Bi Pc 153153. Raising a hand in anger
Pāli / Sanskrit:Talasattika
A nun who in anger physically threatens another nun must confess the offense.
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Sutta 153: Raising a Hand in Anger (Talasattika)
Background
This rule appears in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha (the Monastic Code for Nuns), in the Pācittiya section (offenses requiring confession and expiation). It reflects a real situation within the earliest community of bhikkhunīs, at a time when the Buddha Śākyamuni had just established detailed precepts for the community of women.
The Pāli title "Talasattika" means "the case of raising a horse-tail switch" — a historically attested expression for the act of immediate physical threat, even if only in its initial stage. This rule was established to restrain anger and to protect harmony (samaggī) within the community of nuns.
Main Content
According to the Pātimokkha, when a bhikkhunī, in a state of anger (kodha-rasa), raises her hand to threaten another nun — even if she does not actually strike — she has committed a Pācittiya offense. This is a fault that the offender must confess (patidesanā) before another bhikkhunī, or publicly before the assembly.
The act of "raising the hand" (tala referring to the palm or hand; sattika referring to a sevenfold gesture or the act of brandishing) represents any hostile gesture or departure from composure. Whether or not physical contact actually occurs, the intention to threaten (adhikhaṇo) is sufficient for this rule to apply.
The essential point is anger (kodha) — specifically krodha, one of the three root poisons (tikodha) in Buddhism. This differs from graver offenses (such as actually striking someone, which constitutes a Saṅghādisesa — a collective offense) because here there is no actual physical violence. Nevertheless, the intention to commit an offense has arisen, and it must be purified through public confession.
Practical Significance
This rule is not intended as punishment, but as education. Confession (patidesanā) in the Theravāda tradition is not a matter of "shame," but rather a wholesome act of recognizing one's fault and correcting anger.
It teaches that even small actions arising from anger must be attended to with care and mindfulness.
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