Xct Mu Bi Ss 17Causing Schism in the Saṅgha
Pāli / Sanskrit:Saṅghabheda
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The Discourse on Creating Schism in the Sangha (Saṅghabheda)
Background
The Saṅghabheda discourse is one of the most important regulations in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Early tradition. This body of regulations arose from historical events while the Blessed Buddha was still alive, when bhikkhus or bhikkhunīs attempted to divide the Sangha - the community of ordained monastics.
Schism in the Sangha (Saṅghabheda) is regarded as one of the gravest evil acts in Early Buddhism, comparable to acts such as slandering the Buddha, killing an arhat, or causing blood to flow from the body of the Tathagata. This division is not simply disagreement or difference of opinion, but an intentional action aimed at breaking the community's unity in practice and study of the Dharma.
Main Content
Saṅghabheda is defined as the deliberate act of creating separation in the Sangha by inciting bhikkhus or bhikkhunīs to follow a direction different from the Dharma and Vinaya taught by the Buddha. This often occurs when a person of great influence in the Sangha tries to persuade others to follow teachings or practices contrary to what the Buddha proclaimed.
The conditions for the establishment of Saṅghabheda include: (1) the person must be fully ordained; (2) the person must intentionally incite others; (3) the person must cause an actual division in the Sangha, not merely theoretical disagreement; (4) the division must concern the Dharma, the Vinaya, or the Buddhist way of practice.
The rule concerning Saṅghabheda emphasizes that once the Sangha has convened (saṅgīti) and reached agreement on a matter, any attempt to break that consensus by stirring up factional division is a serious violation. The penalty for this action is permanent expulsion from the Sangha, without the opportunity for reconciliation or public confession, unlike many other Vinaya violations.
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