San Lo Bi Vb Ss 19Renouncing the Training
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sikkhaṁpaccācikkhaṇa
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Exposition of the Sutta on Renouncing the Training (Sikkhaṁpaccācikkhaṇa)
Background
This sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically the Samantapāsādikā or the regulations relating to the Sangha community. These are rules established by the Buddha to protect the Sangha, the monastic community, and to maintain noble discipline in the religious life.
The context of “Renouncing the Training” (Sikkhaṁpaccācikkhaṇa) arose from situations in the early monastic community. Some people, after going forth and practicing according to the precepts taught by the Buddha, later wished to abandon those precepts, not because of unavoidable circumstances, but voluntarily or for other personal reasons. The Vinaya Piṭaka records how such cases are to be handled in order to ensure fairness, respect for personal freedom, and the preservation of the integrity of the monastic tradition.
Main Content
According to the regulations in the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, when a monk or nun intends to renounce the training rules (sikkha), they must do so publicly before the Sangha community. This is not an act that is encouraged, but a formal procedure acknowledging a change in the individual’s status.
Sikkha means “training” or “practice,” and paccācikkhaṇa means “renunciation” or “declaring that one will not continue.” When someone renounces the training, they are no longer counted as a formal member of the Sangha within this strict framework of practice. They may continue practice at another basic level, or they may completely leave the monastic life.
This procedure reflects a fundamental principle of the Buddha-Dharma: no one is forced to practice. The Buddha always emphasized that the path of practice must be undertaken voluntarily and shine forth from deep within. If a person no longer has the capacity or will to maintain the precepts, openly declaring renunciation is better than acting secretly or without sincerity.
Practical Meaning
For practitioners today, this sutta contains three important lessons.
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