Lzh Mu Bu Pm Pc 53Obstructing a Legal Procedure
Pāli / Sanskrit:Kammapaṭibāhana
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Kammapaṭibāhana Text: Obstructing a Legal Procedure
Background
Kammapaṭibāhana (Pāli: kamma = action; paṭibāhana = obstructing, preventing) is a regulation in the Vinaya Piṭaka of Theravāda Buddhism, belonging to the Pācittiya section of the Sangha’s code of discipline. This regulation arose from a specific incident in the Sangha community in the Buddha’s time, connected with members who deliberately obstructed the process of disciplinary handling, the administrative and judicial decisions of the Sangha, through procedures called kamma, the formal actions of the Sangha.
In the Theravāda tradition, kamma refers to the official acts performed by the Sangha according to Vinaya regulations, including: admitting new members (upasampadā), probation (parivāsa), suspension (ukkhepaniya), or other disciplinary measures. These procedures require the consent or participation of all or a majority of the monastics present, and cannot be interrupted arbitrarily.
Main Content
The Kammapaṭibāhana text stipulates that any monastic who deliberately obstructs, interrupts, or delays a valid kamma procedure of the Sangha violates a Pācittiya rule, requiring confession before another monastic.
Specifically, obstructive conduct includes such cases as interrupting discussion, objecting without cause, refusing to participate, or attempting to use false reasons to postpone a decision that has been carefully prepared. This does not apply to legitimate objections: if someone discovers that the procedure violates the Vinaya or is being carried out incorrectly, that person has the right to raise the matter and request a pause.
However, once a kamma decision has been carried out according to proper procedure, no one is permitted deliberately to disrupt or sabotage the process for personal, factional, or hostile reasons. This protects the integrity of the Sangha community, ensuring that disciplinary decisions are implemented fairly and independently.
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