Lzh Mg Bi Pm Pc 47Viewing a Military Action
Pāli / Sanskrit:Uyyodhika
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
The Uyyodhika Sutta: Viewing a Military Action
Background
The Uyyodhika Sutta appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically within the regulations of the Pātimokkha — the list of offenses for bhikkhus. The context of the teaching concerns the question of a practitioner's participation in military events, and how one who follows the Buddha-Dhamma ought to conduct oneself in situations involving collective violence.
The historical background of this matter dates to the time when the Buddha was still present in the world, when bhikkhus would sometimes witness or be questioned about military conflicts between kingdoms. Such regulations were established not as political criticism, but to protect the purity and orientation of the monastic community.
Principal Content
In the Uyyodhika Sutta, the Buddha or senior monastics teach that a bhikkhu should not directly view, observe, or participate in military actions (uyyodhika). This includes going to a battlefield, examining military plans, or even maintaining a positive regard toward wars.
The name "Uyyodhika" (from uyyodha — military, combat action) makes clear that this matter pertains directly to organized violence. This regulation arises not from timidity or conservatism, but from a fundamental principle of Buddhism: ahiṃsā (non-harming). One who trains in the Buddha-Dhamma cannot simultaneously be devoted to relinquishing violence and attend or take pleasure in events whose very nature is collective violence.
The text also indicates that this action constitutes a Pācittiya offense — a category of fault requiring confession and correction. The gravity of this violation is not the most severe, yet it clearly expresses a principle: that which we attend to, that which we regard with interest and engagement, shapes our minds and intentions.
🌏 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.