Xct Mu Bi Pm As 5Further Penalty

THE TASSAPĀPIYASIKĀ SUTTA (Further Penalty)

Context

The Tassapāpiyasikā Sutta appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the code of monastic rules for bhikkhunīs. This is part of the Vinaya Piṭaka that Śākyamuni Buddha prescribed for female disciples who had gone forth, in order to maintain discipline, purity, and progress in practice.

In the context of the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, the texts on penalties (pāpiyasika) are not simply punitive penalties in the worldly sense. They are regulations intended to educate, to help monastics recognize faults, correct conduct, and purify the mind. The word “Tassapāpiyasikā” means “further penalty” or “heavier penalty,” referring to offenses that require stronger disciplinary measures beyond basic penalties.

Main Content

This text belongs to the category of regulations concerning offenses committed by bhikkhunīs that incur penalties heavier than ordinary faults. According to the Theravāda Vinaya tradition, penalties are classified from light to heavy, depending on the nature, purpose, and consequences of the offending act.

The specific content of this text has not yet been fully translated, but based on the general context of the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, offenses requiring a “further” penalty often involve actions of a more serious nature, such as violations related to character, honesty, or matters capable of damaging the reputation of the Sangha (saṅgha).

Penalties in the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka include: Pāpiyasika, a heavier penalty; Dukkaṭa, a wrongdoing; and Pācittiya, an offense requiring confession. The Tassapāpiyasikā Sutta relates to specific regulations in the process of imposing penalties, ensuring that the process of practice and behavioral correction is carried out comprehensively and fairly.