Lzh Dg Bu Pm Pc 72Annoyance
Pāli / Sanskrit:Vilekhana
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Explanation of the Vilekhana Sutra (The Sutra on Annoyance)
Background
The Vilekhana sutra appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the code of rules, within the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the analysis of the bhikkhunī precepts. It is part of the monastic regulations intended to maintain communal harmony and mental calm within the Sangha.
The background is recorded as taking place during the Buddha’s lifetime, when the Sangha faced problems related to conduct that caused annoyance and disturbed the peace of the monastic community. From this specific act, the Buddha first declared a preliminary rule (aniyata), which later developed into a formal rule to protect the moral conduct (sīla) of practitioners.
This sutra is directly connected with the seventy-second Pācittiya, one of the faults requiring confession (pācittiya) within the circle of practice for bhikkhunīs. Vilekhana may also be described as “the sutra on causing vexation” or “the sutra on causing annoyance.”
Main Content
The Vilekhana sutra centers on the prohibition of actions that cause annoyance and irritation (vilekhana) to others in the monastic community. “Annoyance” here is not limited to impolite words or actions, but also includes subtle gestures, attitudes, or behaviors capable of disrupting concentration and affecting the mental state of other monastics.
According to this rule, a bhikkhunī is prohibited from engaging in certain specific actions identified by the Buddha as causing annoyance to fellow practitioners. Conduct such as deliberately irritating others, offering unnecessary criticism, or creating situations that cause others to lose mindfulness is regarded as a violation. This rule reflects the Buddha’s deep understanding of human psychology and how small actions can accumulate into great barriers to spiritual practice.
The sutra emphasizes that the Sangha can flourish only when its members together maintain harmony (samaggī) and unified direction (ekodibhāva), turning toward one single aim.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.