Bhikkhu Vibhaṅga - Saṅghādisesa 12: Admonishment of a Bhikkhu who is Difficult to Admonish
- Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Brahmali. (More copyright information)
Origin story
1At one time when the Buddha was staying at Kosambī in Ghosita’s Monastery, Venerable Channa was misbehaving. The monks would tell him, “Don’t do that; it’s not allowable,” and he would reply, “Who are you to correct me? I should correct you! The Buddha is mine; the Teaching is mine. The Master realized the Truth because of me. Just as grass, sticks, and fallen leaves are whirled up by a strong wind all at once, just as various water plants are whirled up by a mountain stream all at once, so too have you–after going forth with various names, various families, various castes, various households–been lifted up all at once. So, who are you to correct me? I should correct you! The Buddha is mine; the Teaching is mine. The Master realized the Truth because of me.”
The monks of few desires complained and criticized him, “How can Venerable Channa make himself incorrigible when he’s legitimately corrected by the monks?”
2They rebuked Channa in many ways and then told the Buddha. Soon afterwards he had the Sangha gathered and questioned Channa: “Is it true, Channa, that you do this?
“It’s true, Sir.”
The Buddha rebuked him … “Foolish man, how can you do this? This will affect people’s confidence …” … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:
Final ruling
3‘If a monk is difficult to correct, and he makes himself incorrigible when legitimately corrected by the monks concerning the training rules that are recited, saying, “Venerables, don’t say anything to me, either good or bad, and I won’t say anything to you, either good or bad. Please refrain from correcting me,” then the monks should correct him like this: “Be easy to correct, Venerable, not incorrigible. And please give legitimate correction to the monks, and the monks will do the same to you. For it’s in this way that the Buddha’s community has grown, that is, through mutual correction and mutual clearing of offenses.” If that monk continues as before, the monks should press him up to three times to make him stop. If he then stops, all is well. If he does not stop, he commits an offense entailing suspension.’”
Definitions
4If a monk is difficult to correct: if he is hard to correct, endowed with qualities that make him hard to correct, resistant, not receiving instructions respectfully.
5Concerning the training rules that are recited: concerning the training rules of the Monastic Code.
6The monks: other monks.
7Legitimately: the training rules laid down by the Buddha—this is called “legitimately”.
8When corrected in regard to this, he makes himself incorrigible, saying, “Venerables, don’t say anything to me, either good or bad, and I won’t say anything to you, either good or bad. Please refrain from correcting me.”
9Him: the monk who is difficult to correct.
10The monks: Other monks
Those who see it or hear about it. They should correct him like this:
“Be easy to correct, Venerable, not incorrigible. And please give legitimate correction to the monks, and the monks will do the same to you. For it’s in this way that the Buddha’s community has grown, that is, through mutual correction and mutual clearing of offenses.”
And they should correct him a second and a third time. If he stops, all is well. If he does not stop, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. If those who hear about it do not say anything, they commit an offense of wrong conduct.
That monk, even if he has to be pulled into the Sangha, should be corrected like this:
“Be easy to correct, Venerable, not incorrigible. And please give legitimate correction to the monks, and the monks will do the same to you. For it’s in this way that the Buddha’s community has grown, that is, through mutual correction and mutual clearing of offenses.”
They should correct him a second and a third time. If he stops, all is well. If he does not stop, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Should press him:
“And, monks, he should be pressed like this. A competent and capable monk should inform the Sangha:
11‘Please, Venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. The monk so-and-so makes himself incorrigible when legitimately corrected by the monks. And he keeps on doing it. If it seems appropriate to the Sangha, the Sangha should press him to make him stop. This is the motion.
12Please, Venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. The monk so-and-so makes himself incorrigible when legitimately corrected by the monks. And he keeps on doing it. The Sangha presses him to make him stop. Any monk who approves of pressing him to make him stop should remain silent. Any monk who doesn’t approve should speak up.
13For the second time I speak on this matter: … For the third time I speak on this matter: Please, Venerables, I ask the Sangha to listen. The monk so-and-so makes himself incorrigible when legitimately corrected by the monks. And he keeps on doing it. The Sangha presses him to make him stop. Any monk who approves of pressing him to make him stop should remain silent. Any monk who doesn’t approve should speak up.
14The Sangha has pressed monk so-and-so to make him stop. The Sangha approves and is therefore silent. I’ll remember it thus.’”
15After the motion, he commits an offense of wrong conduct. After each of the first two announcements, he commits a serious offense. When the last announcement is finished, he commits an offense entailing suspension. For one who commits the offense entailing suspension, the offense of wrong conduct and the serious offenses are annulled.
16He commits an offense entailing suspension: … Therefore, too, it is called “an offense entailing suspension”.
Permutations
17If it is a legitimate legal procedure, and he perceives it as such, but he does not stop, he commits an offense entailing suspension.
18If it is a legitimate legal procedure, but he is unsure of it, and he does not stop, he commits an offense entailing suspension.
19If it is a legitimate legal procedure, but he perceives it as illegitimate, and he does not stop, he commits an offense entailing suspension.
20If it is an illegitimate legal procedure, but he perceives it as legitimate, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.
21If it is an illegitimate legal procedure, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.
22If it is an illegitimate legal procedure, and he perceives it as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.
Non-offenses
23There is no offense: if he has not been pressed; if he stops; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
24The training rule on being difficult to correct, the twelfth, is finished.
1p_1V_1729, msdiv424Tena samayena buddho bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā channo anācāraṁ ācarati. Bhikkhū evamāhaṁsu— "māvuso channa, evarūpaṁ akāsi. Netaṁ kappatī"ti. So evaṁ vadeti:
"Kiṁ nu kho nāma tumhe, āvuso, maṁ vattabbaṁ maññatha? Ahaṁ kho nāma tumhe vadeyyaṁ. Amhākaṁ buddho amhākaṁ dhammo amhākaṁ ayyaputtena dhammo abhisamito. Seyyathāpi nāma mahāvāto vāyanto tiṇakaṭṭhapaṇṇasaṭaṁ ekato ussāreyya, seyyathā vā pana nadī pabbateyyā saṅkhasevālapaṇakaṁ ekato ussāreyya; evameva tumhe nānānāmā nānāgottā nānājaccā nānākulā pabbajitā ekato ussāritā. Kiṁ nu kho nāma tumhe, āvuso, maṁ vattabbaṁ maññatha? Ahaṁ kho nāma tumhe vadeyyaṁ. Amhākaṁ buddho amhākaṁ dhammo amhākaṁ ayyaputtena dhammo abhisamito"ti.
Ye te bhikkhū appicchā … pe … te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: "Kathañhi nāma āyasmā channo bhikkhūhi sahadhammikaṁ vuccamāno attānaṁ avacanīyaṁ karissatī"ti.
2p_1V_1730Atha kho te bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ channaṁ anekapariyāyena vigarahitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ … pe … "Saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, channa, bhikkhūhi sahadhammikaṁ vuccamāno attānaṁ avacanīyaṁ karosī"ti?
"Saccaṁ, bhagavā"ti.
Vigarahi buddho bhagavā … pe … kathañhi nāma tvaṁ, moghapurisa, bhikkhūhi sahadhammikaṁ vuccamāno attānaṁ avacanīyaṁ karissasi. Netaṁ, moghapurisa, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya … pe … evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—
3p_1V_1731, msdiv425"Bhikkhu paneva dubbacajātiko hoti uddesapariyāpannesu sikkhāpadesu bhikkhūhi sahadhammikaṁ vuccamāno attānaṁ avacanīyaṁ karoti— ‘mā maṁ āyasmanto kiñci avacuttha kalyāṇaṁ vā pāpakaṁ vā, ahampāyasmante na kiñci vakkhāmi kalyāṇaṁ vā pāpakaṁ vā, viramathāyasmanto mama vacanāyā’ti, so bhikkhu bhikkhūhi evamassa vacanīyo: ‘māyasmā attānaṁ avacanīyaṁ akāsi, vacanīyamevāyasmā attānaṁ karotu, āyasmāpi bhikkhū vadetu sahadhammena, bhikkhūpi āyasmantaṁ vakkhanti sahadhammena. Evaṁ saṁvaddhā hi tassa bhagavato parisā yadidaṁ aññamaññavacanena aññamaññavuṭṭhāpanenā’ti. Evañca so bhikkhu bhikkhūhi vuccamāno tatheva paggaṇheyya, so bhikkhu bhikkhūhi yāvatatiyaṁ samanubhāsitabbo tassa paṭinissaggāya. Yāvatatiyañce samanubhāsiyamāno taṁ paṭinissajjeyya, iccetaṁ kusalaṁ; no ce paṭinissajjeyya, Saṅghādiseso"ti.(12:16)
4p_1V_1732, msdiv426Bhikkhū paneva dubbacajātiko hotī'ti dubbaco hoti dovacassakaraṇehi dhammehi samannāgato akkhamo appadakkhiṇaggāhī anusāsaniṁ.
5p_1V_1733Uddesapariyāpannesu sikkhāpadesū'ti pātimokkhapariyāpannesu sikkhāpadesu.
6p_1V_1734Bhikkhūhī'ti aññehi bhikkhūhi.
7p_1V_1735Sahadhammikaṁ nāma yaṁ bhagavatā paññattaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ, etaṁ sahadhammikaṁ nāma.
8p_1V_1736Tena vuccamāno attānaṁ avacanīyaṁ karoti— "mā maṁ āyasmanto kiñci avacuttha kalyāṇaṁ vā pāpakaṁ vā, ahampāyasmante na kiñci vakkhāmi kalyāṇaṁ vā pāpakaṁ vā. Viramathāyasmanto mama vacanāyā"ti.
9p_1V_1737So bhikkhū'ti yo so dubbacajātiko bhikkhu.
10p_1V_1738Bhikkhūhī'ti Aññehi bhikkhūhi.
Ye passanti ye suṇanti tehi vattabbo—
"Māyasmā attānaṁ avacanīyaṁ akāsi. Vacanīyameva āyasmā attānaṁ karotu. Āyasmāpi bhikkhū vadetu sahadhammena, bhikkhūpi āyasmantaṁ vakkhanti sahadhammena. Evaṁ saṁvaddhā hi tassa bhagavato parisā yadidaṁ aññamaññavacanena aññamaññavuṭṭhāpanenā"ti.
Dutiyampi vattabbo. Tatiyampi vattabbo. Sace paṭinissajjati, iccetaṁ kusalaṁ; no ce paṭinissajjati, āpatti dukkaṭassa. Sutvā na vadanti, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
So bhikkhu saṇghamajjhampi ākaḍḍhitvā vattabbo—
"Māyasmā attānaṁ avacanīyaṁ akāsi … pe … aññamaññavuṭṭhāpanenā"ti.
Dutiyampi vattabbo. Tatiyampi vattabbo. Sace paṭinissajjati, iccetaṁ kusalaṁ; no ce paṭinissajjati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
So bhikkhu samanubhāsitabbo.
"Evañca pana, bhikkhave, samanubhāsitabbo. Byattena bhikkhunā paṭibalena saṅgho ñāpetabbo—
11p_1V_1739, msdiv427‘Suṇātu me, bhante, saṅgho. Ayaṁ itthannāmo bhikkhu bhikkhūhi sahadhammikaṁ vuccamāno attānaṁ avacanīyaṁ karoti. So taṁ vatthuṁ na paṭinissajjati. Yadi saṅghassa pattakallaṁ, saṅgho itthannāmaṁ bhikkhuṁ samanubhāseyya tassa vatthussa paṭinissaggāya. Esā ñatti.
12p_1V_1740Suṇātu me, bhante, saṅgho. Ayaṁ itthannāmo bhikkhu bhikkhūhi sahadhammikaṁ vuccamāno attānaṁ avacanīyaṁ karoti. So taṁ vatthuṁ na paṭinissajjati. saṅgho itthannāmaṁ bhikkhuṁ samanubhāsati tassa vatthussa paṭinissaggāya. Yassāyasmato khamati itthannāmassa bhikkhuno samanubhāsanā tassa vatthussa paṭinissaggāya, so tuṇhassa; yassa nakkhamati, so bhāseyya.
13p_1V_1741Dutiyampi etamatthaṁ vadāmi … pe … tatiyampi etamatthaṁ vadāmi— suṇātu me, bhante, saṅgho. Ayaṁ itthannāmo bhikkhu bhikkhūhi sahadhammikaṁ vuccamāno attānaṁ avacanīyaṁ karoti. So taṁ vatthuṁ na paṭinissajjati. saṅgho itthannāmaṁ bhikkhuṁ samanubhāsati tassa vatthussa paṭinissaggāya. Yassāyasmato khamati itthannāmassa bhikkhuno samanubhāsanā tassa vatthussa paṭinissaggāya, so tuṇhassa; yassa nakkhamati, so bhāseyya.
14p_1V_1742Samanubhaṭṭho saṇghena itthannāmo bhikkhu tassa vatthussa paṭinissaggāya. Khamati saṅghassa, tasmā tuṇhī, evametaṁ dhārayāmī’"ti.
15p_1V_1743, msdiv428Ñattiyā dukkaṭaṁ, dvīhi kammavācāhi thullaccayā, kammavācāpariyosāne āpatti saṅghādisesassa. saṅghādisesaṁ ajjhāpajjantassa ñattiyā dukkaṭaṁ, dvīhi kammavācāhi thullaccayā paṭippassambhanti.
16p_1V_1744Saṅghādiseso'ti … pe … tenapi vuccati "Saṅghādiseso"ti.
17p_1V_1745, msdiv429Dhammakamme dhammakammasaññī na paṭinissajjati, āpatti saṅghādisesassa.
18p_1V_1746Dhammakamme vematiko na paṭinissajjati, āpatti saṅghādisesassa.
19p_1V_1747Dhammakamme adhammakammasaññī na paṭinissajjati, āpatti saṅghādisesassa.
20p_1V_1748Adhammakamme dhammakammasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
21p_1V_1749Adhammakamme vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
22p_1V_1750Adhammakamme adhammakammasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.
23p_1V_1751, msdiv430Anāpatti— asamanubhāsantassa, paṭinissajjantassa, ummattakassa, ādikammikassāti.
24p_1V_1752Dubbacasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dvādasamaṁ.