Lzh Mu Bi Vb Pc 151Teaching Pointless Knowledge
Pāli / Sanskrit:Tiracchānavijjāvācana
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Discourse on Teaching Pointless Knowledge
Background
In the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, the rule Tiracchānavijjāvācana (teaching knowledge of animal arts) is recorded as one of the important prohibitions for bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. This rule appears in the Pātimokkha sections (Parisuddhi Vatta), the most basic ethical code of the Buddhist Sangha.
This discourse reflects the historical context of the Buddha’s lifetime, when monastics could easily be tempted to misuse knowledge to make a living. The "pointless knowledge" (tiracchānavijjā) here refers to skills related to worldly matters such as fortune-telling by marks, astrology, interpreting supernatural phenomena, agricultural techniques, animal husbandry, or other subtle deceptions. Though these fields may have value in worldly life, they obstruct the pure spiritual path of one who has gone forth.
Main Content
The discourse specifically forbids bhikkhus from teaching or instructing others in "knowledge related to animal arts," a Pāli term used for the whole range of worldly skills not directly related to awakening and liberation. The prohibition is not against possessing such knowledge, but against teaching or propagating it.
The deeper reason for this rule is to protect the purity of the intention to practice. When renunciants begin to make a living through these skills, they become entangled in fame and gain. They become "servants of pointless knowledge" rather than "practitioners of the virtuous path leading to nirvana." This rule is a symbol of the clear separation between lay life and the renunciant life.
According to the Pāli Canon, violating this rule, if it is a Pācittiya offense, requires the offender to confess before another bhikkhu or before the Sangha and immediately abandon the wrongful action.
🌏 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.