Lzh Mu Bu Vb Ss 10Causing Schism in the Saṅgha
Pāli / Sanskrit:Saṅghabheda
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THE SCRIPTURE ON CAUSING DIVISION IN THE SANGHA (Saṅghabheda)
Context
The Saṅghabheda scripture belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, where the rules of practice and disciplinary penalties within the monastic community are recorded. This is not a discourse of Dharma teaching like other scriptures, but a part of the Saṅghādisesa section, clearly setting forth serious actions that can lead to the gravest consequences for the community of practice.
In the earliest context of Buddhism, the Sangha was regarded as one of the Three Jewels, the living communal body that establishes, transmits, and protects the Buddha Dharma. Causing division in the Sangha is regarded as an extremely grave offense, because it undermines the final foundation by which the Buddha Dharma exists and develops. Instead of guiding practitioners on the path of liberation, those who cause division create conflict, hatred, and misunderstanding.
Main Content
The offense of saṅghabheda — causing division in the Sangha — is defined in the Vinaya Piṭaka as the deliberate act of separating a group of monastics from the community and establishing a distinct group for the purpose of opposing the decisions or guidance of the legitimate Sangha.
The scripture describes the ways division is caused: a person may speak words of incitement, create hatred among members, or construct a separate system of teachings in order to draw others after him. The purposes may vary, but the result is the same: the Sangha is broken into fragments, losing its collective strength and its ability to carry out communal decisions.
The consequences of this offense are exceedingly heavy. According to Buddhist doctrine, one who causes division in the Sangha will experience karmic results in this life and future lives: being isolated from the Sangha, losing the opportunity to practice according to the Dharma, and dying with deep reflections on one’s wrongdoing.
It is noteworthy that the Vinaya Piṭaka not only sets forth the offense, but also guides its correction through sincere confession and returning to lay life (renouncing monastic status).
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