Lzh Mu Bi Pm Pc 90Crying
Pāli / Sanskrit:Rodana
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Rodana Sutta (Crying) - Explanation
Background
The Rodana Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, the discipline by which monks and nuns maintain monastic training. The Vinaya Piṭaka is divided into three main parts: the Sutta Vibhaṅga, explanation of the precepts; the Khandhaka, chapters regulating communal life; and the Parivāra, the supplementary section. This text is found in the Parivāra, the section on rules of conduct, and deals with the issue of crying in the context of the monastic community.
In the time of the Buddha Śākyamuni, bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, male and female monastics, voluntarily went forth to follow the path leading to the cessation of suffering. Yet when families met misfortune or they themselves met hardship, some still wandered back toward the past. The Buddha established precepts and specific guidance to help his disciples pass through waves of emotion without disturbing their own spirit of practice or the community.
Main Content
The Rodana Sutta addresses the question: does crying violate the discipline? Specifically, it examines situations in which a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī cries for various reasons, perhaps because of the loss of a relative, illness, or reflection on the nature of suffering in existence.
First, the text identifies crying as a natural phenomenon of the human mind when facing strong emotions. The Buddha did not absolutely forbid crying; instead, he guided disciples in how to ensure that crying did not become a sign of an undisciplined or unmindful mind. What is most important is understanding (paññā) the temporary and non-self nature (anicca, anatta) of all phenomena.
The text teaches that if a person cries while still maintaining mindfulness (sati) and clear comprehension (sampajañña), that is, while still clearly understanding the situation in the light of the Dharma, then crying does not violate the basic discipline. However, if crying becomes a sign of losing mental control or forgetting the principles of practice, then it is a matter that needs to be examined and corrected.
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