Lzh Dg Bi Pm Pc 94Throwing Out a Monastic

NIKKAḌḌHANA SUTTA: EXPELLING A MONASTIC

Background

Nikkaḍḍhana (निक्कड़ढन), meaning “expulsion” or “removal,” is a matter of monastic discipline regulated in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Discipline Basket of early Buddhism. This sutta appears in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the rules for bhikkhunīs or female monastics, specifically in the Pācittiya section, offenses that give rise to light remorse and confession.

In the time of the Buddha, the bhikkhu community (Saṅgha) needed to maintain a high degree of purity and discipline. To protect the integrity of the order, rules of practice were established step by step, case by case. Nikkaḍḍhana concerns the situation in which a member of the Saṅgha commits a serious fault or acts in a way harmful to the community, leading to the decision that they must be removed from the official group of practice.

Main Content

According to the spirit of the Vinaya Piṭaka, expelling a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī is not an arbitrary punishment, but the result of a serious disciplinary process. Nikkaḍḍhana is usually applied when:

First, a bhikkhu commits the root precepts (Pārājika, offenses that lead to loss of bhikkhu status), such as violating celibacy, stealing, killing life, or making false claims about supernatural powers that he does not possess.

Second, that person refuses to repent, denies the fault, or does not accept the guidance of the Saṅgha. The process usually includes three admonitions before the final decision.

Third, expulsion is carried out by the Saṅgha through a formal act (ñatti-dutiya-kamma), requiring the agreement of the majority of members. This ensures fairness and prevents abuse of authority.

When expelled, the bhikkhu is no longer regarded as a lawful member of the Saṅgha and loses the right to participate in common recitations, eat communally, or receive reverence from lay devotees.