Upp Pc 17Throwing Out a Monastic
Pāli / Sanskrit:Nikkaḍḍhana
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THE NIKKAḌḌHANA SUTTA: DECISIONS TO EXCLUDE A MONASTIC
Context
Nikkaḍḍhana, exclusion, is a provision in the Pācittiya section, the penance offenses, of the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka. This section regulates wrongful actions lighter than the root offenses, yet still requiring confession and correction. In the context of the early monastic community, maintaining the proper character of monastics was a vital matter, especially when members did not observe the discipline or behaved improperly.
The Nikkaḍḍhana Sutta was formulated to handle specific cases in which a monastic was excluded by community decision from collective activities. This is not permanent “expulsion” but a temporary form of discipline, intended to educate and correct. The background of this discourse reflects the Buddha’s need to maintain the ethical and disciplinary foundation of the Sangha.
Main Content
The Nikkaḍḍhana Sutta concerns the process and conditions by which the Sangha may decide to exclude a monastic from community activities. Such exclusion usually occurs when that monastic violates serious provisions of the discipline, such as lying about noble attainments (ariyuppatti), acting dishonestly, or creating division in the Sangha.
The process of exclusion must follow strict rules: there must be a sufficient quorum, the decision must be publicly announced, and the excluded monastic must have an opportunity to defend himself or confess. The purpose is not revengeful punishment, but the protection of the sanctity of the Sangha and the creation of an opportunity for that monastic to reflect and correct his behavior.
The discourse also states clearly that if the excluded monastic later observes the discipline and confesses his faults, he may be received back. This expresses the spirit of compassion and trust in the human capacity for reform, a central principle in Theravāda Buddhism.
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