Lzh Mi Bu Pm Pc 49Living With an Ejected Monastic
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ukkhittasambhoga
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THE DISCOURSE ON LIVING WITH ONE WHO HAS BEEN EXPELLED
Background
The Ukkhittasambhoga discourse, Living with One Who Has Been Expelled, is an important regulation in the Vinaya Pitaka of the Theravāda tradition. It is recorded in the Vinaya Pitaka, the collection of principles governing the community of bhikkhus and bhikkhunis. This discourse reflects a subtle situation in monastic life: when a bhikkhu is expelled by the community (ukkhitta) because of a serious violation or refusal to acknowledge fault, how are the other members of the monastery to relate to him?
The background occurred in the time of the Buddha, when he established rules to protect the healthy development of the Sangha. Expulsion (ukkhepana) is not a permanent punishment, but a disciplinary measure intended to encourage the offender to amend his conduct and rejoin the community. However, during the period of expulsion, the question arises: may the expelled person still dwell together within the monastic institution? May he eat together and work together with the others?
Main Content
This rule clearly stipulates that an expelled bhikkhu may not live in common association (sambhoga) with the other members of the community. The term "ukkhittasambhoga" has a direct meaning: one who has been expelled cannot continue to share (sambhoga) in the property, living spaces, or collective activities of the Sangha.
This includes specific restrictions: he may not eat from the same bowl or vessel with other bhikkhus, may not attend collective chanting sessions, may not sleep in the same room, and may not participate in the shared decisions of the community. He may still reside in the monastery, but this separation is intended to create a "psychological wall" to help him recognize the gravity of his fault.
The important point is that this separation is not due to hatred or violence, but to compassion. It gives the offender the opportunity to reflect, reform his mind, and seek a way to return to the community. The other bhikkhus must still maintain an attitude of compassion, neither encouraging nor making things difficult for the expelled person, but simply maintaining the boundaries of the discipline.
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