San Bu Pm Qizil Pc 66Scaring

BHIṀSĀPANA SUTTA (TEXT ON CAUSING FEAR)

Background

The Bhiṁsāpana Sutta is a text belonging to the Vinaya Pitaka in the early tradition, attested through ancient witnesses such as the Qizil manuscript. In the Vinaya Pitaka, texts concerning improper conduct are not merely dry sets of rules, but lessons on the effects of actions and the consequences that accompany them. The Bhiṁsāpana Sutta highlights an important regulation concerning the conduct of bhikkhus and bhikkhunis within the Sangha.

The term "bhiṁsana" means "causing fear, threatening, or causing harm." This sutta was recorded in the context of the Buddha establishing an ethical foundation for his community of followers, both laypeople and renunciants. The improper conduct warned against by the Buddha is not only a violation of the rules, but also destroys the faith and trust that the community places in the Sangha.

Main Content

The Bhiṁsāpana Sutta concerns the prohibition against monastics intentionally frightening or threatening others, whether fellow monastics or laypeople. The Buddha regarded such action as a serious fault violating the Patimokkha rules or similar offenses.

The nature of this prohibition lies in the recognition that causing fear is a form of mental violence, with the effect of destroying the peaceful mind (upekkha) of the person affected. This is contrary to the core of the Buddhist Dharma: loving-kindness (metta) and non-harming (ahimsa).

The sutta records that monastics who use power or status to threaten and frighten others, especially those weaker than themselves, will be disciplined according to Sangha regulations. The penalty may range from admonition and public confession to various other measures depending on the gravity of the offense.

The important point is that the sutta emphasizes that the Sangha must maintain a safe environment, where members can practice without fear or intimidation.