Bi Sk 5959. Holding a knife
Pāli / Sanskrit:Satthapāṇi
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Satthapāṇi Sutta: Holding a Sword
Background
The Satthapāṇi Sutta (Pāli: Sattha = knife/sword, Pāṇi = hand) is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the section governing monastic discipline (Vinaya). These are the regulations that the Buddha Gotama established to govern the conduct of both laypeople and monastics, in order to maintain harmony, clearly define ethically transgressive actions, and lay the foundation for pure spiritual practice.
The texts of the Vinaya Piṭaka are built upon the principle that discipline is not arbitrary punishment, but rather an expression of ethics and a form of guidance. Every prohibition set forth has deep grounding in cause and effect and in the training rules. The Satthapāṇi is one of the specific disciplinary rules concerning the act of holding a weapon, reflecting the concern of Theravāda Buddhism with restraint and compassion.
Main Content
According to the Theravāda tradition, this text addresses the matter of a monk or nun holding a knife, sword, or other weapon. This is not a trivial act, for it directly threatens the foundational principle of the training — the Pañcaśīla (the five precepts) — among which is the precept of "refraining from the taking of life" (Pānātipātā Veramaṇī).
The act of holding a weapon symbolizes the abandonment of inner peace and the potential to cause harm. It is regarded as a violation of the spirit of Buddhist practice, because anyone who possesses or takes up an instrument of killing harbors an implicit intention that they are prepared to do harm. For those who have gone forth into the homeless life with a vow to renounce violence, such an act becomes a direct contradiction.
The Vinaya Piṭaka stipulates that if a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī holds a knife or sword with the intention of using it to take life, or even merely possesses one without legitimate reason, the act will give rise to serious consequences. Depending on the nature of the transgression, this may lead to different levels of Saṅgha disciplinary measures, ranging from Nissaggiya Pācittiya (offenses requiring forfeiture and confession) to more serious categories of violation.
🌏 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.