San Lo Bu Pm Sk 59Holding a Weapon

Discourse on Holding a Weapon (Avudhapani)

Background

The discourse on holding a weapon lies within the Vinaya Pitaka, specifically in the Suttavibhaṅga, the detailed regulations concerning the rules for monks and nuns. This is not a Dharma discourse in the traditional sense, but guidance on monastic discipline established by the Buddha and supplemented by the Sangha councils after the Buddha's passing.

The Vinaya Pitaka arose from the need to manage the community of practice. As the number of monks and nuns increased, issues of discipline and ethics arose, and the Buddha established precepts (sila) and regulations (patimokkha) to maintain the purity of the community. These regulations are not imposed restrictions, but boundaries protecting the spirit of practice and the spiritual life of each individual.

Main Content

The discourse on holding a weapon addresses the issue of a legal person, whether bhikkhuni or bhikkhu, holding or carrying weapons. In the context of the Vinaya Pitaka, "weapon" (avudhapani) does not merely mean physical instruments of killing such as swords, arrows, or razors, but also includes the deeper meaning of actions or intentions that may harm pure practice.

This regulation forbids monastics from holding weapons for basic reasons: first, a monastic has left family and worldly ties behind, and therefore has no need to protect property or sovereignty by material force. Second, this action directly violates the spirit of non-killing (ahiṃsa), the foundation of the Five Precepts (Pancasila). Third, carrying weapons creates an image inappropriate to the virtue of a practitioner and causes Buddhist devotees to lose confidence.

The discourse states that monastics who violate this rule must undergo disciplinary treatment (yathadhammanca pannapesi), which may range from admonition to expulsion from the Sangha, depending on the severity of the violation and the attitude of the offender.