Lzh Dg Bu Pm Ss 12Corrupters of Families
Pāli / Sanskrit:Kuladūsaka
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Explanation of the Kuladūsaka Sutra (Corrupters of Families)
Background
The Kuladūsaka Sutra belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravada tradition of the Buddha Dharma, as part of the regulations for bhikkhunīs. This sutra was recorded in the context of the Buddha and his female renunciant disciples living within society, where bhikkhunīs constantly interacted with families from many different classes.
The Vinaya Pitaka is not a set of mechanical punitive laws, but ethical guidance to protect the purity of the Sangha and maintain the trust of the world. The Kuladūsaka Sutra (from Pāli: kula = family, dūsaka = one who corrupts) was declared to warn bhikkhunīs about actions that may harm the reputation of the Buddha Dharma and the faith of families who support Buddhism.
Main Content
This sutra mainly concerns conduct that female monastics must avoid so as not to corrupt families. This includes moral and disciplinary lapses, such as laxity in keeping the precepts, inappropriate association with men, or activities not fitting the outward form of a bhikkhunī.
In the context of the Vinaya Pitaka, the concept of “corrupting families” does not refer only to individual errors, but also to bringing shame upon families whose members have gone forth. A female monastic who commits a grave fault will adversely affect the community’s trust in the Sangha, thereby weakening the development of the Buddha Dharma.
The sutra also emphasizes that such actions can undermine the foundation of Buddhism and diminish the faith of those still clinging to spiritual aspirations. Therefore, observing the rules is not a harsh custom, but an expression of reverence for the Buddha Dharma and compassion toward other beings.
Practical Meaning
For modern bhikkhunīs, the Kuladūsaka Sutra offers a lesson about how personal ethical responsibility affects the community.
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