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Non-Violence
two in a curious way, are connected with the precept of non-violence. They refer to the prohibition of erection of huts etc. so that no injury is done to any living being like small creatures or insects or even higher animals etc. and they are not inconvenienced or even unintentionally killed.1 The punishment given for this type of offence is not total excommunication like pārājika, but a temporary pariväsa may be given when the offences are acknowledged before the Samgha. After some time such a monk could be readmitted into the Samgha.
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Another major offence with regard to non-violence is called thullaccaya (major or great offence). This offence does not occur in the Pätimokkha, nor is its nature very clearly explained in the Vinaya, nor is anything known about it, except that when a monk is guilty of it, whatever he may wish to say, other monks would not speak to him, and he is left in an isolated state. Yet it quite often occurs in the Vinaya texts. For example a monk has been told that he has committed an offence; but, if he refuses to accept it, it is said that the monk commits the thullaccaya offence. This offence lies between pārājika or samghādisesa and other minor offences. It pertains not only to injury done to animals or small creatures but even to the killing of human beings. Actually there seems to be a big gap in the Patimokkha with regard to non-violence, i. e. from the gravest offence of päräjika one finds a comparatively much milder offence pertaining to the violence of small insects etc. as discussed in the samghadisesa. Thullaccaya bridges this gulf; it can also be understood as a stage prior to
1. (i) भिक्खु अभिनेतब्बा वत्थुदेसनाय, तेहि भिक्खुहि वत्थु देसे तब्ब अनारम्भं सपरिक्कमनं सारम्भे चे भिक्खु वत्थुस्मि.... कुटिं कारेय्य पाणं वा अतिक्कामेय्य संघादिसेसो ति ।
-Päräjika, vol. I, p. 220.
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(ii) सारम्भं नाम किपिल्लिकानं वा आसयो होति, उपचिकानं वा आसयो होति.... आघात निस्सितं वा होति । - Ibid, p. 222.
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