Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c20.s1: Tajjaniyakamma
Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c20.s1
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Tajjaniyakamma
v1.c20.s1.1
A monk who is quarrelsome and pick-up quarrels within the Sangha, or one who is foolish and given to commission of offences (*āpatti*), or one comes into frequent contact with householders deserves censure (*tajjaniyak.*). A monk who is not scrupulous about his moral conduct and doctrinal views, or one who speaks ill of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha also deserves censure (*tajjaniyak.*).
v1.c20.s1.2
The procedure for inflicting the *tajjaniyakamma* is as follows:—
v1.c20.s1.3
The guilty bhikkhu should be first warned, then reminded of the rule of Pātimokkha which he is infringing, and then charged with the offence alleged to have been committed by him. A qualified bhikkhu is to move thrice before the Sangha which must be complete the *ñatti* that so and so is guilty of such and such an offence, and request the Sangha, if it thinks fit, to pronounce the *tajjaniyak.* against him. The guilty bhikkhu also must be present at the meeting and given an opportunity to defend himself, or to confess his guilt. Any deviation from the procedure described above made the act invalid.
v1.c20.s1.4
The monk, against whom *tajjaniyak.* is pronounced, is denied the following privileges: He cannot
(i) confer *upasampadā*, (ii) give *nissaya* (instruction) to a samaṇa,
(iii) take a sāmaṇera,
(iv) exhort the nuns even if he had been nominated for the purpose beforehand,
(v) object to the presence of a particular bhikkhu in the Uposatha or Pavāraṇā ceremony,
(vi) guide the movements of a younger monk,
(vii) move any resolution for censuring a bhikkhu, (viii) warn a monk or remind him of his offence.
v1.c20.s1.5
If the monk so censured observes the above restrictions without any demur against any member of the assembly inflicting the punishment, the *tajjanīyak.* will be revoked. The revocation will have to be effected by a competent bhikkhu by placing the case before Saṅgha with the request to revoke the punishment. The guilty bhikkhu also must appear before the Saṅgha and respectfully request for its revocation. A competent bhikkhu then announces the resolution thrice before the Saṅgha and if there be no objection, the *tajjanīyak.* is revoked.