What Is the Offense of Schism in Buddhism?

Sangha-disruption includes disrupting the Sangha community and disrupting monks not within the Sangha community. A group composed of four or more monastics is called a Sangha community, and these four monastics must all be fully ordained monks possessing the precept-body of renunciation. If conflicts arise within the Sangha community and ultimately only three monks remain, it ceases to be a Sangha community, thus the Sangha is dissolved. Those who cause the Sangha community to disintegrate commit the Avīci hell offense, and upon death, they will receive the karmic retribution of falling into the Avīci hell.

Monastic groups of three or fewer individuals, although not termed a Sangha community, are still called monastic assemblies. If one stirs up disputes or sows discord among them, it is called inciting conflict within the monastic assembly, and the offense also leads to hellish retribution. A single monastic leading disciples, although unable to form a Sangha community, can still exert significant influence within Buddhism. To sow discord between the teacher and disciples, disrupting and breaking apart the master-disciple relationship, incurs a substantial karmic offense. If this monastic holds a particularly special status, wielding pivotal influence over the future and development of Buddhism and possessing great influential power over sentient beings, then slandering them or causing the disintegration of their disciples constitutes an exceedingly grave karmic offense. This offense is greater than that of disrupting other Sangha communities and is certainly an Avīci hell offense.