Pgd Dg Bu Pm Pc 70Obstructions and a Novice
Pāli / Sanskrit:Samaṇuddesaantarāyika
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
The Sutta on Obstructions and a Novice
Background
This sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, in the Pātimokkha section of prohibitions, specifically concerning obstructions (antārāyika) related to the training of a novice (samaṇuddesaka, one who teaches the skills of a novice). The historical context is the regulations established by the Buddha or the Sangha to protect the integrity of the life of practice.
A novice (sāmaṇera) is a beginning practitioner who has not yet received the full precepts, as a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī has. The instructor of a novice must be an individual who has received full ordination and possesses the necessary age and qualities. This sutta sets forth cases that “block the path” or create “obstructions” to this training process, in order to ensure the spiritual quality and discipline of the monastery.
The term “antārāyika” means “barriers, obstacles,” conditions that make teaching or practice unable to continue lawfully. This is an important part of the Vinaya, because the Vinaya Piṭaka is not only a formal legal code but also a way of protecting the monastery from destructive factors.
Main Content
The Samaṇuddesaantarāyika Sutta lists situations or personal conditions of the instructor of a novice which, if present, prevent that person from continuing to teach fully. These obstructions may include: loss of faith (saddhā), loss of discipline (sīla), being disciplined by the Sangha, meaning not permitted to hold rank, or the teacher himself lacking the spiritual capacity to serve as an example.
The ideal of the Vinaya Piṭaka is that the teacher should be a living symbol of the Dharma. If the teacher is shaken in faith, or does not follow the precepts that he teaches others, this contradiction will diminish the effectiveness of spiritual education. Therefore the Vinaya Piṭaka places great importance on consistency between speech and action (vāc-kāya-mano-sampadā).
These obstructions are not for punishment, but to protect the teacher-student relationship and the confidence of the community. When someone no longer meets the conditions, the Sangha will appoint another teacher, or temporarily suspend the instruction until the obstructions are removed.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.