Ka Bu Pm Pc 16Throwing Out a Monastic
Pāli / Sanskrit:Nikkaḍḍhana
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Exposition of the Nikkaḍḍhana Discourse (Expelling a Bhikkhu)
Background
The Nikkaḍḍhana discourse is recorded in the Pātimokkha Saṃvara, the discipline of bhikkhus, specifically in the Pācittiya section, offenses requiring confession. This is one of the detailed legal regulations in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, reflecting actual situations in the monastic community from the Buddha’s time.
According to the Pāli tradition, the rules in the Pātimokkha all arise from specific events. This discourse concerns faults a bhikkhu may commit in residence, communal living, and managing relationships with those expelled from the community. This context took shape when bhikkhus failed to follow the discipline or violated rules of conduct, leading the Sangha to decide on expulsion (nikkaḍḍhana).
Main Content
The Nikkaḍḍhana discourse states that a bhikkhu must not keep contact with, communicate with, or support a person officially expelled by the Sangha. This action aims to maintain the purity and unity of the community, while also serving as an educational penalty for one who repeatedly violates the rules or refuses correction.
Specifically, if a bhikkhu clearly knows that a fellow monastic has been expelled and still associates with that person, whether through conversation, receiving requisites, or living in the same place, that bhikkhu commits a Pācittiya offense. This violation is not a grave offense leading to permanent expulsion, but it requires public confession before the community of bhikkhus.
This rule also includes flexible cases: if the bhikkhu is uncertain about the other person’s expelled status, or if the expelled person is later restored to standing, then the prohibition no longer applies. This shows the humane and flexible character of applying the law, not rigidity or cruelty.
Practical Meaning
The Nikkaḍḍhana discourse teaches that communal discipline is the foundation of collective practice.
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