Theravāda Vinayapiṭaka
Monks’ rules and their analysis
Monks’ Suspension 13: Corrupters of families
Origin story
At one time the Buddha, the Master, was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. At that time some bad and shameless monks who were followers of Assaji and Punabbasu were staying at Kīṭāgiri. They engaged in these kinds of improper behaviour:
They planted flowering trees, and then watered them and plucked them. They tied the flowers into garlands, both garlands with stalks on one side and garlands with stalks on both sides. They made flower arrangements, wreaths, ornaments for the head, ornaments for the ears and ornaments for the chest. And they had others do the same. They then took these things, or sent them, to the women, the daughters, the girls, the daughter-in-laws and the female slaves of good families.
They ate from the same dish as these women and drank from the same vessels. They sat on the same seats as them and lay down on the same beds, the same mats, the same blankets, the same mats and blankets. They ate at the wrong time, drank alcohol, and used garlands, perfumes and cosmetics. They danced, sang, played instruments, and performed. While the women were dancing, singing, playing instruments, and performing, so would they.
They played various games: board games with eight or ten rows, imaginary board games, hopscotch, spillikins, dice games, tip-cat, painting-with-the-hand games, ball games, toy pipe games, toy plough games, turning somersaults, toy windmill games, toy measure games, toy chariot games, toy bow games, letter-guessing games, thought-guessing games, games of mimicking deformities.
They trained in elephant riding, in horsemanship, in carriage riding, in archery, in swordsmanship. And they ran in front of elephants, in front of horses, in front of carriages, and they ran backwards and forwards. They whistled, clapped their hands, wrestled, and boxed. They spread an outer robe on a stage and said to the dancing girls, "Dance here, sister," and they made gestures of approval. And they engaged in many forms of improper behaviour.
At that time a certain monk who had spent the rains in Kāsī was travelling to see the Master in Sāvatthī when he arrived at Kīṭāgiri. Then, after dressing in the morning, he took his bowl and robe and entered Kīṭāgiri to collect almsfood. He was pleasing in the way he entered and returned, in looking towards and in looking away, in stretching out (his bowl) and in drawing (it) back, his eyes lowered, perfect in his deportment. When people saw him, they said: “Who is this, acting like a fool, like a dullard, continuously frowning? Who will give almsfood to him when he approaches? Almsfood should instead be given to the Venerables who are followers of Assaji and Punabbasu, for they are gentle, congenial, pleasant to speak with, greeting one with a smile, welcoming, friendly, open, the first to speak.”
A certain lay follower saw that monk walking for almsfood in Kīṭāgiri. He approached him, paid homage to him, and said: “Bhante, have you received any almsfood?”
“Come, let’s go to my house.”
He took that monk to his house and fed him. He then said: “Where are you going, bhante?”
“I am going to Sāvatthī to see the Master.”
“Well then, bhante, would you please bow down at the feet of the Master in my name and say: ‘Bhante, the monastery in Kīṭāgiri has been corrupted. Bad and shameless monks who are followers of Assaji and Punabbasu are staying there. They engage in the these kinds of improper behaviour: They plant flowering trees … And they engage in many forms of improper behaviour. Those people who previously had faith and confidence have now lost it, and there is no longer any support for the Sangha. The good monks have left and the bad monks are staying on. Master, please send monks to stay at the monastery in Kīṭāgiri.’”
The monk replied, “Yes,” and he left for Sāvatthī. He walked to Sāvatthī by stages, and then went to the Master in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. He paid homage to the Master and sat down to one side. It is the custom for Buddhas, for Masters, to greet visiting monks, and so the Master said to him: “I hope you are keeping well, monk, I hope you are comfortable; I hope you are not tired from travelling. Where have you come from?” “I am keeping well, Master, I am comfortable; I am not tired from travelling.” And he then told the Master all that had happened at Kīṭāgiri, and finished by saying, “Master, that is where I have come from.”
The Master then convened the Sangha and questioned them: “Is it true, monks, that some bad and shameless monks staying at Kīṭāgiri, who are followers of Assaji and Punabbasu, are engaging in such kinds of improper behaviour? And is it true that those people who previously had faith and confidence have now lost it, that there is no longer any support for the Sangha, and that the good monks have left and the bad monks are staying on?”
“It’s true, Master.”
The Buddha, the Master, criticised them … “Monks, how can these foolish men engage in such kinds of improper behaviour? This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … ” … He spoke on the Dhamma and then addressed Sāriputta and Moggallāna: “Sāriputta, the two of you should go to Kīṭāgiri and do an act to banish the monks who are followers of Assaji and Punabbasu from Kīṭāgiri. They are your disciples.”
“Bhante, how can we do an act to banish these monks from Kīṭāgiri? They are fierce and harsh.”
“Well, Sāriputta, go together with many other monks.”
“Yes, bhante.”
“And, monks, this is how it should be done. First you should rebuke the monks who are followers of Assaji and Punabbasu. They should then confess, and then they should be charged with an offence. Then an experienced and competent monk should inform the Sangha:
‘Bhante, let the Sangha listen to me. These monks who are followers of Assaji and Punabbasu are corrupters of families and badly behaved. Their bad behaviour is seen and heard about, and the families corrupted by them are seen and heard about. If it seems appropriate to the Sangha, the Sangha should do an act to banish these monks from Kīṭāgiri. This is the motion.
‘Bhante, let the Sangha listen to me. These monks who are followers of Assaji and Punabbasu are corrupters of families and badly behaved. Their bad behaviour is seen and heard about, and the families corrupted by them are seen and heard about. The Sangha is doing an act to banish these monks from Kīṭāgiri. Any monk who agrees to doing an act to banish these monks from Kīṭāgiri, should remain silent. Any monk who does not agree should say so.
‘For a second time … For a third time I speak on this matter. Bhante, let the Sangha listen to me. These monks who are followers of Assaji and Punabbasu are corrupters of families and badly behaved. Their bad behaviour is seen and heard about, and the families corrupted by them are seen and heard about. The Sangha is doing an act to banish these monks from Kīṭāgiri. Any monk who agrees to doing an act to banish these monks from Kīṭāgiri, should remain silent. Any monk who does not agree should say so.
‘The act to banish the monks who are followers of Assaji and Punabbasu from Kīṭāgiri has been performed. The Sangha approves and is therefore silent. I will remember it thus.’"
Then a Sangha of monks headed by Sāriputta and Moggallāna went to Kiṭāgiri and did an act to banish those monks from Kīṭāgiri. After the Sangha had performed the act to banish them, those monks did not act properly or suitably so as to deserve to be absolved, nor did they ask the monks for forgiveness. Instead they abused and reviled them, and they defamed them as acting from desire, anger, confusion, and fear. And they left and they disrobed. The monks of few desires … complained and criticised them: “When the Sangha has performed an act to banish them, how can these monks act in this way?”
They informed the Master. …“Is it true, monks, that when the Sangha had performed an act to banish them, the monks who are followers of Assaji and Punabbasu did not act properly … and they disrobed?”
“It’s true, Master.”
The Buddha, the Master, criticised them … “And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:
Final ruling
“If a monk who lives in dependence on a certain village or town is a corrupter of families and badly behaved, and his bad behaviour is seen and heard about, and the families corrupted by him are seen and heard about, then the monks should admonish him in this way: ‘Venerable, you are a corrupter of families and badly behaved. Your bad behaviour is seen and heard about, and the families corrupted by you are seen and heard about. Leave this monastery; you have stayed here long enough.’ If he replies, ‘You are acting out of desire, anger, confusion, and fear; because of this sort of offence, you banish some, but not others,’ the monks should admonish him in this way: ‘Venerable, do not say that. The monks are not acting out of desire, anger, confusion, and fear. Venerable, you are a corrupter of families and badly behaved. Your bad behaviour is seen and heard about, and the families corrupted by you are seen and heard about. Venerable, leave this monastery; you have stayed here long enough.’ If that monk continues as before, he should be admonished up to three times to make him stop. If he stops, good. If not, he commits an offence entailing suspension.”
Definitions
A monk … a certain village or town: a village and a town and a city are (included in) just a village and a town.
If (a monk) lives in dependence on: robes, almsfood, lodging requisites, and medicines can be obtained in that place.
A family: there are four kinds of families: noble families, brahmin families, merchant families, low-caste families.
A corrupter of families: he corrupts families by means of flowers, fruit, aromatic powder, clay, tooth-wood, bamboo, medical treatment, or by taking messages on foot.
Badly behaved: he plants flowering trees and gets it done; he waters them and gets it done; he plucks them and gets it done; he ties (the flowers into garlands) and gets it done.
Is seen and heard about: those who are present see it; those who are absent hear about it.
The families corrupted by him: they have lost their faith because of him; they have lost their confidence because of him.
Are seen and heard about: those who are present see it; those who are absent hear about it.
Him: that monk who is a corrupter of families.
Other monks, those who see it or hear about it. They should say: “Venerable, you are a corrupter of families and badly behaved. Your bad behaviour is seen and heard about, and the families corrupted by you are seen and heard about. Leave this monastery; you have stayed here long enough.”
If he replies, “You are acting out of desire, anger, confusion and fear; because of this sort of offence, you banish some, but not others.”
Him: that monk who is having an act done against him.
Other monks, those who see it or hear about it. They should say: “Venerable, do not say that. The monks are not acting out of desire, anger, confusion, and fear. Venerable, you are a corrupter of families and badly behaved. Your bad behaviour is seen and heard about, and the families corrupted by you are seen and heard about. Venerable, leave this monastery; you have stayed here long enough.” And they should say this a second and a third time. If he stops, good. If he does not stop, he commits an offence of bad conduct. If those who hear about it do not say anything, they commit an offence of bad conduct.
That monk, even if he has to be dragged into the middle of the Sangha, should be to spoken to thus: “Venerable, do not say that. The monks are not acting out of desire, anger, confusion, and fear. Venerable, you are a corrupter of families and badly behaved. Your bad behaviour is seen and heard about, and the families corrupted by you are seen and heard about. Venerable, leave this monastery; you have stayed here long enough.” And they should say this a second and a third time. If he stops, good. If he does not stop, he commits an offence of bad conduct.
He should be admonished:
“And, monks, he should be admonished in this way. An experienced and competent monk should inform the Sangha:
‘Bhante, let the Sangha listen to me. This monk so-and-so, who has had an act of banishment done against him, is defaming the monks as acting out of desire, anger, confusion, and fear. He is not stopping that action. If it seems appropriate to the Sangha, the Sangha should admonish him to make him stop. This is the motion.
‘Bhante, let the Sangha listen to me. This monk so-and-so, who has had an act of banishment done against him, is defaming the monks as acting out of desire, anger, confusion, and fear. He is not stopping that action. The Sangha admonishes him to make him stop. Any monk who agrees to admonishing him to make him stop should remain silent. Any monk who does not agree should say so.
‘For a second time … For a third time I speak on this matter: Bhante, let the Sangha listen to me. This monk so-and-so, who has had an act of banishment done against him, is defaming the monks as acting out of desire, anger, confusion, and fear. He is not stopping that action. The Sangha admonishes him to make him stop. Any monk who agrees to admonishing him to make him stop should remain silent. Any monk who does not agree should say so.
‘This monk has been admonished by the Sangha to make him stop that action. The Sangha approves and is therefore silent. I will remember it thus.’”
After the motion, he commits an offence of bad conduct. After two proclamations, he commits a serious offence. When the proclamation is finished, he commits an offence entailing suspension. For one who commits the offence entailing suspension, the offence of bad conduct and the serious offence are annulled.
He commits an offence entailing suspension: only the Sangha gives probation for that offence, sends back to the beginning, places under deference, and rehabilitates—not several monks, not an individual. Therefore it is said that he commits an offence entailing suspension. This is the name and designation of this class of offence. Therefore, too, it is said that he commits an offence entailing suspension.
Permutations
If it is a legitimate act of the Sangha, and he perceives it as legitimate, but he does not stop, he commits an offence entailing suspension.
If it is a legitimate act of the Sangha, but he has doubts about it, and he does not stop, he commits an offence entailing suspension.
If it is a legitimate act of the Sangha, but he perceives it as illegitimate, and he does not stop, he commits an offence entailing suspension.
If it is an illegitimate act of the Sangha, but he perceives it as legitimate, he commits an offence of bad conduct.
If it is an illegitimate act of the Sangha, but he has doubts about it, he commits an offence of bad conduct.
If it is an illegitimate act of the Sangha, and he perceives it as illegitimate, he commits an offence of bad conduct.
Non-offences
There is no offence: if he is not admonished; if he stops; if he is insane; if he is the first offender.
The thirteenth training rule on corrupters of families is finished.
“Venerables, the thirteen rules entailing suspension have been recited, nine being immediate offences, four after the third announcement. If a monk commits any one of them, he is to undergo probation for the same number of days as he knowingly concealed that offence. When this is completed, he must practice deference for a further six days. When this is completed, he is to be rehabilitated wherever there is a Sangha of at least twenty monks. If that monk is rehabilitated by a Sangha of even one less than twenty, that monk is not rehabilitated and those monks are at fault. This is proper procedure.
In regard to this I ask the Venerables: ‘Are you pure in this?’ A second time I ask: ‘Are you pure in this?’ A third time I ask: ‘Are you pure in this?’ You are pure in this and therefore silent. I will remember it thus.”
The group of thirteen is finished.
Emission, physical contact,
Lewd, his own desire;
Acting as a go-between, a hut,
A dwelling, groundlessly.
A pretext, schism,
Those who agree with him;
Difficult to admonish, corrupters of families;
The thirteen offences entailing suspension.
The chapter on offences entailing suspension is finished.