Bu Pc 7777. Intentionally making a monk anxious
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sañcicca
A monk who intentionally makes another monk anxious must confess the offense.
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Sutta 77: Sañcicca – Intentionally Causing Anxiety to a Fellow Monk
Background
This sutta belongs to the Pātimokkha (the first code of discipline) of the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically within the Pācittiya section — the training rules concerning transgressions of proper conduct. During the time of the Buddha, monks lived together in the Saṅgha according to a strict framework of discipline. Harmony and mutual trust were the foundations of communal life. However, not all members at all times possessed such a spirit. There were those who, even having gone forth into the homeless life, still harbored personal grievances or jealousy, leading them to deliberately cause discomfort to other monks.
This sutta was established by the Blessed One to protect the peace and well-being of the Saṅgha, particularly against deliberate acts intended to disturb and cause anxiety.
Main Content
Pācittiya rule number 77 states clearly: if a monk intentionally (sañcicca) causes another monk to become anxious, agitated, or distressed, this constitutes an offense requiring public confession. Such conduct includes behaviors such as speaking harshly, mocking, provoking quarrels, or carrying out acts deliberately intended to cause mental harm.
What is crucial here is the word "intentionally" (sañcicca). These are not accidents or inadvertent mistakes. These are actions that the one who performs them has deliberated upon, with a clear intention to cause displeasure to another. Therefore, the consequence of this offense is that confession must be made (dukkaṭa — the reconsideration of a wrongful act).
Public confession is the means by which a monk acknowledges his fault, prevents its recurrence, and restores trust within the Saṅgha. This is a process of self-discipline and spiritual maturation.
Practical Significance
This sutta teaches us a profound lesson regarding the power of speech and intention. In the Buddha-Dhamma, intention (cetanā) is the root of karma. A deliberate act that causes mental harm to another brings karmic consequences upon the very one who commits it.
Furthermore, this sutta emphasizes that teachers, too, are human beings.
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