Xct Mu Bu Pm Pc 75Legitimate Correction
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sahadhammika
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Explanation of the Sahadhammika Sutta (Legitimate Correction)
Background
The Sahadhammika Sutta appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka, especially in the Pācittiya section of the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha. It is part of the training rules (sikkhāpada) that bhikkhunīs must observe. This sutta is not an independent sermon, but a detailed regulation on how to handle mistakes and correct them within the monastic community.
The background of the sutta concerns the need to maintain discipline and harmony in the Sangha. The Buddha established these rules not to punish, but to help his disciples practice safely, avoiding actions that could harm spiritual life and communal harmony. The word “Sahadhammika” means “what is in accordance with the Dharma” or “legitimate correction,” emphasizing that criticism or correction must be carried out fairly, based on principle and loving-kindness.
Main Content
The Sahadhammika Sutta addresses the right and responsibility of bhikkhunīs to point out the faults of others in the community. This is an important part of communal life: not to overlook violations, but to help one another progress on the path of practice.
According to the spirit of the sutta, when a bhikkhunī sees that another has violated one of the rules (Pācittiya), she has the responsibility to point out that fault, but must do so in the right way. The criticism must be made with wholesome motivation, not from anger or pride, but from the wish to help the other return to the path of practice. What matters is the method: it should be done privately, respectfully, and with gentle but clear speech.
The sutta also emphasizes that the person being corrected should receive it with humility and gratitude. If the fault is shown to be true, that person should accept correction and repent (paṭidesanā). This process is not humiliating, but a sacred part of shared practice.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.