San Lo Bi Vb Pc 38Making Stains
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dubbaṇṇakaraṇa
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Dubbaṇṇakaraṇa - Making Stains
An Exposition of the Original Vinaya Piṭaka
Background
Dubbaṇṇakaraṇa (Making Stains or Causing Blemish) is a Pātimokkha minor rule (Pācittiya) within the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, recorded in the Saṅgha Lo Bi Vb collection. This minor rule arose from a specific situation within the early Saṅgha, when bhikkhus or bhikkhunīs failed to uphold the honor of the community, causing Buddhism to lose its reputation in the eyes of the public.
The historical context shows that the Blessed One always emphasized the importance of pure conduct (Sīla) and the dignified outward appearance of the Saṅgha. When a bhikkhu behaved in an unseemly manner, bringing dishonor upon Buddhism, the Blessed One would then promulgate a minor rule to restrain such conduct. The rule of Dubbaṇṇakaraṇa arose from the need to protect the good name of the Saṅgha and to preserve the faith of the people.
Main Content
This minor rule concerns the act of "causing a stain" or "making a blemish" upon the image of the Saṅgha—not grave ethical violations such as killing or sexual misconduct, but rather lighter offenses that nonetheless cast a negative shadow upon the collective reputation.
Specifically, bhikkhus or bhikkhunīs are censured if they engage in activities that arouse suspicion, such as: entering remote wilderness areas without a legitimate reason for practice, frequently meeting with persons of the opposite sex in ambiguous circumstances, or displaying irregular behavior that gives the appearance of a lack of discipline.
The act of "making a stain," as treated in this rule, is not an inadvertent mistake, but rather an action committed with mistaken awareness or with insufficient care. Those in the holy life are prohibited not because of the intrinsic nature of the act itself, but because of the negative impact upon the general public's perception of the image of monastics. This reflects the subtle approach of Theravāda Buddhism: the holy life concerns not only one's inner cultivation, but also one's responsibility toward society.
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