Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Ss 13Corrupters of Families

Kuladūsaka Sutta: Corrupters of Families

Background

The Kuladūsaka Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the explanation of the discipline for nuns. The Vinaya Pitaka was compiled to regulate the ethics and conduct of the noble community, including bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, in order to maintain the discipline and purity of the Sangha.

This text arose from a specific event in the early history of the Buddhist Sangha. Certain nuns, through neglect of the discipline or improper actions, damaged the honor of the Sangha and the faith of the people, thereby directly harming the families from which they came or with which they were connected. The Blessed Buddha, with unsurpassed wisdom, established a rule to prevent these actions and protect both the Sangha and the affected families.

Main Content

The title “Corrupters of Families” (Kuladūsaka) refers to people, especially bhikkhunīs, whose actions or words cause decline within families. This harm may include ethical violations, scandal, spiritual or material loss, or disturbance of family relationships.

According to the Pāli discipline, prohibited actions include: failing to keep the basic injunctions, causing scandal for the Sangha through words or actions lacking integrity, and exploiting the trust of families for gain or harm. Specifically, if a bhikkhunī commits serious faults, such as violating basic virtues (sīla), or acts with the intention of destroying trust, she will be subject to penalties according to the Vinaya Pitaka.

The prescribed measures are clear: from admonition and requests for correction, to temporary suspension of communal privileges (upasampadā), or even exclusion from the Sangha if the conduct is too grave.