-meditation path with a senior, one should turn where the senior turns, and one should not brush against the senior with the corner of one's outer robe.
Bhikkhus, this is the duty regarding lodgings (senāsanavatta) for bhikkhus, according to which bhikkhus should conduct themselves properly with regard to lodgings.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.