Lzh Mu Bu Pm Ss 13Difficult to Correct
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dubbaca
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The Dubbaca Sutta (Difficult to Correct)
Background
The Dubbaca Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Pali Canon of the Theravada tradition, expressing the Buddha’s deep concern for the discipline of the Sangha. This is not a doctrinal sutta, but a disciplinary regulation (vinaya), norms concerning conduct and relationships within the community of monks and nuns. The noun “Dubbaca” (dubbhaca) means “difficult to correct” or “difficult to train,” referring to behaviors or attitudes that create division and difficulty in the management and education of monastics.
In the context of the early Sangha community, the Buddha often encountered monks who would not correct their faults and would not follow the advice of elder companions in the holy life or of the Buddha himself. Such cases required special measures of governance in order to maintain harmony and the purity of the Sangha.
Main Content
The Dubbaca Sutta sets forth the standards for recognizing a monk as “difficult to correct” (dubbaca bhikkhu) according to the Buddha’s discipline. Such people often have these characteristics: they will not listen to advice, cling to wrong ideas, become aggressive or arrogant when instructed, or repeatedly violate the precepts even after many reminders.
The Buddha instructs the Sangha in appropriate ways of dealing with such monks. The main method is to hold formal meetings (upasampadā) to analyze the matter, to try to educate the monk through fellow monastics, and, if necessary, to apply forms of warning or other disciplinary measures (such as kamma, a collective decision). However, if the monk finally still refuses or continues to offend, the Sangha may carry out a measure of “parivāsa” (a period of probation) or “ukkhepanīyakamma” (temporary suspension) in order to protect the purity of the community.
These regulations emphasize that each monk has a humane responsibility: to strive to correct himself when instructed, to respect the teaching of the elders, and to maintain the spirit of harmony in the Sangha.
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