Bi Pc 152152. Hitting in anger

SCRIPTURE ON STRIKING IN ANGER

Bi Pc 152 - Pahāra

Background

Within the Pātimokkha (Buddhist monastic code), the Vinaya Piṭaka preserves detailed regulations designed to protect harmony within the Sangha. Bi Pc 152 belongs to the Pācittiya section (confession offenses), a category of transgressions requiring public confession. This code is recorded in a narrative-historical style, in which the Blessed One, having witnessed instances of transgression, personally promulgated rules to discipline the mental attitudes and physical actions of the bhikkhuṇīs.

The existence of a distinct rule concerning "striking in anger" is not intended as an outright prohibition of all physical action, but rather serves as spiritual cultivation—in particular, the restraint of irritability and anger (kodha), one of the three fundamental unwholesome roots (akusala mūla) in the Buddha's teaching. This rule reflects a profound understanding of the law of karma and the influence of one's actions upon the monastic community.

Main Content

According to this rule, if a bhikkhuṇī, in a fit of anger, strikes another bhikkhuṇī, that action is regarded as a Pācittiya offense. The term "Pahāra" (to strike, to hit) refers to the act of using force or violence, whether mild or severe. The determining factor is not the degree of harm inflicted, but rather the motivation: the action must be carried out on account of "anger" (kodha)—that is, with a mind seized by hatred, devoid of composure.

According to Theravāda teaching, anger is a fundamental mental factor (cetasika) that causes profound harm. When anger arises, it clouds wisdom, distorts the workings of karma, and gives rise to uncontrolled actions. It is for this reason that the Buddha's Dharma does not permit monastics—those who have committed themselves to living by the highest standards of conduct—to allow anger to drive the body into violent action, even when the object of that action is merely a fellow practitioner.

This rule further implies that when such a transgression occurs, the bhikkhuṇī in question must confess (pabbājeti), that is, publicly acknowledge her fault before the community. This act of confession is not a punishment, but rather a means of purifying the mind and restoring trust within the Sangha.