Lzh Mi Bi Vb Ss 10Causing Schism in the Saṅgha
Pāli / Sanskrit:Saṅghabheda
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
THE SUTTA ON DIVIDING THE SANGHA
Saṅghabheda
Background
This sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition and reflects one of the gravest issues in the Sangha from the time when the Buddha was still alive. Causing division in the Sangha (Saṅghabheda) is considered one of the five most serious offenses, actions that cause a monk to commit a grave wrong and undergo profound spiritual consequences.
The historical background shows that divisions in the Sangha did occur, especially the division caused by Devadatta when he tried to separate a group of monks to follow him, declaring that the Buddha was not sufficiently diligent. Division in the Sangha is not only a separation of personnel, but also a breaking of unity in the direction of practice and doctrine.
Main Content
The sutta states that dividing the Sangha is the intentional act of causing conflict and disharmony in the monastic community through such means as propagating theories contrary to the Dharma, drawing monks into a separate group, or inciting monks to oppose the decisions of the united Sangha.
The act of dividing the Sangha differs from other violations of the Vinaya. It does not affect only one individual but harms the entire community of practice. The Vinaya Piṭaka prescribes corresponding sanctions for those who cause division, from being considered and admonished to being removed from the community (Saṅghakamma, an act of the Sangha).
For a division to be regarded as established and truly harmful, it must satisfy certain conditions: there must be a clear separation, there must be a sufficient number of monks in the group, and the condition must be intentionally maintained. This shows the carefulness of the Vinaya: not every disagreement of opinion is regarded as a division in the Sangha.
🌏 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.