四分律行事鈔資持記 2.966

2.966

《五分》緣開，有淨人則犯。剉草，斬乾草以和泥也。《僧祇》下注文。以律不犯中，除屋內土不犯；但云除土，不言得掘，是文不了。（下不犯，中不引。）疏引古解云：屋內死浮土也。今師云：準如《僧祇》，露處死土，屋中自掘藏物者得。（是知露處約死，覆處不論死活。）

In the Mahīśāsaka-vinaya's exceptions due to circumstances, if there is a pure person available, then it is an offense. Chopping grass means cutting dried grass to mix with mud. As for the commentary note below the Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya: because in the vinaya's section on non-offenses, removing soil inside a house is not an offense; it merely says "removing soil" and does not say one may dig, so this text is inconclusive. (In the section on non-offenses below, it is not cited.) The Commentary cites an ancient explanation saying: it refers to dead, loose soil inside a house. The present master says: following the Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya, where it refers to dead soil in the open air, one may dig inside a house to conceal things. (Thus we know that in open places it must be dead soil, while in covered places it does not matter whether it is dead or live.)