Xct Mu Bu Pm Sk 103Not teach one holding battle-axe
Pāli / Sanskrit:Not teach one holding battle-axe
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Explanation of the Discourse “Do Not Teach One Holding a Battle-Axe”
Background
This passage appears in the Vinaya Pitaka of the early Buddhist tradition, specifically among the regulations concerning the selection of suitable persons to study the Buddha Dharma. The Vinaya Pitaka is not only a collection of disciplinary rules, but also reflects the Buddha’s wisdom in protecting the monastic community and maintaining the purity of the Sangha.
The foundation of this regulation is that early Buddhism always emphasizes the importance of rightly choosing those who have the capacity and proper aspiration to learn the path. Accepting someone into the Sangha is not only an act of compassion, but also a responsibility to protect the true Dharma (saddharma).
Main Content
This discourse states that one should not teach or accept into the Sangha a person holding a battle-axe, or those who have used weapons of war in harmful circumstances or with bad intentions. This is not an absolute prohibition without exception, but a guideline requiring careful consideration.
The person holding a battle-axe symbolizes those who still live in a spirit of violence, or who have a state of mind that wishes to conquer and oppress others. According to the Vinaya Pitaka, to become a true monastic, such a person must completely abandon this spirit of violence. The Buddha taught that ahiṃsā, non-harming, is not only refraining from physical violence, but also healing the heart from the wounds of war and from cravings for power.
However, the Vinaya Pitaka also acknowledges that if a person once held weapons but has truly reformed, has deep aspiration, and has completely abandoned violent wishes, then that person may be considered for acceptance. This reflects the impartial compassion of Buddhism.
Practical Meaning
This rule teaches us the importance of preparing the heart before entering the path of practice. It is not discrimination or authoritarianism, but wisdom in protecting a spiritual community.
🌏 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.