Upp Ss 11Following a Schismatic

The Bhedānuvattaka Sutta (Following One Who Causes Division)

Background

Bhedānuvattaka is a part of the Upāsakasaṁyutta, the collection of discourses concerning lay followers, in the Saṁyuttanikāya of the Pāli Canon. This sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka for the purpose of guiding disciples in how to live rightly according to the Dharma and avoid actions that cause division in the Sangha.

The background of this sutta arose from practical problems in the early Sangha, when some monastics held wrong views or acted contrary to proper conduct, causing division within the community of practice. The Buddha saw that those who follow one who causes a split (bheda) will meet serious ethical and karmic consequences, and therefore he taught this sutta to warn laypeople, monks, and nuns about the danger of dividing the Sangha.

Main Content

The Bhedānuvattaka Sutta emphasizes that following or supporting one who causes division in the religious community, a Bheda-śāsana, that is, those who incite members of the Sangha to rebel against the rules, teachings, or legitimate leadership, will lead to long-lasting painful consequences.

The Buddha teaches that anyone who willingly follows or supports those who intend to break the harmony of the Sangha will suffer immeasurable spiritual and material losses. They will lose faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, while also causing suffering for themselves and those around them. The sutta reminds us that unity and discipline in the Sangha are the foundation for the transmission of the Dharma.

Those who follow a divisive person are compared to people who remove themselves from a wholesome community, cutting off their connection with orthodox teachings and a healthy environment for practice. The immediate consequence is not only the loss of correct guidance, but also the accumulation of seeds of unwholesome karma leading to bad rebirth.