Lzh Mg Bu Pm Ss 10Causing Schism in the Saṅgha
Pāli / Sanskrit:Saṅghabheda
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SŪTRA ON SAṄGHABHEDA (THE OFFENSE OF CAUSING SCHISM IN THE SAṄGHA)
Background
The Saṅghabheda sūtra is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, within the section governing serious offenses of monks and nuns. It is among the offenses classified at the highest level in the Buddhist legal system, equivalent to the five offenses entailing defeat (pārājika). This record reflects the profound concern of early Buddhism for the unity of the Saṅgha, since the community of practitioners is regarded as one of the Three Jewels (the Three Jewels being: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha).
According to Buddhist history, actual schisms within the Saṅgha did occur, particularly when influential monastics sought to break away and establish separate factions. The Saṅghabheda sūtra is therefore not a set of abstract theories, but a practical guide for protecting and maintaining the harmony of the Saṅgha.
Principal Content
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the offense of causing schism in the Saṅgha (Saṅghabheda) is defined as the deliberate act of separating a group of bhikkhus or bhikkhunīs from the Saṅgha, or of causing the Saṅgha to be divided into two opposing factions. This conduct may be carried out by enticing members of the Saṅgha to adopt divergent views concerning the Vinaya, or by provoking prolonged disputes that have no means of resolution.
This sūtra stipulates that, for an act to be considered a true Saṅghabheda, three basic conditions must be present: first, the perpetrator must have the intention of separating the Saṅgha; second, that act must actually be carried out; and third, the result must be that the Saṅgha is genuinely divided. Similar offenses—such as attempting to cause schism but failing to do so—are classified as offenses of a lesser degree (saṅghādisesa).
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