Bu Pc 6868. Not giving up a bad view
Pāli / Sanskrit:Antarāyika
A monk who says that things declared as obstructive by the Buddha are not actually obstructive must confess the offense.
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Antarāyika: Not Giving Up a Bad View
Background
Among the training rules of the Sanghadisesa — those offenses that must be reported before the full Sangha and require public acknowledgment — the Antarāyika sutta sets forth a fundamental principle of Dharma compliance. This is not an offense involving sensual desire or material matters, but rather an offense of intellectual attitude — when a teacher declares that what the Buddha has identified as "obstructions (antarāyika)" are in fact not obstructions.
In the Theravāda tradition, "obstructions" refer to those factors that impede spiritual progress: things that disturb the mind, create hindrances to concentration and wisdom (samādhi-paññā), and prevent the development of the mind. These obstructions were clearly identified by the Buddha as: sensual desire (kāmacchanda), ill will (vyāpāda), sloth-and-torpor (thīna-middha), restlessness (uddhacca), doubt (vicikicchā), and other unwholesome habits.
The issue is not that a monk engages in something forbidden, but that he publicly denies the Buddha's identification of these things. This is a form of offense of character — a refusal to comply with a truth that the Dharma has clearly established, and one that undermines the confidence of other disciples.
Main Content
According to this rule, if a monk publicly declares: "Those things the Buddha calls obstructions are not truly obstructions," or "Those things the Buddha taught are impediments to practice are in fact not so," he has committed a Sanghadisesa offense. This offense is not treated as lightly as minor infractions (pācittiya), because it bears directly on the integrity of the Teaching.
The offense is considered complete when: (1) the monk in question is a recognized member of the Sangha; (2) he intentionally utters words of denial; (3) those words are spoken publicly or are heard by many. The word "Antarāyika" derives from "antara" (obstruction, disadvantage) and implies those things that constitute barriers to enlightenment.
This sutta is distinguished from other offenses in that it revolves around persistence in wrong view.
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