Lzh Mi Bi Vb Pc 167Throwing Out a Monastic
Pāli / Sanskrit:Nikkaḍḍhana
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The Sutta on Expelling a Monastic
Background
In the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, the Pātimokkha, the collective discipline, sets forth offenses committed by monastics, including rules on expulsion from the community (saṅgha). The Nikkaḍḍhana Sutta belongs to the Pācittiya collection, the lighter offenses, specifically among the rules related to the collective management of the monks.
The historical background of this sutta is linked to the earliest recitations after the Blessed Buddha’s passing into final nirvana. At that time, the Sangha recited the rules in order to protect the principles of practice and maintain discipline in the renunciant community. The rules on expulsion or “throwing out” (nikkaḍḍhana) reflect the need to preserve the purity and unity of the Sangha Jewel.
Main Content
The Nikkaḍḍhana Sutta concerns the situation in which a member of the Sangha does not comply with a decision of the community (saṅghakamma). If a monastic is required by a collective decision, through forms such as communal recitation, to leave or is considered “thrown out,” that person is isolated from Sangha activities until the fault is corrected.
The important point is that this act of expulsion is not a permanent punishment, but a temporary disciplinary measure intended to refocus the spirit of practice. It is carried out according to proper legal procedure (ñatti, anusavana, and so on), not by the arbitrariness of an individual or small group.
This rule is also related to specific behaviors such as refusing to take part in collective correction, not obeying resolutions of the Sangha, or stubbornly arguing against a decision that has been passed. An expelled monastic is separated from activities such as rejoicing in offerings (anumodanā), sharing the common alms distribution, and collective Dharma study sessions.
Practical Meaning
The deeper purpose of the Nikkaḍḍhana Sutta is not to cause suffering, but to maintain noble ethical discipline and harmony within the community of practice.
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