The Heart Of Buddhism
Bhikkhu Pesala
The Vinaya is the heart of Buddhism that keeps it alive and healthy. It pumps the life-giving blood of self-discipline and awareness to every corner of the Buddhist community. Although the Vinaya is meant for monks, nuns, and novices, it concerns the whole Buddhist community as the Sa3gha cannot survive without lay support, and the laity need the guidance of virtuous monks.
There is no esoteric teaching in Buddhism, anyone can study the Vinaya if they wish. However, one should be careful when interpreting the Vinaya because the consequences of superficial knowledge can be dire. For example, groundlessly accusing an innocent monk as immoral will lead to hell, unless one retracts the accusation. In this context, innocent only means that he is not guilty of an offence of defeat. It is like acting as judge and jury in criminal matters, and lynching an innocent person accused of a crime. Even if a person is of weak character, he is not automatically guilty of all accusations that might be made against him. A proper investigation must be made, and the accused must be judged and sentenced by those with a thorough knowledge of the law. Even then, the innocent can sometimes be wrongly convicted. The guilty cannot escape from the results of their own kamma, so they should reflect on this, and own up to any wrong-doing to mitigate its effects.
The Heart of Buddhism
