Lzh Dg Bu Pm 2 Ss 12Corrupters of Families
Pāli / Sanskrit:Kuladūsaka
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KULADŪSAKA SUTTA — CORRUPTERS OF FAMILIES
Background
The Kuladūsaka Sutta, concerning those who corrupt families, belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the most basic disciplinary portion of the Pāli Canon. In the Theravāda tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a set of mechanical prohibitions, but an expression of deep understanding of cause and effect (karma) and the consequences of actions.
The background of this scripture reflects a common situation in the Buddha’s time: monastics or attendants losing mindfulness and acting improperly, causing families to lose faith in the Sangha and thereby staining the honor of the renunciant community. This was a serious matter in the early monastic community, because the honor of the Sangha directly affected the ability to teach the Dharma and receive support from the lay community.
Main Content
This scripture focuses on specific actions considered “corrupting families” (kuladūsana), acts that cause families to lose faith and thereby implicate the whole Sangha. The main violations relate to three areas: craving for sensuality (kāma-taṇhā), harming the peace of families through improper relationships; craving for wealth (bhoga-taṇhā), deceiving families in order to seize property; and craving for power (bhava-taṇhā), exploiting religious faith in order to manipulate or control.
The scripture emphasizes that a monastic of high virtue should be self-aware regarding these actions, not merely out of fear of blame, but because each improper action creates suffering, not only for others but also for oneself and the whole renunciant community. Moral purity (sīla) is the foundation of all other spiritual attainments.
Practical Meaning
For monastics in the Theravāda tradition, this scripture is a direct reminder: practice is not only one’s private matter, but a responsibility toward the community that has placed trust in one. Each improper action is a “poison” (dūsana) that pollutes the clear water from which everyone needs to drink.
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