On the duties of travellers

^Kd.18.3.1 Now at that time monks who were going away set out without having packed away their wooden goods and clay goods, having opened the doors and windows, and without having asked (for permission) as to their lodgings.^[1] The wooden goods and the clay goods were lost and the lodgings came to be unguarded.^[2] Those who were modest monks … spread it about, saying: “How can these monks who are going away set out … lodgings came to be unguarded?” Then these monks told this matter to the Lord. He said:

“Well then, monks, I will lay down an observance for monks who are going away and which should be observed by monks who are going away.

^Kd.18.3.2 “Monks, when a monk is going away, having packed away his wooden goods, his clay goods, having closed the doors and windows, he may set out having asked (for permission) as to his lodgings. If there is no monk, he should ask a novice ^BD.5.297 (for permission).^[3] If there is no novice, he should ask a monastery attendant (for permission). If there is no monk or novice or monastery attendant, having laid a couch down on four stones,^[4] having piled couch on couch, having piled chair on chair, having made the lodgings into a heap on top^[5] (of them), he may set out having packed away the wooden goods the clay goods, having closed the doors and windows.

^Kd.18.3.3 “If the dwelling-place is leaking he should roof it if he is able to do so, or he should make an effort, thinking, ‘How then can this dwelling-place be roofed?’ If he thus succeeds in this, that is good, but if he does not succeed, having laid down a couch on four stones in a place where it is not leaking, having piled couch on couch, having piled chair on chair, having made the lodgings into a heap on top (of them), he may set out, having packed away his wooden goods, his clay goods, having closed the doors and windows. If the whole dwelling-place is leaking, if he is able he should convey the lodgings to a village, or he should make an effort, thinking, ^Vin.2.212 ‘How then can this lodging be conveyed to a village?’ If he thus succeeds in this, that is good. If he does not succeed, having laid a couch down on four stones in the open air, having piled couch on couch, having piled chair on chair, having made the lodgings into a heap on top (of them), having packed away his wooden goods, his clay goods, having covered them with grass or leaves, he may set out, thinking, ‘So can the different things surely remain.’^[6] This, monks, is the observance for monks who are going away and which should be observed by monks who are going away.”