Lzh Mi Bu Vb Pc 71Hitting
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pahāra
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The Pahāra Discourse (Discourse on the Act of Hitting)
Background
The Pahāra Discourse is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the detailed rules. This is not a discourse of theoretical teaching, but a set of detailed rules of virtuous conduct for the fourfold Buddhist community. The background for the arising of this rule concerns an event in the community of monks and nuns, when monastics encountered disputes, personal conflicts, and acts of violence in the monasteries.
The Buddha saw that, although the community could not always avoid disagreement, the act of hitting someone (pahāra) is the worst expression of anger and destroys the purity of the Sangha. Therefore, he established a rule prohibiting this act, in order to protect the ethical foundation and peace of the monastery.
Main Content
The Pahāra rule forbids monks and nuns from hitting anyone, whether a bhikkhu, a bhikkhunī, or anyone else. The act of hitting is defined as using physical violence, using the hand, foot, or an object to cause injury. This includes even light blows, because the issue is not the force of the blow but the intention and the violation of another’s inviolability.
Violations of this rule are classified according to severity. If a monastic hits another person with the intention to harm or to test limits, the rule defines it as Pācittiya, a minor fault requiring public confession to another monastic. However, if the action leads to injury, bleeding, or serious harm, the degree of violation may increase.
The rule also considers exceptions related to legitimate self-defense or protecting others from immediate danger. However, in the Theravāda spirit, Buddhism encourages a third solution: avoiding the person who causes trouble or seeking reconciliation.
Practical Meaning
The Pahāra Discourse is not only a prohibition against violent action, but a profound lesson in the cultivation of the mind.
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