San Lo Bi Vb Pc 137Making Ill at Ease

Explanation of the Aphāsukaraṇa Sutta (San Lo Bi Vb Pc 137)

Background

The Aphāsukaraṇa Sutta (Causing Distress) is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha section, the basic code of practice for the early Buddhist Sangha. This is not a discourse on the Dharma (Dhamma), but a set of rules concerning conduct, intended to protect harmony within the monastic community.

According to the Theravāda tradition, these rules were laid down by the Buddha after he witnessed specific situations that caused discord, distraction, or harm to the Sangha. Each rule has a background story (atthakathā) explaining why it was established.

The Aphāsukaraṇa Sutta belongs to the Pācittiya class, offenses requiring confession and correction. It concerns conduct capable of making other bhikkhunīs or bhikkhus uncomfortable or distressed.

Main Content

This sutta establishes the principle: A bhikkhu or bhikkhunī should not deliberately perform an action whose purpose or result is to cause distress (aphāsuka), irritation, or unease in another person. Such actions include:

— Mocking or speaking jokingly in a way that makes another feel ashamed;
— Presuming another person’s bad intentions without evidence;
— Deliberately creating tension or division in the community;
— Repeating someone’s faults in order to stir up defilement in the mind;
— Acting irrationally for the purpose of unsettling or reproaching another.

The spirit of this rule is not to restrict freedom of speech or action, but to protect purity of mind and harmony in the Sangha. A bhikkhu must be awake to the mental effect of every word and gesture upon those around him.

Practical Meaning

In Theravāda practice, Pācittiya offenses are not the gravest offenses, such as Pārajika or Sanghadisesa, but they reflect the subtlety of Buddhist ethics.