Lzh Sarv Bu Pm 2 Pc 66Scaring

Interpretation of the Bhiṁsāpana Sutta (The Discourse on Causing Fear)

Background

The Bhiṁsāpana Sutta (Bhiṁsāpana = causing fear, threatening) is an injunction in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, belonging to the system of regulations concerning the conduct of the monastic community. In the context of the Pāli Vinaya Piṭaka, these rules were established to maintain discipline, protect the honor of the Sangha, and avoid situations that harm the harmony of the community of practice.

This discourse is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli tradition, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the prohibitions for female monastics, or in sections related to regulations on behavior that can cause disturbance in the monastic community. The historical background of this regulation usually arises from specific events in the early Sangha, when the Buddha or senior disciples discovered inappropriate behavior and needed a rule to prevent it.

Main Content

The Bhiṁsāpana regulation concerns acts of threatening or making others afraid through speech, action, or inappropriate gestures. In the context of the Pāli Vinaya Piṭaka, causing fear in other members of the monastic community is considered a violation of the standard, harming the mental safety and quiet needed for practicing the Buddha-Dharma.

This regulation forbids bhikkhunīs to:
1. Use threatening words or make others afraid without foundation
2. Perform actions of a threatening nature or cause psychological disturbance
3. Create situations intended to cause anxiety, fear, or insecurity for other members

When such conduct is done consciously and without legitimate reason, it is considered a disciplinary violation within the community of practice. The purpose of the regulation is to protect a peaceful environment for practice, where all members may securely concentrate on cultivating the Noble Eightfold Path.