Author: Dhamma Paññā

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR Novices The word sāmaṇera—translated here as “novice”—literally means a young contemplative. When the Buddha discontinued the going-for-refuge as a method

part three Co-religionists CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE Bhikkhunīs Rules governing the life of the bhikkhunīs are scattered throughout the Vinaya. Here we will

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO Inheritance Belongings The Canon states that when a bhikkhu passes away, his belongings all go to the Community of

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE Schism A schism (saṅgha-bheda, literally a split in the Saṅgha) is a division in the Community in which two groups of

CHAPTER TWENTY Disciplinary Transactions There are cases where the standard penalties are not enough to prevent a bhikkhu from committing repeated

CHAPTER NINETEEN Penance & Probation As mentioned in Chapter 12, the procedures for settling the most complicated offense-issue—the incurring of a saṅghādisesa offense—involve

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Community Officials The Bhaddāli Sutta (MN 65) reports that, as a general principle, the Buddha preferred small Communities over large

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Kaṭhina As mentioned in Chapter 11, one of the rewards for having completed the first Rains-residence is being eligible to participate

CHAPTER SIXTEEN Invitation As we noted in the preceding chapter, the uposatha observance regularly provides an opportunity for bhikkhus to accuse

CHAPTER FIFTEEN Uposatha In the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (DN 16) the Buddha lists seven conditions that will help prevent the decline of the

CHAPTER FOURTEEN Ordination Like so many other aspects of the Vinaya, the procedures for ordination—the patterns to be followed in accepting

CHAPTER THIRTEEN Territories As stated in the preceding chapter, the unity of a Community transaction depends on the assent—expressed either through

part two Community Transactions CHAPTER TWELVE Community Transactions In Chapter 11 of BMC1, Adhikaraṇa-samatha, we discussed the four types of issues (adhikaraṇa)—dispute-issues, accusation-issues, offense-issues, and

CHAPTER ELEVEN Rains-residence Well before the Buddha’s time there was a custom in India that wanderers would stay in place for

CHAPTER TEN Misbehavior The material in this chapter draws on rules scattered widely through the Khandhakas and the Pāṭimokkha, as well

CHAPTER NINE Protocols The Pali word vatta, translated here as protocol, is usually translated as duty. There are two reasons for translating it

CHAPTER EIGHT Respect An attitude of proper respect is a sign of intelligence. As SN 6:2 indicates, it is a requisite condition for gaining