Lzh Dg Bi Pm Pc 82Dismissing a Companion

Dutiyikauyyojana Sutta: Dismissing a Companion

Background

This rule appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, in the section on Pātimokkha restraint, the rules that protect the purity of the Sangha. The sutta was recorded in the context of the Buddha’s guidance to bhikkhus on ethical character in the course of practice and study.

Dutiyikauyyojana, this name is connected with “dismissing or separating from a companion.” This rule arose from specific cases in the monastic community, when some bhikkhus did not follow discipline or behaved in ways that caused division in the monastic body. For that reason, the noble Sangha needed a clear rule on how to handle such cases, in order to protect the harmony and purity of the community.

According to the Theravāda tradition, the purpose of the Vinaya Piṭaka is not to punish, but to educate, admonish, and protect the true Dharma from being harmed by unsuitable conduct.

Main Content

The sutta lays down that when a bhikkhu acts in a way that does not conform to the law or ethical standards of the Sangha, other bhikkhus may separate their relationship of practice and study from him. This is not an immediate or unjust punishment, but an orderly and careful way of handling the matter.

This dismissal or separation is carried out when the offender resolutely refuses to correct his faults after repeated admonitions. The important point is that there must be confirmation by the Sangha, not an arbitrary decision by one or two individuals. The process must be public and transparent, and always leave open the opportunity for the offender if he sincerely repents.

The conditions for applying this rule include: the person must truly have violated the Pātimokkha, must have been admonished at least three times, and must firmly refuse to change. When the Sangha decides to separate from him, the other bhikkhus must not cooperate with him, live together with him, or receive support from this dismissed person until he has reformed.