Lzh Mu Bi Vb Ss 13Renouncing the Training
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sikkhaṁpaccācikkhaṇa
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THE SUTTA ON RENOUNCING THE TRAINING
Sikkhaṁpaccācikkhaṇa
Background
This sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, especially in the Mūlapariyāya Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the analysis of the basic rules for bhikkhunīs. In the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is not only a code of discipline, but also a declaration of respect, self-control, and commitment to concentrated practice.
The matter of “renouncing the training” (Sikkhaṁpaccācikkhaṇa) appears in the context of women monastics deciding to leave the life of going forth. This is not merely an external disciplinary issue, but a sacred declaration of a change in spiritual intention. In the early community of monks and nuns during the Buddha’s lifetime, questions concerning leaving or maintaining the vows of practice were handled with careful consideration.
Main Content
Sikkhaṁpaccācikkhaṇa refers to the act of clearly declaring the abandonment of the training rules that a monastic has vowed to keep. This is not the same as expulsion for an offense; it is a voluntary decision, publicly declared before the Sangha or suitable witnesses.
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, renouncing the training is considered in the light of “paccācikkhaṇa” — denial or rejection. A bhikkhunī or bhikkhu must clearly declare that they no longer wish to observe these vows. What matters is that there be full understanding and free will in this decision.
Buddhist discipline recognizes that the path of practice is not an easy path, and not everyone can or wishes to maintain the commitment for life. Rather than imposing a humiliating manner of suspending or ending the life of practice, the Vinaya Piṭaka created a mechanism that allows monastics to renounce their vows with respect for them and for the Saṅgha.
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