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55. Scaring a monk

Bhiṁsāpana

A monk who frightens another monk must confess the offense.

Translated by Bhikkhu Brahmali · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Theravāda VinayaTheravāda Collection on Monastic Law
  • 0.2MahāvibhaṅgaThe Great Analysis
  • 0.3PācittiyakaṇḍaThe chapter on offenses entailing confession
  • 0.4SurāpānavaggaThe subchapter on drinking alcohol

0.555. BhiṁsāpanasikkhāpadaScaring a monk

1.0Origin story

1.1Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time when the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery,1.2Tena kho pana samayena chabbaggiyā bhikkhū sattarasavaggiye bhikkhū bhiṁsāpenti.the monks from the group of six were scaring the monks from the group of seventeen.1.3Te bhiṁsāpīyamānā rodanti.They cried.1.4Bhikkhū evamāhaṁsu—Other monks asked them why,1.5“kissa tumhe, āvuso, rodathā”ti?1.6“Ime, āvuso, chabbaggiyā bhikkhū amhe bhiṁsāpentī”ti.and they told them.

1.7Ye te bhikkhū appicchā …pe… te ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The monks of few desires complained and criticized them,1.8“kathañhi nāma chabbaggiyā bhikkhū bhikkhuṁ bhiṁsāpessantī”ti …pe…“How can the monks from the group of six scare other monks?” …1.9“saccaṁ kira tumhe, bhikkhave, bhikkhuṁ bhiṁsāpethā”ti?“Is it true, monks, that you do this?”

1.10“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.“It’s true, sir.”

1.11Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked them …1.12kathañhi nāma tumhe, moghapurisā, bhikkhuṁ bhiṁsāpessatha.“Foolish men, how can you do this?1.13Netaṁ, moghapurisā, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.14evañca pana, bhikkhave, imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddiseyyātha—“And, monks, this training rule should be recited like this:

1.15.0Final ruling

1.15.1“Yo pana bhikkhu bhikkhuṁ bhiṁsāpeyya, pācittiyan”ti.‘If a monk scares a monk, he commits an offense entailing confession.’”

2.1.0Definitions

2.1.1Yo panātiA:
2.1.2yo yādiso …pe…whoever …
2.1.3bhikkhūtiMonk:
2.1.4…pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippeto bhikkhūti.…The monk who has been given the full ordination by a unanimous Sangha through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of monk is meant in this case.
2.1.5BhikkhuntiA monk:
2.1.6aññaṁ bhikkhuṁ.another monk.
2.1.7BhiṁsāpeyyātiScares:
2.1.8upasampanno upasampannaṁ bhiṁsāpetukāmo rūpaṁ vā saddaṁ vā gandhaṁ vā rasaṁ vā phoṭṭhabbaṁ vā upasaṁharati. Bhāyeyya vā so na vā bhāyeyya, āpatti pācittiyassa.if one who is fully ordained, wishing to scare another who is fully ordained, arranges a sight, a sound, a smell, a taste, or a physical contact, then whether the other monk is scared or not, he commits an offense entailing confession.2.1.9Corakantāraṁ vā vāḷakantāraṁ vā pisācakantāraṁ vā ācikkhati. Bhāyeyya vā so na vā bhāyeyya, āpatti pācittiyassa.If he tells him about a wilderness inhabited by criminals, predatory animals, or demons, then whether the other monk is scared or not, he commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.0Permutations

2.2.1Upasampanne upasampannasaññī bhiṁsāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If the other person is fully ordained, and he perceives him as such, and he scares him, he commits an offense entailing confession.2.2.2Upasampanne vematiko bhiṁsāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If the other person is fully ordained, but he is unsure of it, and he scares him, he commits an offense entailing confession.2.2.3Upasampanne anupasampannasaññī bhiṁsāpeti, āpatti pācittiyassa.If the other person is fully ordained, but he does not perceive him as such, and he scares him, he commits an offense entailing confession.

2.2.4Anupasampannaṁ bhiṁsāpetukāmo rūpaṁ vā saddaṁ vā gandhaṁ vā rasaṁ vā phoṭṭhabbaṁ vā upasaṁharati.If, wishing to scare someone who is not fully ordained, he arranges a sight, a sound, a smell, a taste, or a physical contact,2.2.5Bhāyeyya vā so na vā bhāyeyya, āpatti dukkaṭassa.then whether the other person is scared or not, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.6Corakantāraṁ vā vāḷakantāraṁ vā pisācakantāraṁ vā ācikkhati.If he tells him about a wilderness inhabited by criminals, predatory animals, or demons,2.2.7Bhāyeyya vā so na vā bhāyeyya, āpatti dukkaṭassa.then whether the other person is scared or not, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.8Anupasampanne upasampannasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the other person is not fully ordained, but he perceives them as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.9PTS 4.115Anupasampanne vematiko, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the other person is not fully ordained, but he is unsure of it, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.2.10Anupasampanne anupasampannasaññī, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If the other person is not fully ordained, and he does not perceive them as such, he commits an offense of wrong conduct.

2.3.0Non-offenses

2.3.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.3.2na bhiṁsāpetukāmo rūpaṁ vā saddaṁ vā gandhaṁ vā rasaṁ vā phoṭṭhabbaṁ vā upasaṁharati, corakantāraṁ vā vāḷakantāraṁ vā pisācakantāraṁ vā ācikkhati,if he arranges a sight, a sound, a smell, a taste, or a physical contact, or he tells about a wilderness inhabited by criminals, predatory animals, or demons, but not because he wishes to scare anyone; 2.3.3ummattakassa,if he is insane; 2.3.4ādikammikassāti.if he is the first offender.

2.3.5Bhiṁsāpanasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ pañcamaṁ.The training rule on scaring a monk, the fifth, is finished.