BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

Buddhist Monastic Code 1feet if necessary, says the Commentary) and admonish him formally three moretimes. If he abandons his efforts before the end of the third admonition, well andgood. If not, he incurs another dukkaṭa. The next step is to recite a formal rebukeby mandate of the Community, using the formula of one motion and threeannouncements given in the Vibhaṅga. If the instigator remains obstinate, he incursan additional dukkaṭa at the end of the motion, a thullaccaya at the end of each ofthe first two announcements, and the full saṅghādisesa at the end of the third.Once he commits the full offense, the penalties he incurred in the preliminary stagesare nullified.Perception. The Vibhaṅga states that if the rebuke transaction is carried out properly— i.e., the bhikkhu really is looking for a faction or taking up an issue conducive toschism, and the various other formal requirements for a valid transaction are fulfilled— then if he does not abandon his efforts, he incurs the full saṅghādisesaregardless of whether he perceives the transaction to be proper, improper, ordoubtful. If the transaction is improperly carried out, then regardless of how heperceives its validity, he incurs a dukkaṭa for not abandoning his efforts (§).The fact that the bhikkhu is not free from an offense in the latter case is important:There are several other, similar points in the Vinaya — such as the Buddha's adviceto the Dhamma-expert in the controversy at Kosambī (Mv.X.1.8) — where for thesake of the harmony of the Community in cases that threaten to be divisive, theBuddha advises bhikkhus to abandon controversial behavior and to yield to themandate of the Community even if it seems unjust.Non-offenses. The non-offense clauses, in addition to the usual exemptions, statethat there is no offense if the bhikkhu is not reprimanded or if he gives up his efforts(prior to the end of the third reprimand).Further steps. If the bhikkhu is so stubborn that he refuses to abandon hisschismatic efforts even through the third rebuke, he will probably not acknowledgethat the Community has acted properly, in which case he will not admit that he hasincurred a saṅghādisesa offense or that he has to make amends for it. This givesthe Community clear grounds, if it sees fit, for suspending him then and there (seeBMC2, Chapter 20). In fact, this may have been the original intention behind theprotocols outlined in this and the remaining three saṅghādisesa rules: to give theCommunity a clear opportunity to test how stubborn a divisive or recalcitrantbhikkhu is and to end his affiliation with them if he proves this stubborn. For thisreason, a Community planning to impose any of these rules on one of its membersshould be prepared to recite the transaction statement for suspension against himas well.Once the offender's affiliation with the Community is ended, he may not accost —go up to talk to — any member of the Community at all. Technically speaking, thefact that he is no longer in affiliation means that he can cause no more than a crack,rather than a full split, in the Saṅgha. This, of course, may not end his schismaticefforts, but the fact that the Community met to deal with his case should be enoughto alert well-meaning bhikkhus that he is following a wrong course of action, andthis should help unite the Community against his efforts. If they deem it necessary128