Monks’ Suspension 12: Being difficult to admonish

Origin story

At one time the Buddha, the Master, was staying at Kosambī, in Ghosita’s Park. At that time Venerable Channa was behaving improperly. The monks would tell him, “Don’t do that; it’s not allowable,” and he would reply:

“Who are you to admonish me? I should admonish you! The Buddha is mine, the Dhamma is mine; the Dhamma was attained by the young Master because of me. Just as a great wind lifts up grass, sticks, and fallen leaves all at once, just as a mountain stream lifts up the leaves of various water plants all at once, so too you – having various names, various families, various castes, various clans – having gone forth, are lifted up all at once. Who are you to admonish me? … the Dhamma was attained by the young Master because of me.”

The monks of few desires … complained and criticised him: “How can Venerable Channa make himself intractable when he is legitimately admonished by the monks?”

They informed the Master … and he questioned him: “Is it true, Channa, that you make yourself intractable when you are legitimately admonished by the monks?

“It’s true, Master.”

The Buddha, the Master, rebuked him: “… Foolish man, how can you act in this way? This will not give rise to confidence in those without it … And, monks, this training rule should be recited thus:

Final ruling

“If a monk is difficult to admonish, and he makes himself intractable when he is legitimately admonished by the monks concerning the training rules that are recited, saying, ‘Venerables, do not give me either positive or negative admonishment, and I will not give positive or negative admonishment to you; please refrain from admonishing me,’ then the monks should admonish him in this way: ‘Venerable, be easy to admonish, not intractable. And please give legitimate admonishment to the monks, and the monks will do the same to you. For it is in this way that the Master’s community has grown, that is, through mutual admonishment and mutual rehabilitation.’ 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

If a monk is difficult to admonish: if he is difficult to admonish, endowed with qualities that make him hard to admonish, resistant, not receiving instructions respectfully.

Concerning the training rules that are recited: concerning the training rules of the pātimokkha.

The monks: other monks.

Legitimately: whatever training rule has been laid down by the Master, this is called legitimate.
When he is admonished concerning that, he makes himself intractable, saying: “Venerables, do not give me either positive or negative admonishment, and I will not give positive or negative admonishment to you; please refrain from admonishing me.”

Him: the monk who is difficult to admonish.

The monks:

Other monks, those who see it or hear about it. They should say: “Venerable, be easy to admonish, not intractable. And please give legitimate admonishment to the monks, and the monks will do the same to you. For it is in this way that the Master’s community has grown, that is, through mutual admonishment and mutual rehabilitation.” 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 spoken to thus: “Venerable, be easy to admonish, not intractable. And please give legitimate admonishment to the monks, and the monks will do the same to you. For it is in this way that the Master’s community has grown, that is, through mutual admonishment and mutual rehabilitation.” 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 makes himself intractable when he is legitimately admonished by the monks. 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 makes himself intractable when he is legitimately admonished by the monks. 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 makes himself intractable when he is legitimately admonished by the monks. 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: … 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 twelfth training rule on being difficult to admonish is finished.