Suspension

Theravāda Vinayapiṭaka

The Monastic Law for the Theravāda school in Pali. This collection is followed by mendicants of the Theravāda school. It is the only Vinaya for which we have a complete collection in the original Indic.

1. The training rule on masturbation

Bu Ss 1
Sukkavisaṭṭhi

A monk who intentionally ejaculates is to be suspended. The introductory narrative to this and the next four rules, as well as a number of other rules in the monastic code, feature the monk Udāyī, who had a serious problem with keeping his sexual urges in check. Either that or he is a literary stand-in for the real offenders.

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2. Physical contact with a woman

Bu Ss 2
Kāyasaṁsagga

A lustful monk who touches a woman is to be suspended.

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3. Indecent speech

Bu Ss 3
Duṭṭhullavācā

A lustful monk who uses sexually explicit language when speaking to a woman is to be suspended.

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4. Encouraging a woman to satisfy one’s desires

Bu Ss 4
Attakāmpāricariya

A lustful monk who recommends to a woman that they have sexual intercourse is to be suspended.

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5. Matchmaking

Bu Ss 5
Sañcaritta

A monk who acts as a go-between for a relationship between a man and a woman is to be suspended.

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6. Building a hut inappropriately

Bu Ss 6
Kuṭikāra

When a monk builds a hut by means of begging, he must get the Order to approve the site and the hut must not exceed the maximum size limit. A monk who breaches either of these conditions is to be suspended. The origin story to this rule includes the Maṇikaṇṭha Jātaka tale, found in a slightly different form in the Jātaka collection. There is also another edifying tale and an apparent reference to Raṭṭhapāla of the Raṭṭhapāla Sutta, MN82.

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7. Building a dwelling inappropriately

Bu Ss 7
Vihārakāra

A monk who builds a large dwelling without getting the site approved by the Order is to be suspended.

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8. Making a groundless accusation out of anger

Bu Ss 8
Duṭṭhadosa

A monk who in anger falsely accuses another monk of an offense entailing expulsion is to be suspended. The background narrative to this rule features the extraordinary monk Dabba the Mallian who became an arahant at the age of seven.

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9. Making a groundless accusation out of anger, using a pretext

Bu Ss 9
Aññabhāgiya

A monk who in anger uses a ploy to falsely accuse another monk of an offense entailing expulsion is to be suspended.

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10. Causing a schism in the Sangha

Bu Ss 10
Saṅghabheda

A monk who tries to cause a schism in the Order is to be suspended. The origin story to this rule gives an account of how Devadatta, the Buddha's notorious cousin, tried to cause a schism in the Order.

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11. Siding with a schismatic

Bu Ss 11
Bhedānuvattaka

A monk who supports another monk who is trying to cause a schism in the Order is to be suspended.

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12. Being difficult to correct

Bu Ss 12
Dubbaca

A monk who refuses to be corrected about breaches of the monastic code is to be suspended. The narrative setting features the monk Channa who was particularly proud and difficult to deal with.

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13. Being a corrupter of families

Bu Ss 13
Kuladūsaka

A monk who causes the lay people in a certain place to lose confidence in the teachings of the Buddha should be banished from that place. If he refuses to accept the banishment, he is to be suspended. The introduction to this rule tells of the corrupt and merciless group of six monks, who were the offenders behind a large number of rules in the monastic code.

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