Lzh Mg Bi Pm Pc 55Legitimate Correction
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sahadhammika
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THE DISCOURSE ON LEGITIMATE CORRECTION (Sahadhammika)
Background
The Sahadhammika (Legitimate Correction) is found in the Vinaya Pitaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically within the Pātimokkha — the collection of fundamental rules of training for monastics. This text was recorded to guide the monastic community in the proper manner of correcting or reproving a fellow monastics when they violate the Dhamma and the Vinaya.
In its historical context, following the parinirvāṇa of the Buddha, the monastic community encountered situations requiring the handling of disciplinary matters in a fair and transparent way. The Sahadhammika therefore addresses the principles and conditions under which a monastic may legitimately reprove another, based on the principle of saha-dhamma — meaning "in accordance with the Dhamma" or "consonant with the Dhamma."
Main Content
This text establishes that the correction or reproof of a fellow monastic must conform to strict criteria in order to be considered legitimate and valid. The one who corrects must act from a pure motivation — not out of anger, hatred, or ill will, but entirely for the sake of the Dhamma and the progress of the Sangha.
According to the text, legitimate correction must be carried out openly before the community, or at the very least before appropriate monastics, so as to ensure transparency and fairness. The one who corrects must clearly set forth the reasons, the evidence, and the provisions of the Dhamma and Vinaya that the accused has transgressed. This ensures that the reproof is not an arbitrary or autocratic act, but a decision supported by the Dhamma.
The text further emphasizes that the ultimate purpose of correction is not to punish or humiliate, but to educate — to help the individual recognize their transgression and return to the proper path of practice. This is a form of upāya (skillful means) — an appropriate method for guiding others toward the Dhamma.
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