San Mu Bu Pm GBM 3 Pc 53Obstructing a Legal Procedure
Pāli / Sanskrit:Kammapaṭibāhana
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The Kammapaṭibāhana Text (Obstructing a Legal Procedure)
Background
This text belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the sacred canon that establishes ethical and disciplinary rules for the bhikkhu and bhikkhunī Sangha in Theravāda Buddhism. Kammapaṭibāhana (kammaṃ + paṭibāhana, meaning “obstructing kamma”) is one of the serious faults handled through the Sangha’s formal legal procedure (kamma).
The context of this text concerns matters of collective discipline in the Sangha. When serious violations or disputes arise in the community, Theravāda Buddhism has formal procedures for resolving them through communal assemblies, where all members participate in review and decision. However, if someone deliberately obstructs, interrupts, or undermines this process, that is regarded as a violation of the Vinaya Piṭaka.
Main Content
Kammapaṭibāhana is the act of deliberately obstructing, interrupting, or breaking down the formal legal procedures of the Sangha. Specifically, this includes actions such as stirring up disputes without purpose, causing disorder in a Sangha meeting, concealing evidence, or preventing responsible persons from carrying out their work.
Offenses of the kammapaṭibāhana type are not minor faults. They are regarded as actions that threaten the integrity and unity of the community. The Vinaya Piṭaka states that when a bhikkhu obstructs a legal procedure, others have the responsibility to inform him and ask him to abandon this behavior. If he stubbornly refuses to heed the admonition, the Sangha may apply appropriate disciplinary measures.
The purpose of this regulation is to protect the Sangha’s capacity for self-governance, fair dispute resolution, and maintenance of ethical standards. Kammapaṭibāhana is regarded as one of the most dangerous latent faults because it not only violates the Vinaya but also undermines the foundation of harmonious organization.
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