Lzh Dg Bu Pm 2 Pc 17Throwing Out a Monastic

The Nikkaḍḍhana Sutta: The Expulsion of a Bhikkhu

Context

The Nikkaḍḍhana Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, specifically within the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the rules for bhikkhunis. This text records concrete situations concerning the handling of bhikkhus who violate the four Pārājika rules, the four gravest principles leading to exclusion from the Sangha.

The historical context of the sutta lies in the early period of Buddhism, when the Buddha was still alive and the Sangha needed to establish clear rules to maintain monastic discipline. These rules are not arbitrary terror or punishment, but measures to protect the practicing community from actions that violate integrity and the pure life.

Main Content

The Nikkaḍḍhana Sutta deals with the “expulsion” (nikkaḍḍhana) of a bhikkhu, that is, the formal exclusion of a member from the Sangha because of grave violations. Specifically, this sutta outlines offenses belonging to the Pārājika class, the gravest rules, consisting of four prohibitions:

First is sexual misconduct, that is, improper sexual acts. Second is taking property that is not one’s own, theft. Third is killing a human being. Fourth is lying about superhuman attainments, beyond one’s actual level of practice.

Any bhikkhu who violates one of these four rules must be excluded from the Sangha. This process is not a humane punishment, but an acknowledgment that the person is no longer a worthy member of the practicing community. Such a person must return to lay life and no longer enjoys the benefits of monastic life.

The sutta also clearly states the formal procedures the Sangha must follow when carrying out this expulsion. These include transparency, public action, and the consensus of the bhikkhus, avoiding authoritarianism or baseless decisions.