Upp Pc 59Obstructions and a Novice

DISCOURSE ON OBSTRUCTIONS FOR NEWLY ORDAINED TEACHERS

Background

Samaṇuddesaantarāyika is a disciplinary teaching belonging to the Pācittiya rules, the offenses requiring confession, within the Theravāda Vinaya system. This discourse records an event that occurred during the Buddha's lifetime, when bhikkhus encountered difficulties in the process of teaching inexperienced monastics (sāmaṇera, that is, the teachers who guide them).

In the historical context of the early Sangha, teaching newly ordained disciples was a sacred responsibility. Experienced bhikkhus were entrusted with guiding those newly taking refuge and beginning the path. Yet this process sometimes met with obstacles that hindered practice and progress in the Dharma. This discourse specifically addresses such situations and prescribes how to deal with wrongful conduct by teachers.

Main Content

According to the Theravāda Vinaya, obstructions (antara-ayika) to the work of teaching a newly ordained disciple include violations of the rules on the part of the teacher. Specifically, a bhikkhu who is a teacher is not permitted to act, or to be negligent, in ways that interrupt or damage the training.

According to the Pācittiya, if a bhikkhu undertakes to teach a sāmaṇera and then, without a valid reason, neglects, harms, or obstructs that person's progress, that bhikkhu commits a Pācittiya offense. This is understood as a serious negligence, because it violates the principle of spiritual nurturing within the Sangha.

This offense also includes cases in which the teacher behaves badly or improperly in relation to instruction, such as causing confusion, loss of concentration, or, at times, faults in his own conduct that make it impossible for the newly ordained disciple to trust him or learn well. These obstructions are regarded as troubles that teachers must avoid in order to protect the spiritual development of those under their guidance.