Lzh Sarv Bu Vb Ss 12Corrupters of Families

Kuladūsaka Sutta (Corrupters of Families)

Background

The Kuladūsaka Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the early tradition, where rules of practice and situations related to discipline in the Sangha are recorded. This text is set within the context of rules on the conduct of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, especially conduct that may harm lay families and the Sangha itself.

While the Buddha was still alive, he and his monastic disciples interacted constantly with laypeople. These interactions needed to be regulated by wise rules in order to protect both the Sangha and the happiness of faithful families. The Kuladūsaka Sutta was established from specific situations in the history of the Sangha, when some renunciants failed to observe discipline and caused negative consequences.

Main Content

This sutta establishes conduct considered to be “corrupting families” (kuladūsana), that is, actions that break the relationship of trust between the Sangha and lay people. Such conduct includes sexual misconduct, theft or fraud involving family property, abuse of spiritual authority to exert improper influence, or actions that cause disorder in families from whom monastics receive support.

Specifically, the teaching states that renunciants who violate basic principles not only corrupt themselves, but also weaken laypeople’s faith in the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. This is a kind of “double offense”: it breaks the integrity of the Sangha and harms families and lay communities. The sutta requires the Sangha to supervise one another, to correct wrongful conduct promptly, and to maintain high ethical standards in order to protect the holy Dharma for long endurance.