Lzh Mg Bi Pm Ss 13Causing Schism in the Saṅgha
Pāli / Sanskrit:Saṅghabheda
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Commentary on the Saṅghabheda Sutta (Causing Schism in the Saṅgha)
Background
The Saṅghabheda is found within the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, a foundational section of the Early Buddhist scriptures. It is a definitive document on monastic discipline, reflecting the practical concerns that the founding patriarchs and Śākyamuni Buddha encountered in the process of establishing the monastic community.
Saṅghabheda is translated as "schism in the Saṅgha" (saṅgha = the monastic community; bheda = division, splitting apart). This is one of the most serious offenses a monastic can commit. This text was set forth in order to protect the unity and harmony of the Saṅgha—a value held sacred in Early Buddhism. Schism is not merely personal conflict; it is an act that destroys the spiritual lifeblood of the practicing community, undermining its capacity to practice and transmit the Dharma.
Principal Contents
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, causing schism in the Saṅgha is either a Pārājika offense (a grave transgression) or at the least a Saṅghādisesa offense (a matter requiring a formal decision by the full Saṅgha). Such an act typically involves a monastic deliberately propagating views contrary to the established teaching, or forming separate groups of monastics, thereby splitting the Saṅgha into rival factions.
The text clearly defines the specific circumstances that constitute schism: when a monastic openly criticizes the Dharma or the discipline accepted by the Buddha; when one deliberately incites other monastics to abandon their shared year-round practice together; or when one intentionally creates factions that stand in contradiction to the Dharma and the rules that have been formally instituted. These actions are not merely matters of personal conduct—they directly affect the harmony of the entire community and its capacity to fulfill the mission of upholding and exalting the Dharma.
The text also clearly sets forth the corresponding penalties: ranging from public censure and a requirement for repentance, to formal expulsion from the Saṅgha (should the conduct remain uncorrected).
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