Lzh Mu Bi Pm Ss 17Causing Schism in the Saṅgha
Pāli / Sanskrit:Saṅghabheda
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Commentary on the Saṅghabheda Sutta (Causing Schism in the Saṅgha)
Background
The Saṅghabheda Sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically within the rules and regulations concerning the most serious moral offenses. The Saṅgha (僧伽) is the community of monastics who practice in accordance with the teachings of the Buddha, and the integrity of this community is regarded as the foundation upon which the Dharma endures.
During the lifetime of the Buddha, there were instances in which monks or nuns deliberately caused schism in the Saṅgha, dividing its members into opposing factions and undermining the harmony and unity of the community. Such actions were considered the gravest of ethical transgressions, for they not only caused harm to individuals but also destroyed the collective capacity for practice of the entire community.
Principal Content
The Saṅghabheda Sutta sets forth the specific circumstances and actions that constitute "causing schism in the Saṅgha" (saṅghabheda). According to the Pātimokkha rules, this is counted among the Pārājika offenses — violations that are irremediable and result in permanent expulsion from the Saṅgha.
Specifically, acts of causing schism include: (1) employing false ideas, arguments, or teachings to bring about a division among monastics; (2) propagating doctrines contrary to the teachings of the Buddha in order to incite discord; (3) reconstituting a schism that has already been healed; or (4) resolutely maintaining views that generate conflict after having been formally admonished by the Saṅgha.
The Sutta emphasizes that causing schism in the Saṅgha is among the weightiest of offenses, regarded as producing deeply negative karmic consequences even more far-reaching than those of other individual transgressions. The Buddha taught that once the Saṅgha is divided, the continuity of his teaching is broken, practice is interrupted, and the Dharma gradually falls into decline.
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