Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Dh Pc 39Obstructions
Pāli / Sanskrit:Antarāyika
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THE ANTARĀYIKA DISCOURSE (OBSTRUCTIONS)
Background
The Antarāyika discourse is found in the Vinaya Pitaka, the precious collection of the early Buddhist tradition. This discourse is recorded in the Pātimokkha section, the basic code that bhikkhus must uphold. The term "antarāyika" means "obstructions" or "that which causes hindrance," referring to specific behaviors considered obstacles on the path of practice within the Sangha.
The historical background of this discourse is related to the formation and completion of rules of practice in the earliest Buddhist community. As the Sangha developed, bhikkhus frequently committed faults not serious enough to lead to expulsion from the community, but serious enough to affect both individual and collective practice adversely. Therefore the Buddha established detailed regulations to protect the integrity of the Sangha and help monastics maintain the mind of the path.
Main Content
The Antarāyika discourse concerns behaviors regarded as "obstructions" (antarāyika) in the Pātimokkha, specifically violations belonging to the Pācittiya class, offenses requiring confession. These obstructions are not the gravest violations, such as Pārājika or Saṅghādisesa, but they hinder progress in the path and the harmony of the Sangha.
Actions regarded as obstructions often include such things as lying, divisive speech, speaking at the wrong time, eating outside the proper time, storing gold and silver, or engaging in actions that tend to accumulate greed, hatred, and delusion. Each of these actions, though it may seem minor, contains unwholesome seeds that can sprout into heavier violations if not restrained.
The important point is that these regulations are not arbitrary punishments. They reflect the Buddha's deep understanding of the nature of the mind, and of how unwholesome states (akusala dhamma) develop and spread in consciousness. Each regulation is a tool that helps monastics avoid conditions favorable to the development of greed, hatred, and delusion.
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