Lzh Mg Bu Pm Pc 57Viewing 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.
Uyyodhika Sutta – Viewing a Military Action
Background
The Uyyodhika (Uyyodhika Vagga) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically to the Pātimokkha section of the Theravāda tradition. This text records the training rules that the Buddha established for bhikkhus in order to protect their spiritual resolve, maintain purity, and build a strong monastic community.
This sutta arose from a specific situation in the early period of the Saṅgha. At that time, the bhikkhus needed clear guidance on how to conduct themselves when confronted with worldly events, especially activities related to military affairs. The historical context shows that the regions where Buddhism flourished were often places where wars and conflicts occurred. Accordingly, the Dharma needed to provide specific guidance on how monastics in training must keep themselves apart from such activities, even in the capacity of spectators.
Main Content
The Uyyodhika Sutta stipulates that bhikkhus should not go to observe military actions, battles, or military parades. This is not merely a formal prohibition; it reflects the profound philosophy of Theravāda Buddhism.
Specifically, this rule falls within the category of Pācittiya offenses—transgressions that require confession and expiation. A bhikkhu who intentionally goes to watch a military engagement commits the fifty-seventh offense (or its equivalent in various recensions of the Vinaya). This act is considered a pācittiya violation, a level of offense lighter than a Pārājika (a defeat offense), yet one that still requires public confession before the Saṅgha.
The rationale for this rule derives from the principle of non-violence (ahiṁsā) and the maintenance of mental purity. Watching military engagements may arouse thoughts associated with force, hostility, or harm. This stands in direct opposition to the ideal of a monastic—one who cultivates the mind of a bodhisattva, or at the very least the mind of loving-kindness, wishing to guide beings without causing injury.
🌏 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.