Lzh Mg Bi Vb Pc 40Scaring
Pāli / Sanskrit:Bhiṁsāpana
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Bhiṁsāpana Sutta (The Sutta on Intimidation)
Background
The Bhiṁsāpana Sutta (Scaring – Intimidation) is found within the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, specifically in the section on Pātimokkha Saṃvara (the Monastic Code for Bhikkhus). These are rules governing the conduct of those who have gone forth into the monastic community, intended to protect the purity of virtue and to create favorable conditions for the practice of meditation.
Within the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, the suttas detailing prohibited actions are not forbidden because such actions are inherently evil, but because they impede spiritual cultivation and erode the trust of the lay community. The Bhiṁsāpana Sutta deals specifically with situations involving the act of "intimidating" or "provoking"—gestures or words capable of causing fear, causing offense, or disrupting harmony within the religious community.
This forms part of the Pātimokkha rules laid down by the Blessed One Gotama after observing problems that arose in the monastic life of the bhikkhus. Each rule has its originating narrative (nidāna) explaining why it was found necessary.
Main Content
The Bhiṁsāpana Sutta concerns the act of "frightening" or "intimidating" others within the community. Specifically, it cautions bhikkhus against engaging in provocative actions such as raising a hand in a threatening manner, using sharp and cutting speech, or making gestures intended to cause another person fear or shame.
The act of "bhiṁsāpana" (from "bhiṁsa" — fear, and "apana" — to cause) is prohibited because it violates the spirit of the bhikkhu — one who has gone forth and has renounced hatred and violence. A true bhikkhu ought to embody peace, forbearance, and compassion, not aggression or threatening gestures.
This rule not only protects the other members of the Saṅgha, but also safeguards the image and integrity of the Saṅgha itself in the eyes of the public. When laypeople observe a bhikkhu acting harshly or making threatening gestures, their faith in the Buddha-Dhamma is diminished.
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