Lzh Sarv Bu KamMonks’ Legal Proceedings (1st)
Pāli / Sanskrit:Bhikkhu Kammavācā (1st)
The Bhikkhu-kammavācā (“the monks’ legal proceedings”) are compilations of the formulas that are recited by monks to carry out the legal proceedings of the Sangha. They were excerpted from the Vibhaṅga.
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Explanation of the Bhikkhu Kammavācā Sutta (Recitations for the Legal Acts of Bhikkhus)
Background
Bhikkhu Kammavācā is a collection of formal recitation formulas (sutta-pariyatti) used by bhikkhus to organize and carry out legal acts of the Sangha. These texts are cited from the Vibhaṅga, the detailed Vinaya section of the early canon, where the precepts and rules of communal life promulgated by the Buddha for bhikkhus are arranged.
In the Theravāda tradition, the Sangha forms a self-governing community with its own legislative and executive authority. To maintain order, harmony, and purity in practice, bhikkhus must carry out legal decisions through formal procedures. These decisions cannot be made by ordinary speech, but must follow the prescribed formulas, called kammavācā, “statements of action.”
Main Content
Bhikkhu Kammavācā contains standard verbal formulas for carrying out important legal acts of the Sangha. These formulas include: (1) Anuggaha-kamma, an act of permission or approval; (2) Nissaya-kamma, an act related to dependence or guidance for bhikkhus; (3) Tajjaniya-kamma, a mild disciplinary act to correct wrong behavior; and (4) Pabbājaniya-kamma, an act of expulsion from the community of practice.
Each formula is structured with a high degree of formality: declaration of purpose, the person concerned, the procedure to be followed, and the final confirmation from the whole Sangha. This formality ensures that legal decisions are recognized, fair, and effective throughout the community.
These texts are not only administrative formulas, but also expressions of unity and transparency in the governance of the Sangha. They reflect the Buddhist philosophy of communal democracy in practice: every decision should be carefully discussed, publicly announced, and passed by unanimity or by the majority of the legal body.
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