Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Pc 118Temperamental to Live With
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sokāvāsa
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SOKĀVĀSA SUTTA: ON A PERSON DIFFICULT TO LIVE WITH
Background
The Sokāvāsa Sutta (Pāli: sokāvāsa, where “soka” means sorrow and “vāsa” means living together) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, especially the Pācittiya section, offenses requiring confession. This text reflects practical situations in the community of monks and nuns, where monastics must live together in a community and face challenges of character and psychology.
The background of this text concerns the Buddha and his disciples regulating undesirable conduct, habits, or difficult traits that may cause disorder and diminish harmony in the Sangha. A person of difficult temperament (sokāvāsa), impulsive or quick to anger, causes discomfort not only for themselves but also disrupts the peace of the shared practicing community.
Main Content
The Sokāvāsa Sutta revolves around determining who is “difficult to live with.” According to these disciplinary regulations, a monastic with certain characteristics, such as being easily angered, frequently complaining, resenting instruction, or often causing disputes, is considered unsuitable for communal monastic living.
The text classifies specific behaviors: difficult temperament may be expressed through sharp speech, defiant actions toward seniors, or hostile gestures and grimacing when instructed. In particular, such monastics often do not listen to advice from fellow practitioners, leading to persistent conflict.
The Vinaya Piṭaka makes clear that if a monastic continually displays these behaviors without correction, the community has the right to ask that person to leave or to apply disciplinary measures according to Sangha regulations. However, the purpose is not absolute punishment, but education and a reminder of the consequences of unsuitable conduct.
Practical Meaning
Practice according to the Sokāvāsa Sutta does not apply only to renunciants. This teaching offers a profound lesson for all people who live together in community: in families, workplaces, or any collective setting.
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