Xct Mu Bi Pc 33Hitting
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pahāra
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The Pahāra Discourse (Discourse on Hitting)
Background
The Pahāra discourse is recorded in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the Vinaya Piṭaka of the early Buddhist tradition. This is one of the clarifying rules in the field of ethical practice for female monastics (bhikkhunīs).
In the early context of the Buddha-Dharma, the Blessed One recognized the need to establish clear rules to govern the community of monks and nuns. These rules were not rigid restrictions, but guidelines that protect the mind, maintain harmony in the Sangha community, and help practitioners move toward purity.
The Pahāra rule concerns the act of hitting another person, one of the serious kinds of misconduct for a bhikkhunī. The occurrence of such conduct arose from specific situations recorded in the community, leading the Blessed One to intervene and give careful instruction.
Main Content
The act of hitting another person (Pahāra) is considered a violation of the Pācittiya category, faults requiring confession and remedial practice. Hitting another, whether intentional or unintentional, reflects a lack of control over the mind and contradicts the spirit of the Buddha-Dharma.
According to the Buddha’s teaching, a monastic, and especially a female monastic, must diligently cultivate patience (khantī) and loving-kindness (mettā). Striking with the hand or using force against another is a direct betrayal of these basic teachings.
The Pahāra discourse instructs that when a bhikkhunī hits someone, regardless of intention or circumstance, she must confess the fault, repent sincerely, and undertake appropriate corrective steps. This is not meant to cause shame, but to help the monastic clearly recognize her action and thereby practice more deeply.
Practical Meaning
The practice related to Pahāra does not stop at observing an external rule of conduct.
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