Suspension 11

Origin Story

Upāli asked again: “The World-honored One has laid down the precept for the bhikkhus: ‘If bhikkhus help to split the sangha in harmony, … it’s a saṅghādisesa.’ How should I remember this?” The Buddha said: “You should remember it as to be practised by both sanghas. From now on, this precept should be recited thus:

Final Ruling

‘If bhikkhunīs help to split the sangha in harmony, one, two or many, and say to the bhikkhunīs: “What that bhikkhunī says is said with knowledge, not without knowledge; she speaks dhamma, not contrary to dhamma; she speaks vinaya, not contrary to vinaya. Our minds accept and delight in everything,” the other bhikkhunīs should say to these bhikkhunīs: “Don’t say this: ‘What that bhikkhunī says is said with knowledge, not without knowledge; she speaks dhamma, not contrary to dhamma; she speaks vinaya, not contrary to vinaya. Our minds accept and delight in everything.’ Why? That bhikkhunī speaks without knowledge, contrary to dhamma, and contrary to vinaya. Don’t delight in helping to split the sangha in harmony. You should delight in helping the sangha in harmony. Because a sangha is in harmony, they’re happy, don’t quarrel, they’re of one mind and one training, mixing like water and milk, spreading the master’s teaching together, and living comfortably.” If they, when admonished like this, hold firmly on to it and don’t give it up, they should admonish them a second and a third time. If they give up this matter at the second or third admonishment, it’s fine. If not, those bhikkhunīs commit a saṅghādisesa after three admonishments, from which one can repent.’”

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