Pāṭimokkha

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In Theravada Buddhism, the Patimokkha is the basic code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for fully ordained monks (bhikkhus) and 311 for nuns (bhikkhunis). It is contained in the Suttavibhanga, a division of the Vinaya Pitaka.

Parajika

The four parajikas (defeats) are rules entailing expulsion from the sangha for life. If a monk breaks any one of the rules he is automatically "defeated" in the holy life and falls from monkhood immediately. He is not allowed to become a monk again in his lifetime. Intention is necessary in all these four cases to constitute an offence. The four parajikas for bhikkus are:

1. Sexual intercourse: engaging in any sexual intercourse.
2. Stealing: the robbery of anything worth more than 1/24 troy ounce of gold (as determined by local law).
3. Intentionally bringing about the death of a human being — whether by killing the person, arranging for an assassin to kill the person, inciting the person to die, or describing the advantages of death.
4. Deliberately lying to another person that one has attained a superior human state, such as claiming to be an arahant when one knows one is not, or claiming to have attained one of the jhanas when one knows one has not.

The parajikas are more specific definitions of the first four of the Five Precepts.

Sanghadisesa

The thirteen sanghadisesas are rules requiring an initial and subsequent meeting of the sangha (communal meetings). If the monk breaks any rule here he has to undergo a period of probation or discipline after which, if he shows himself to be repentant, he may be reinstated by a sangha of not less than twenty monks. Like the parajikas, the sanghadisesas can only come about through the monk's own intention and cannot be accidentally invoked. The thirteen sanghadisesas for bhikkus are:

1. Discharge of semen or getting someone to discharge your semen, except while dreaming
2. Lustful bodily contact with a woman, including kissing or holding hands
3. Making lustful remarks to a woman alluding to her genitals or sexual intercourse
4. Requesting sexual favors from a woman, or telling her that she would benefit spiritually from having sex with the monk.
5. Arranging for a date, affair, or marriage between a man and woman
6. Building a hut without permission from the sangha, or building a hut that exceed 3 x 1.75 meters in size
7. Having someone else build a hut for you without permission from the sangha, or exceeding 3 x 1.75 meters in size
8. Making unfounded charges about another bhikkhu in the hopes of having him disrobed
9. Making deceitfully worded charges about another bhikkhu in the hopes of having him disrobed
10. Agitating for a schism, even after having been rebuked three times
11. Supporting an agitator, even after he was rebuked three times (only applies if there are fewer than four supporters)
12. Rejecting well-grounded criticism, even after having been rebuked three times
13. Criticizing the justice of one's own banishment, even after having been rebuked three times

Aniyata

The aniyata are two indefinite rules where a monk is accused of having committed an offence with a woman in a screened (enclosed) or private place by a lay person. It is indefinite because the final outcome depends on whether the monk acknowledges the offence. Benefit of the doubt is given to the monk unless there is over-riding evidence.

Thus it is not proper for a monk to be alone with a woman, especially in screened or private places.

1. Sitting in private with a woman on a seat secluded enough for sexual intercourse and the monk acknowledges the offense
2. Sitting in private with a woman on a seat not sufficiently secluded for sexual intercourse but sufficiently so to address lewd words and the monk acknowledges the offense

Nissaggiya pacittiya

The nissaggiya pacittiya are rules entailing "confession with forfeiture." They are mostly concerned with the possessing of items which are disallowed or obtained in disallowable ways. The monk must forfeit the item and then confess his offense to another monk. The thirty nissaggiya pacittiya for bhikkhu are:

1. Keeping an extra robe for more than ten days after receiving a new one
2. Sleeping in a separate place from any of his three robes
3. Keeping an out-of-season robe for more than thirty days when one has expectation for a new robe
4. Getting an unrelated bhikkhuni to wash your robes for you
5. Accepting robes from a bhikkhuni as a gift
6. Accepting robes from the laity, except when one's own robes have been destroyed, or one is asking for the sake of another bhikkhu
7. Accepting too many robes from the laity when one's own robes have been destroyed
8. Accepting a robe from a lay person after telling them that their robe is too cheap for you
9. Accepting a robe from the laity after asking two or more of them to pool their funds in order to buy a nicer robe
10. Accepting a robe after coming to the treasurer to get the robe more than six times (since this indicates an excess of desire)
11. Owning a blanket or rug made of silk
12. Making or accepting a blanket or rug made from pure black wool
13. Making or accepting a blanket or rug made from more than 50% black wool
14. Making or accepting a blanket or rug fewer than six years after you last made or accepted one
15. Making or accepting a sitting rug without incorporating at least one old piece of felt 25 cm. square, for the sake of discoloring it
16. Carrying raw wool for more than 48 km
17. Getting a bhikkhuni to wash, dye, or card raw wool
18. Accepting gold or money, or telling someone how to donate it. If money is placed in a bhikkhu's presence he may not recognize it as his nor tell someone else to take care of it for him. Bhikkhus often have stewards who will take care of donations, but the stewards are always free to take the money and leave
19. Buying or selling goods
20. Trading goods with anyone besides other bhikkhus
21. Keeping an extra alms bowl for more than ten days after receiving a new one
22. Asking for a new bowl when your old bowl is not beyond repair
23. Taking a medicine (healing food) from storage for more than seven days
24. Using a (rains-)bathing cloth before the last two weeks of the fourth month of the hot season, or accepting one before the fourth month
25. Taking back a loaned robe out of anger
26. Getting thread, and getting people to weave thread for you
27. Receiving cloth after telling its weavers to increase the quality for you
28. Keeping robes past the end of the season after accepting them during the last eleven days of the Rains Retreat (Vassa)
29. Being separated from your robes for more than six nights if you are living in a dangerously distant village and need to separate yourself from your robes after the Rains Retreat
30. Persuading a donor to give gifts to oneself, when they were previously intended for the sangha at large

Pacittiya

92 pacittiya are rules entailing confession. There are ninety two Pacittiya and they are minor violations which do not entail expulsion or any probationary periods.

1. A deliberate lie is to be confessed.

2. An insult is to be confessed.

3. Malicious tale-bearing among bhikkhus is to be confessed.

4. Should any bhikkhu have an unordained person recite Dhamma line by line (with him), it is to be confessed.

5. Should any bhikkhu lie down together (in the same dwelling) with an unordained person for more than two or three consecutive nights, it is to be confessed.

6. Should any bhikkhu lie down together (in the same dwelling) with a woman, it is to be confessed.

7. Should any bhikkhu teach more than five or six sentences of Dhamma to a woman, unless a knowledgeable man is present, it is to be confessed.

8. Should any bhikkhu report (his own) superior human state, when it is factual, to an unordained person, it is to be confessed.

9. Should any bhikkhu report (another) bhikkhu's serious offense to an unordained person, unless authorized by the bhikkhus, it is to be confessed.

10. Should any bhikkhu dig soil or have it dug, it is to be confessed.

11. The damaging of a living plant is to be confessed.

12. Evasive speech and causing frustration are to be confessed.

13. Criticizing or complaining (about a Community official) is to be confessed.

14. Should any bhikkhu set a bed, bench, mattress, or stool belonging to the Community out in the open, or have it set out, and then on departing neither put it away nor have it put away, or should he go without taking leave, it is to be confessed.

15. Should any bhikkhu set out bedding in a dwelling belonging to the Community, or have it set out, and then on departing neither put it away nor have it put away, or should he go without taking leave, it is to be confessed.

16. Should any bhikkhu knowingly lie down in a dwelling belonging to the Community so as to intrude on a bhikkhu who arrived there first, (thinking), "Whoever finds it confining will go away," doing it for just that reason and no other, it is to be confessed.

17. Should any bhikkhu, angered and displeased, evict a bhikkhu from a dwelling belonging to the Community, or have him evicted, it is to be confessed.

18. Should any bhikkhu sit or lie down on a bed or bench with detachable legs on an (unplanked) loft in a dwelling belonging to the Community, it is to be confessed.

19. When a bhikkhu is having a large dwelling built, he may supervise two or three layers of facing to plaster the area around the window frame and reinforce the area around the door frame the width of the door opening, while standing where there are no crops to speak of. Should he supervise more than that, even if standing where there are no crops to speak of, it is to be confessed.

20. Should any bhikkhu knowingly pour water containing living beings, or have it poured, on grass or on clay, it is to be confessed.

21. Should any bhikkhu, unauthorized, exhort the bhikkhunīs, it is to be confessed.

22. Should any bhikkhu, even if authorized, exhort the bhikkhunīs after sunset, it is to be confessed.

23. Should any bhikkhu, having gone to the bhikkhunīs' quarters, exhort the bhikkhunīs, except at the proper occasion, it is to be confessed. Here the proper occasion is this: A bhikkhunī is ill. This is the proper occasion here.

24. Should any bhikkhu say that the bhikkhus exhort the bhikkhunīs for the sake of worldly gain, it is to be confessed.

25. Should any bhikkhu give robe-cloth to a bhikkhunī unrelated to him, except in exchange, it is to be confessed.

26. Should any bhikkhu sew robe-cloth or have it sewn for a bhikkhunī unrelated to him, it is to be confessed.

27. Should any bhikkhu, by arrangement, travel together with a bhikkhunī even for the interval between one village and the next, except at the proper occasion, it is to be confessed. Here the proper occasion is this: The road is to be traveled by caravan and is considered dubious and risky. This is the proper occasion here.

28. Should any bhikkhu, by arrangement, get in the same boat with a bhikkhunī going upstream or downstream, except to cross over to the other bank, it is to be confessed.

29. Should any bhikkhu knowingly eat almsfood donated through the prompting of a bhikkhunī, except for food that householders had already intended for him prior (to her prompting), it is to be confessed.

30. Should any bhikkhu sit in private, alone with a bhikkhunī, it is to be confessed.

31. A bhikkhu who is not ill may eat one meal at a public alms center. Should he eat more than that, it is to be confessed.

32. A group meal, except on the proper occasions, is to be confessed. Here the proper occasions are these: a time of illness, a time of giving cloth, a time of making robes, a time of going on a journey, a time of embarking on a boat, an extraordinary occasion, a time when the meal is supplied by contemplatives. These are the proper occasions here.

33. An out-of-turn meal, except on the proper occasions, is to be confessed. Here the proper occasions are these: a time of illness, a time of giving cloth (the robe season), a time of making robes. These are the proper occasions here.

34. In case a bhikkhu arriving at a family residence is presented with cakes or cooked grain-meal, he may accept two or three bowlfuls if he so desires. If he should accept more than that, it is to be confessed. Having accepted the two-or-three bowlfuls and having taken them from there, he is to share them among the bhikkhus. This is the proper course here.

35. Should any bhikkhu, having eaten and turned down an offer (of further food), chew or consume staple or non-staple food that is not left over, it is to be confessed.

36. Should any bhikkhu, knowingly and wishing to find fault, present staple or non-staple food to a bhikkhu who has eaten and turned down an offer (for further food), saying, "Here, bhikkhu, chew or consume this" — when it has been eaten, it is to be confessed.

37. Should any bhikkhu chew or consume staple or non-staple food at the wrong time, it is to be confessed.

38. Should any bhikkhu chew or consume stored-up staple or non-staple food, it is to be confessed.

39. There are these finer staple foods, i.e., ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, sugar/molasses, fish, meat, milk, and curds. Should any bhikkhu who is not ill, having asked for finer staple foods such as these for his own sake, then eat them, it is to be confessed.

40. Should any bhikkhu take into his mouth an edible that has not been given, except for water and tooth-cleaning sticks, it is to be confessed.

41. Should any bhikkhu give staple or non-staple food with his own hand to a naked ascetic, a male wanderer, or a female wanderer, it is to be confessed.

42. Should any bhikkhu say to a bhikkhu, "Come, my friend, let's enter the village or town for alms," and then — whether or not he has had (food) given to him — dismiss him, saying, "Go away, my friend. I don't like sitting or talking with you. I prefer sitting or talking alone," if doing it for that reason and no other, it is to be confessed.

43. Should a bhikkhu sit intruding on a family "with its meal," it is to be confessed.

44. Should any bhikkhu sit in private on a secluded seat with a woman, it is to be confessed.

45. Should any bhikkhu sit in private, alone with a woman, it is to be confessed.

46. Should any bhikkhu, being invited for a meal and without taking leave of an available bhikkhu, go calling on families before or after the meal, except at the proper times, it is to be confessed. Here the proper times are these: the time of giving cloth, the time of making robes. These are the proper times here.

47. A bhikkhu who is not ill may accept (make use of) a four-month invitation to ask for requisites. If he should accept (make use of) it for longer than that; unless the invitation is renewed or is permanent; it is to be confessed.

48. Should any bhikkhu go to see an army on active duty, unless there is a suitable reason, it is to be confessed.

49. There being some reason or another for a bhikkhu to go to an army, he may stay two or three (consecutive) nights with the army. If he should stay longer than that, it is to be confessed.

50. If a bhikkhu staying two or three nights with an army should go to a battlefield, a roll call, the troops in battle formation, or to see a review of the (battle) units, it is to be confessed.

51. The drinking of alcohol or fermented liquor is to be confessed.

52. Tickling with the fingers is to be confessed.

53. The act of playing in the water is to be confessed.

54. Disrespect is to be confessed.

55. Should any bhikkhu try to frighten another bhikkhu, it is to be confessed.

56. Should any bhikkhu who is not ill, seeking to warm himself, kindle a fire or have one kindled, unless there is a suitable reason, it is to be confessed.

57. Should any bhikkhu bathe at intervals of less than half a month, except at the proper occasions, it is to be confessed. Here the proper occasions are these: the last month and a half of the hot season, the first month of the rains, these two and a half months being a time of heat, a time of fever; (also) a time of illness; a time of work; a time of going on a journey; a time of wind or rain. These are the proper times here.

58. When a bhikkhu receives a new robe, any one of three means of discoloring it is to be applied: green, brown, or black. If a bhikkhu should make use of a new robe without applying any of the three means of discoloring it, it is to be confessed.

59. Should any bhikkhu, himself having placed robe-cloth under shared ownership (vikappana) with a bhikkhu, a bhikkhuni, a female probationer, a male novice, or a female novice, then make use of the cloth without the shared ownership's being rescinded, it is to be confessed.

60. Should any bhikkhu hide (another) bhikkhu's bowl, robe, sitting cloth, needle case, or belt, or have it hidden, even as a joke, it is to be confessed.

61. Should any bhikkhu knowingly deprive an animal of life, it is to be confessed.

62. Should any bhikkhu knowingly make use of water with living beings in it, it is to be confessed.

63. Should any bhikkhu knowingly agitate for the reviving of an issue that has been rightfully dealt with, it is to be confessed.

64. Should any bhikkhu knowingly conceal another bhikkhu's serious offense, it is to be confessed.

65. Should any bhikkhu knowingly give full ordination to an individual less than twenty years of age, the individual is not ordained and the bhikkhus are blameworthy; and as for him (the preceptor), it is to be confessed.

66. Should any bhikkhu knowingly and by arrangement travel together with a caravan of thieves, even for the interval between one village and the next, it is to be confessed.

67. Should any bhikkhu, by arrangement, travel together with a woman, even for the interval between one village and the next, it is to be confessed.

68. Should any bhikkhu say the following: "As I understand the Dhamma taught by the Blessed One, those acts the Blessed One says are obstructive, when indulged in are not genuine obstructions," the bhikkhus should admonish him thus: "Do not say that, venerable sir. Do not misrepresent the Blessed One, for it is not good to misrepresent the Blessed One. The Blessed One would not say anything like that. In many ways, friend, the Blessed One has described obstructive acts, and when indulged in they are genuine obstructions."

And should the bhikkhu, thus admonished by the bhikkhus, persist as before, the bhikkhus are to rebuke him up to three times so as to desist. If while being rebuked up to three times he desists, that is good. If he does not desist, it is to be confessed.

69. Should any bhikkhu knowingly consort, join in communion, or lie down in the same lodging with a bhikkhu professing such a view who has not acted in compliance with the rule, who has not abandoned that view, it is to be confessed.

70. And if a novice should say the following: "As I understand the Dhamma taught by the Blessed One, those acts the Blessed One says are obstructive when indulged in, are not genuine obstructions," the bhikkhus should admonish him thus: "Do not say that, friend novice. Do not misrepresent the Blessed One, for it is not good to misrepresent the Blessed One. The Blessed One would not say anything like that. In many ways, friend, the Blessed One has described obstructive acts, and when indulged in they are genuine obstructions."

And should that novice, thus admonished by the bhikkhus, persist as before, the bhikkhus should admonish him as follows: "From this day forth, friend novice, you are not to claim the Blessed One as your teacher, nor are you even to have the opportunity the other novices get — that of sharing lodgings two or three nights with the bhikkhus. Away with you! Out of our sight! (literally, 'Get lost!')"

Should any bhikkhu knowingly support, receive services from, consort with, or lie down in the same lodging with a novice thus expelled, it is to be confessed.

71. Should any bhikkhu, admonished by the bhikkhus in accordance with a rule, say, "Friends, I will not train myself under this training rule until I have put questions about it to another bhikkhu, experienced and learned in the discipline," it is to be confessed. Bhikkhus, (a training rule) is to be understood, is to be asked about, is to be pondered. This is the proper course here.

72. Should any bhikkhu, when the Patimokkha is being repeated, say, "Why are these lesser and minor training rules repeated when they lead only to anxiety, bother and confusion?" the criticism of the training rules is to be confessed.

73. Should any bhikkhu, when the Patimokkha is being recited every half-month, say, "Just now have I heard that this case, too, is handed down in the Patimokkha, is included in the Patimokkha, and comes up for recitation every half-month;" and if other bhikkhus should know, "That bhikkhu has already sat through two or three recitations of the Patimokkha, if not more," the bhikkhu is not exempted for being ignorant. Whatever the offense he has committed, he is to be dealt with in accordance with the rule; and in addition, his deception is to be exposed: "It is no gain for you, friend, it is ill-done, that when the Patimokkha is being recited, you do not pay proper attention and take it to heart." Here the deception is to be confessed.

74. Should any bhikkhu, angered and displeased, give a blow to (another) bhikkhu, it is to be confessed.

75. Should any bhikkhu, angered and displeased, raise his hand against (another) bhikkhu, it is to be confessed.

76. Should any bhikkhu charge a bhikkhu with an unfounded sanghadisesa (offense), it is to be confessed.

77. Should any bhikkhu purposefully provoke anxiety in (another) bhikkhu, (thinking,) "This way, even for just a moment, he will have no peace," if doing it for just this reason and no other, it is to be confessed.

78. Should any bhikkhu stand eavesdropping on bhikkhus when they are arguing, quarreling, and disputing, thinking, "I will overhear what they say" if doing it for just this reason and no other, it is to be confessed.

79. Should any bhikkhu, having given consent (by proxy) to a formal act carried out in accordance with the rule, later complain (about the act), it is to be confessed.

80. Should any bhikkhu, when deliberation is being carried on in the Community, get up from his seat and leave without having given consent, it is to be confessed.

81. Should any bhikkhu, (acting as part of) a Community in concord, give robe-cloth (to an individual bhikkhu) and later complain, "The bhikkhus apportion the Community's gains according to friendship," it is to be confessed.

82. Should any bhikkhu knowingly divert to an individual gains that had been allocated for the Community, it is to be confessed.

83. Should any bhikkhu, without being previously announced, cross the threshold of a consecrated noble king's (sleeping chamber) from which the king has not left, from which the treasure (the queen) has not withdrawn, it is to be confessed.

84. Should any bhikkhu pick up or have (someone) pick up a valuable or what is considered a valuable, except within a monastery or within a dwelling, it is to be confessed. But when a bhikkhu has picked up or had (someone) pick up a valuable or what is considered a valuable (left) in a monastery or in a dwelling, he is to keep it, (thinking,) "Whoever it belongs to will (come and) fetch it." This is the proper course here.

85. Should any bhikkhu, without taking leave of an available bhikkhu, enter a village at the wrong time, unless there is a suitable emergency, it is to be confessed.

86. Should any bhikkhu have a needle case made of bone, ivory, or horn, it is to be broken and confessed.

87. When a bhikkhu is making a new bed or bench, it is to have legs (at most) eight fingerbreadths long, using Sugata fingerbreadths, not counting the lower edge of the frame. In excess of that it is to be cut down and confessed.

88. Should any bhikkhu have a bed or bench upholstered, it (the upholstery) is to be torn off and confessed.

89. When a bhikkhu is making a sitting cloth, it is to be made to the standard measurement. Here the standard is this: two spans, using the Sugata span, in length, 1 1/2 in width, the border a span. In excess of that, it is to be cut down and confessed.

90. When a bhikkhu is making a skin-eruption covering cloth, it is to be made to the standard measurement. Here the standard is this: four spans, using the Sugata span, in length, two spans in width. In excess of that, it is to be cut down and confessed.

91. When a bhikkhu is making a rains-bathing cloth, it is to be made to the standard measurement. Here the standard is this: six spans, using the Sugata span, in length, 2 1/2 in width. In excess of that, it is to be cut down and confessed.

92. Should any bhikkhu have a robe made the size of the Sugata robe or larger, it is to be cut down and confessed. Here, the size of the Sugata robe is this: nine spans, using the Sugata span, in length, six spans in width. This is the size of the Sugata's Sugata robe.

Patidesaniya

Patidesaniya are violations which must be verbally acknowledged.

1. Accepting and eating food from an unrelated bhikkuni.
2. Accepting and eating food after a bhikkuni has instructed the donors on whom to give what food, and none of the bhikkus rebuke the bhikkuni.
3. Accepting and eating food from a family that the sangha designates as "in training", that is, preparing to becoming arahants, unless if the monk is sick.
4. Accepting and eating food from a family living in a dangerous location, unless if the monk is sick.

Sekhiyavatta

There are seventy five sekhiya or rules of training, which are mainly about the deportment of a monk. In many countries, it is also standard for novice monks (samanera) to follow the Sekhiyavatta rules in addition to the Ten Precepts.

Sāruppa (proper behavior)

1. I will wear the under robe properly.
2. I will wear the upper robe properly.
3. I will cover my body properly when going in inhabited areas.
4. I will cover my body properly when sitting in inhabited areas.
5. I will properly restrain the movements of hands and feet when going in inhabited areas.
6. I will properly restrain the movements of hands and feet when sitting in inhabited areas.
7. I will keep my eyes looking down when going in inhabited areas.
8. I will keep my eyes looking down when sitting in inhabited areas.
9. I will not hitch up my robes when going in inhabited areas.
10. I will not hitch up my robes when sitting in inhabited areas.
11. I will not laugh loudly when going in inhabited areas.
12. I will not laugh loudly when sitting in inhabited areas.
13. I will not speak loudly when going in inhabited areas.
14. I will not speak loudly when sitting in inhabited areas.
15. I will not sway my body about when going in inhabited areas.
16. I will not sway my body about when sitting in inhabited areas.
17. I will not swing my arms about when going in inhabited areas.
18. I will not swing my arms about when sitting in inhabited areas.
19. I will not shake my head about when going in inhabited areas.
20. I will not shake my head about when sitting in inhabited areas.
21. I will not put my arms akimbo when going in inhabited areas.
22. I will not put my arms akimbo when sitting in inhabited areas.
23. I will not cover my head with a cloth when going in inhabited areas.
24. I will not cover my head with a cloth when sitting in inhabited areas.
25. I will not walk on tiptoe when going in inhabited areas.
26. I will not sit clasping the knees in inhabited areas.

Bhojanapatisamyutta (food)

1. I will receive pindapāta (alms round) food attentively.
2. When receiving pindapāta food, I will look only into the bowl.
3. I will receive curries in the right proportion to the rice.
4. I will receive pindapāta food only until it reached the rim of the bowl.
5. I will eat pindapāta food attentively.
6. When eating pindapāta food, I will look only into the bowl.
7. I will not dig up the rice making it uneven.
8. I will eat curries in the right proportion to the rice.
9. I will not eat rice only working from the top down.
10. I will not cover up curries – or curry mixed with rice – with white rice because of a desire to get a lot.
11. When I am not sick, I will not ask for curries or rice for the purpose of eating them myself.
12. I will not look at another's bowl with the idea of finding fault.
13. I will not make up a very large mouthful of food.
14. I will make food up into suitably round mouthfuls.
15. I will not open my mouth until the portion of food has been brought to it.
16. When eating, I will not put my fingers into my mouth.
17. When food is still in my mouth, I will not speak.
18. I will not throw lumps of food into my mouth.
19. I will not eat by biting off mouthfuls of rice.
20. I will not eat stuffing out my cheeks.
21. I will not eat and shake my hand about at the same time.
22. I will not eat scattering grains of rice about so that they fall back into the bowl or elsewhere.
23. I will not eat putting my tongue out.
24. I will not eat making a champing sound.
25. I will not eat (or drink) making a sucking sound.
26. I will not eat licking my hands.
27. I will not eat scraping the bowl.
28. I will not eat licking my lips.
29. I will not take hold of a vessel of water with my hand soiled with food.
30. I will not throw out bowl-washing water which has grains of rice in it in a place where there are houses.

Dhammadesanāpatisamyutta (teaching dhamma)

A bhikku should train himself thus: I will not teach Dhamma to someone who is not sick and...

1. who has an umbrella in his hand.
2. who has a wooden stick (club) in his hand.
3. who has a sharp-edged weapon in his hand.
4. who has a weapon in his hand.
5. who is wearing (wooden-soled) sandals.
6. who is wearing shoes.
7. who is in a vehicle.
8. who is on a bed (or couch).
9. who is sitting clasping the knees.
10. who has a head wrapping (turban).
11. whose head is covered.
12. who is sitting on a seat while I am sitting on the ground.
13. who is sitting on a high seat while I am sitting on a low seat.
14. who is sitting while I am standing.
15. who is walking in front of me while I am walking behind him.
16. who is walking on a pathway while I am walking beside the pathway.

Pakinnaka (miscellaneous)

A bhikku should train himself thus: If I am not sick...

1. I will not defecate or urinate while standing.
2. I will not defecate, urinate or spit on green vegetation.
3. I will not defecate, urinate or spit into water.

Adhikarana-samatha are seven rules for settlement of legal processes that concern monks only.

1. When an issue is settled, the verdict should be in the presence of the sangha, the parties, the Dhamma and the Vinaya.
2. If the bhikku is innocent, the verdict should be "mindfulness".
3. If the bhikku was or is insane, the verdict should be "past insanity".
4. If the bhikku confesses to the exact allegations, the verdict should be "acting in accordance with what was admitted".
5. If the dispute cannot be unanimously settled, the sangha should take a vote and the verdict should be "acting in accordance with the majority".
6. If the bhikku confesses only after interrogation, the verdict should be "acting in accordance with the accused's further misconduct".
7. If both sides agree that they are not acting the way monks ought to, they can call a full assembly of the sima and confess their mistakes, and the verdict should be "covering over as with grass."

Religious law

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Religious law includes ethical and moral codes taught by religious traditions. Different religious systems hold sacred law in a greater or lesser degree of importance to their belief systems, with some being explicitly antinomian whereas others are nomistic or "legalistic" in nature. In particular, religions such as Judaism, Islam and the Bahá'í Faith teach the need for revealed positive law for both state and society, whereas other religions such as Christianity generally reject the idea that this is necessary or desirable and instead emphasise the eternal moral precepts of divine law over the civil, ceremonial or judicial aspects, which may have been annulled as in theologies of grace over law.

Examples of religiously derived legal codes include Jewish halakha, Islamic sharia, Christian canon law (applicable within a wider theological conception in the church, but distinct from secular state law), and Hindu law.

Established religions and religious institutions

A state religion (or established church) is a religious body officially endorsed by the state. A theocracy is a form of government in which a God or a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler.

In both theocracies and some religious jurisdictions, conscientious objectors may cause religious offense. The contrary legal systems are secular states or multicultural societies in which the government does not formally adopt a particular religion, but may either repress all religious activity or enforce tolerance of religious diversity.

Bahá'í Faith

Bahá'í laws are laws and ordinances used in the Bahá'í Faith and are a fundamental part of Bahá'í practice. The laws are based on authenticated texts from Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, subsequent interpretations from `Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi and legislation by the Universal House of Justice. Bahá'í law is presented as a set of general principles and guidelines and individuals must apply them as they best seem fit. While some of the social laws are enforced by Bahá'í institutions, the emphasis is placed on individuals following the laws based on their conscience, understanding and reasoning, and Bahá'ís are expected to follow the laws for the love of Bahá'u'lláh. The laws are seen as the method of the maintenance of order and security in the world.

A few examples of laws and basic religious observances of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas which are considered obligatory for Bahá'ís include:

• Recite an obligatory prayer each day. There are three such prayers among which one can be chosen each day.
• Observe a Nineteen Day Fast from sunrise to sunset from March 2 through March 20. During this time Bahá'ís in good health between the ages of 15 and 70 abstain from eating and drinking.
• Gossip and backbiting are prohibited and viewed as particularly damaging to the individual and their relationships.

Buddhism

Patimokkha comprises a collection of precepts for bhikkhus and bhikkhunis (Buddhist monks and nuns).

Christianity

Within the framework of Christianity, there are several possible definitions for religious law. One is the Mosaic Law (from what Christians consider to be the Old Testament) also called Divine Law or biblical law, the most famous example being the Ten Commandments. Another is the instructions of Jesus of Nazareth to his disciples in the Gospel (often referred to as the Law of Christ or the New Commandment or the New Covenant, in contrast to the Old Covenant). Another is the Apostolic Decree of Acts 15, which is still observed by the Greek Orthodox Church. Another is canon law in the Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox churches.

In some Christian denominations, law is often contrasted with grace (see also Law and Gospel and Antithesis of the Law): the contrast here speaks to attempt to gain salvation by obedience to a code of laws as opposed to seeking salvation through faith in the atonement made by Jesus on the cross.

Biblical/Mosaic law

Christian views of the Old Covenant vary. and are to be distinguished from Christian theology, ethics, and practice. The term "Old Covenant", also referred to as the Mosaic covenant and the Law of Moses, refers to the statements or principles of religious law and religious ethics codified in the first five books or Pentateuch of the Old Testament. Views of the Old Covenant are expressed in the New Testament, such as Jesus' antitheses of the law, the circumcision controversy in Early Christianity, and the Incident at Antioch and position of Paul the Apostle and Judaism. Most Christians hold that only parts are applicable, while some Protestants have the view that none is applicable. Dual-covenant theologians have the view that only Noahide Laws apply to Gentiles. The Jewish Christianity movement is virtually extinct.

Canon law

Canon law is the body of laws and regulations made by or adopted by ecclesiastical authority for the governance of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of churches. The way that such church law is legislated, interpreted and at times adjudicated varies widely among these three bodies of churches. In all three traditions, a canon was initially a rule adopted by a church council (From Greek kanon / κανών, Hebrew kaneh / קנה, for rule, standard, or measure); these canons formed the foundation of canon law.

Canons of the Apostles

The Canons of the Apostles or Ecclesiastical Canons of the Same Holy Apostles is a collection of ancient ecclesiastical decrees (eighty-five in the Eastern, fifty in the Western Church) concerning the government and discipline of the Early Christian Church, incorporated with the Apostolic Constitutions which are part of the Ante-Nicene Fathers

Catholic Church

The canon law of the Catholic Church (Latin: jus canonicum) is the system of laws and legal principles made and enforced by the hierarchical authorities of the Church to regulate its external organization and government and to order and direct the activities of Catholics toward the mission of the Church. It was the first modern Western legal system and is the oldest continuously functioning legal system in the West, predating the European common law and civil law traditions. What began with rules ("canons") adopted by the Apostles at the Council of Jerusalem in the 1st century has blossomed into a highly complex and original legal system encapsulating not just norms of the New Testament, but some elements of the Hebrew (Old Testament), Roman, Visigothic, Saxon, and Celtic legal traditions spanning thousands of years of human experience. while the unique traditions of Oriental canon law govern the 23 Eastern Catholic particular churches sui iuris.

 

Positive ecclesiastical laws derive formal authority in the case of universal laws from promulgation by the supreme legislator—the Supreme Pontiff—who possesses the totality of legislative, executive, and judicial power in his person, while particular laws derive formal authority from promulgation by a legislator inferior to the supreme legislator, whether an ordinary or a delegated legislator. The actual subject material of the canons is not just doctrinal or moral in nature, but all-encompassing of the human condition. 

It has all the ordinary elements of a mature legal system: laws, courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code for the Latin Church as well as a code for the Eastern Catholic Churches, principles of legal interpretation, and coercive penalties. It lacks civilly-binding force in most secular jurisdictions. Those who are versed and skilled in canon law, and professors of canon law, are called canonists (or colloquially, canon lawyers). Canon law as a sacred science is called canonistics. 

The jurisprudence of canon law is the complex of legal principles and traditions within which canon law operates, while the philosophy, theology, and fundamental theory of canon law are the areas of philosophical, theological, and legal scholarship dedicated to providing a theoretical basis for canon law as a legal system and as true law.

In the early Church, the first canons were decreed by bishops united in "Ecumenical" councils (the Emperor summoning all of the known world's bishops to attend with at least the acknowledgement of the Bishop of Rome) or "local" councils (bishops of a region or territory). Over time, these canons were supplemented with decretals of the Bishops of Rome, which were responses to doubts or problems according to the maxim, Roma locuta est, causa finita est ("Rome has spoken, case is closed").

Later, they were gathered together into collections, both unofficial and official. The first truly systematic collection was assembled by the Camaldolese monk Gratian in the 11th century, commonly known as the Decretum Gratiani ("Gratian's Decree"). Pope Gregory IX is credited with promulgating the first official collection of canons called the Decretalia Gregorii Noni or Liber Extra (1234). This was followed by the Liber Sextus (1298) of Boniface VIII, the Clementines (1317) of Clement V, the Extravagantes Joannis XXII and the Extravagantes Communes, all of which followed the same structure as the Liber Extra. All these collections, with the Decretum Gratiani, are together referred to as the Corpus Juris Canonici. After the completion of the Corpus Juris Canonici, subsequent papal legislation was published in periodic volumes called Bullaria. 

By the 19th century, this body of legislation included some 10,000 norms, many difficult to reconcile with one another due to changes in circumstances and practice. This situation impelled Pope Pius X to order the creation of the first Code of Canon Law, a single volume of clearly stated laws. Under the aegis of Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, the Commission for the Codification of Canon Law was completed under Benedict XV, who promulgated the Code, effective in 1918. The work having been begun by Pius X, it was sometimes called the "Pio-Benedictine Code" but more often the 1917 Code. In its preparation, centuries of material was examined, scrutinized for authenticity by leading experts, and harmonized as much as possible with opposing canons and even other Codes, from the Codex of Justinian to the Napoleonic Code.

Pope John XXIII initially called for a Synod of the Diocese of Rome, an Ecumenical Council, and an updating to the 1917 Code. After the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican (Vatican II) closed in 1965, it became apparent that the Code would need to be revised in light of the documents and theology of Vatican II. After multiple drafts and many years of discussion, Pope John Paul II promulgated the revised Code of Canon Law (CIC) in 1983. Containing 1752 canons, it is the law currently binding on the Latin (western) Roman Church.

The canon law of the Eastern Catholic Churches, which had developed some different disciplines and practices, underwent its own process of codification, resulting in the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches promulgated in 1990 by Pope John Paul II.

The institutions and practices of canon law paralleled the legal development of much of Europe, and consequently both modern Civil law and Common law bear the influences of canon law. Edson Luiz Sampel, a Brazilian expert in canon law, says that canon law is contained in the genesis of various institutes of civil law, such as the law in continental Europe and Latin American countries. Sampel explains that canon law has significant influence in contemporary society.

Currently, all Latin-Rite Catholic seminary students are expected to take a course in canon law (c. 252.3). Some ecclesiastical officials are required to have the doctorate (JCD) or at least the licentiate (JCL) in canon law in order to fulfill their functions: Judicial Vicars (c. 1419.1), Judges (c. 1421.3), Promoters of Justice (c. 1435), Defenders of the Bond (c. 1435). In addition, Vicars General and Episcopal Vicars are to be doctors or at least licensed in canon law or theology (c. 478.1), and canonical advocates must either have the doctorate or be truly expert in canon law (c. 1483). Ordinarily, Bishops are to have advanced degrees in sacred scripture, theology, or canon law (c. 378.1.5). St. Raymond of Penyafort (1175–1275), a Spanish Dominican priest, is the patron saint of canonists, due to his important contributions to the science of Canon Law.

Orthodox Churches

The Greek-speaking Orthodox have collected canons and commentaries upon them in a work known as the Pēdálion (Greek: Πηδάλιον, "Rudder"), so named because it is meant to "steer" the Church. The Orthodox Christian tradition in general treats its canons more as guidelines than as laws, the bishops adjusting them to cultural and other local circumstances. Some Orthodox canon scholars point out that, had the Ecumenical Councils (which deliberated in Greek) meant for the canons to be used as laws, they would have called them nómoi/νόμοι (laws) rather than kanónes/κανόνες (rules), but almost all Orthodox conform to them. The dogmatic decisions of the Councils, though, are to be obeyed rather than to be treated as guidelines, since they are essential for the Church's unity.

Anglican Communion

In the Church of England, the ecclesiastical courts that formerly decided many matters such as disputes relating to marriage, divorce, wills, and defamation, still have jurisdiction of certain church-related matters (e.g., discipline of clergy, alteration of church property, and issues related to churchyards). Their separate status dates back to the 11th century when the Normans split them off from the mixed secular/religious county and local courts used by the Saxons. In contrast to the other courts of England, the law used in ecclesiastical matters is at least partially a civil law system, not common law, although heavily governed by parliamentary statutes. Since the Reformation, ecclesiastical courts in England have been royal courts. The teaching of canon law at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge was abrogated by Henry VIII; thereafter practitioners in the ecclesiastical courts were trained in civil law, receiving a Doctor of Civil Law (D.C.L.) degree from Oxford, or an LL.D. from Cambridge. Such lawyers (called "doctors" and "civilians") were centred at "Doctors Commons", a few streets south of St Paul's Cathedral in London, where they monopolized probate, matrimonial, and admiralty cases until their jurisdiction was removed to the common law courts in the mid-19th century. (Admiralty law was also based on civil law instead of common law, thus was handled by the civilians too.)

Charles I repealed Canon Law in Scotland in 1638 after uprisings of Covenanters confronting the Bishops of Aberdeen following the convention at Muchalls Castle and other revolts across Scotland earlier that year.

Other churches in the Anglican Communion around the world (e.g., the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada) still function under their own private systems of canon law.

Presbyterian and Reformed Churches

In Presbyterian and Reformed Churches, canon law is known as "practice and procedure" or "church order," and includes the church's laws respecting its government, discipline, legal practice and worship.

Lutheranism

The Book of Concord is the historic doctrinal statement of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century. However, the Book of Concord is a confessional document (stating orthodox belief) rather than a book of ecclesiastical rules or discipline, like canon law. Each Lutheran national church establishes its own system of church order and discipline, though these are referred to as "canons".

The United Methodist Church

The Book of Discipline contains the laws, rules, policies and guidelines for The United Methodist Church. It is revised every four years by the General Conference, the law-making body of The United Methodist Church; the last edition was published in 2012.

Hinduism

Hindu law is largely based on the Manu Smriti (smriti of Manu). It was recognized by the British during their rule of India but its influence waned after the establishment of the Republic of India, which has a secular legal system.

Islam

Sharia, also known as Islamic law (قانون إسلامي qānūn ʾIslāmī), is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources, the precepts set forth in the Quran and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the sunnah. Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) interprets and extends the application of sharia to questions not directly addressed in the primary sources by including secondary sources. These secondary sources usually include the consensus of the ulama (religious scholars) embodied in ijma and analogy from the Quran and sunnah through qiyas. Shia jurists prefer to apply reasoning ('aql) rather than analogy in order to address difficult questions.

Muslims believe sharia is God's law, but they differ as to what exactly it entails. Modernists, traditionalists and fundamentalists all hold different views of sharia, as do adherents to different schools of Islamic thought and scholarship. Different countries, societies and cultures have varying interpretations of sharia as well.

Sharia deals with many topics addressed by secular law, including crime, politics and economics, as well as personal matters such as sexual intercourse, hygiene, diet, prayer, and fasting. Where it has official status, sharia is applied by Islamic judges, or qadis. The imam has varying responsibilities depending on the interpretation of sharia; while the term is commonly used to refer to the leader of communal prayers, the imam may also be a scholar, religious leader, or political leader.

The reintroduction of sharia is a longstanding goal for Islamist movements in Muslim countries. Some Muslim minorities in Asia (e.g., in Israel or in India) have maintained institutional recognition of sharia to adjudicate their personal and community affairs. In Western countries, where Muslim immigration is more recent, Muslim minorities have introduced sharia family law for use in their own disputes with varying degrees of success, e.g., Britain's Muslim Arbitration Tribunal. Attempts by Muslims to impose sharia on non-Muslims in countries with large Muslim populations have been accompanied by controversy, violence, and even warfare (cf. Second Sudanese Civil War).

Jainism

Jain law or Jaina law refers to the modern interpretation of ancient Jain Law that consists of rules for adoption, marriage, succession and death for the followers of Jainism.

Judaism

Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה‎; literally "walking") is the collective body of rabbinic Jewish religious laws derived from the Written and Oral Torah, including the Mishnah, the halakhic Midrash, the Talmud, and its commentaries. After the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in the year 70 during the First Jewish-Roman War, the Oral Law was developed through intensive and expansive interpretations of the written Torah.

The halakhah has developed gradually through a variety of legal and quasi-legal mechanisms, including judicial decisions, legislative enactments, and customary law. The literature of questions to rabbis, and their considered answers, are referred to as Responsa. Over time, as practices develop, codes of Jewish law were written based on Talmudic literature and Responsa. The most influential code, the Shulchan Aruch, guides the religious practice of most Orthodox and some Conservative Jews.

According to rabbinic tradition there are 613 mitzvot in the written Torah. The mitzvot in the Torah (also called the Law of Moses) pertain to nearly every aspect of human life. Some of these laws are directed only to men or to women, some only to the ancient priestly groups (the Kohanim and Leviyim) members of the tribe of Levi, some only to farmers within the Land of Israel. Some laws are only applicable when there is a Temple in Jerusalem.

Wicca

The Wiccan Rede is a statement that provides the key moral system in the neopagan religion of Wicca and certain other related witchcraft-based faiths. A common form of the Rede is "An it harm none, do what ye will".

Lawsuits against God

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawsuits_against_God 

 

Lawsuits against God have occurred in real life and in fiction. Issues debated in the actions include the problem of evil and harmful "acts of God".

Actual suits

Betty Penrose

In 1970, Arizonan lawyer Russel T. Tansie filed a suit against God on behalf of his secretary, Betty Penrose, seeking $100,000 in damages. Penrose blamed God for his "negligence", allowing a lightning bolt to strike her house. When God "failed to turn up in court", Penrose won the case by default.

Ernie Chambers

In the U.S. state of Nebraska, State Senator Ernie Chambers filed a suit in 2008 against God, seeking a permanent injunction against God's harmful activities, as an effort to publicize the issue of public access to the court system. The suit was dismissed because God could not be properly notified, not having a fixed address. The Judge stated, "Given that this court finds that there can never be service effectuated on the named defendant this action will be dismissed with prejudice". The senator, assuming God to be singular and all-knowing, responded "The court itself acknowledges the existence of God. A consequence of that acknowledgement is a recognition of God's omniscience ... Since God knows everything, God has notice of this lawsuit." Chambers filed the lawsuit in response to another lawsuit that he considered to be frivolous and inappropriate.

In response to Chambers' case, two responses were filed. The first was from a Corpus Christi lawyer, Eric Perkins, who wanted to answer the question "what would God say". The second was filed in Douglas County, Nebraska District Court. The source of the second response, claiming to be from God, is unclear as no contact information was given.

On July 30, 2008, local media sources reported the Douglas County District Court was going to deny Chambers' lawsuit because Chambers had failed to notify the defendant. However, on August 1, Chambers was granted a court date of August 5 in order to proceed with his lawsuit. "The scheduling hearing will give me a chance to lay out the facts that would justify the granting of the motion," Chambers was quoted as saying. He added, "Once the court enters the injunction, that's as much as I can do ... That's as much as I would ask the court. I wouldn't expect them to enforce it."

However, a judge finally did throw out the case, saying the Almighty was not properly served due to his unlisted home address. As of November 5, 2008, Chambers filed an appeal to the Nebraska Supreme Court. The former state senator John DeCamp and E. O. Augustsson in Sweden, asked to represent God. Augustsson's letters, mentioning the Bjorn (cf. the Bjorn Socialist Republic) were stricken as "frivolous". The Appeals Court gave Chambers until February 24 to show that he notified DeCamp and Augustsson of his brief, which he did. The case was finally closed on February 25 when the Nebraska Court of Appeals dismissed the appeal and vacated the order of the district court. The court quoted cases according to which "[a] court decides real controversies and determines rights actually controverted, and does not address or dispose of abstract questions or issues that might arise in hypothetical or fictitious situation or setting".

Pavel M

In 2005, a Romanian prisoner identified as Pavel M, serving 20 years after being convicted of murder, filed a lawsuit against the Romanian Orthodox Church, as God's representatives in Romania, for failing to keep him from the Devil, essentially stating that his baptism had been a binding contract.

The suit was dismissed because the defendant, God, was neither an individual nor a company, and was therefore not subject to the civil court of law's jurisdiction.

Chandan Kumar Singh

Chandan Kumar Singh, a lawyer from Bihar, India, sued the Hindu god Rama for mistreating his wife, the goddess Sita. The court dismissed his case, calling it "impractical".

Fictional suits

In the comedy film The Man Who Sued God (2001), a fisherman played by Billy Connolly successfully challenges the right of insurance companies to refuse payment for a destroyed boat on the common legal exemption clause of an act of God. In a suit against the world's religious institutions as God's representatives on Earth, the religious institutions face the dilemma of either having to state God does not exist to uphold the legal principle, or being held liable for damages caused by acts of God.

Frank vs God is a 2014 independent film with the same basic principle.

Similarly, in an Indian film, OMG – Oh My God! (2012), the protagonist Kanji Mehta (played by Paresh Rawal) files a lawsuit against God when his shop is destroyed in an earthquake and the insurance company refuses to take his claim, stating that "act of God" is not covered under his insurance policy. The Telugu film Gopala Gopala is a remake of this, as is the 2016 Kannada-language Mukunda Murari.

In the "Angels And Blimps" (1998) episode of the television legal drama Ally McBeal, a boy with leukaemia attempts to sue God. In the episode "The Nutcrackers" (2006–2007) of the television legal drama comedy Boston Legal, a woman sues God for the death of her husband. "God in the Dock", a 1980 episode of Christian TV series Insight, features Richard Beymer as God put on trial by humanity.

In the Fyodor Dostoyevsky novel The Brothers Karamazov (1880), one of the characters tells the story of a grand inquisitor in Spain who meets an incarnation of Jesus, interrogates him and exiles him. 

Former Auschwitz concentration camp inmate Elie Wiesel is said to have witnessed three Jewish prisoners try God in absentia for abandoning the Jewish people during the Holocaust. From this experience, Wiesel wrote the play and novel The Trial of God (1979). It is set in a Ukrainian village during 1649 after a massacre of the Jewish inhabitants, possibly as part of the Khmelnytsky Uprising. In the play, three traveling minstrels arrive in the village, having intended to perform a play. Instead they perform a mock trial of God for allowing the massacre. The verdict is innocent, after a stirring lone defence by a stranger who, in a twist, is revealed to be the Devil.

The television play God on Trial (2008), written by Frank Cottrell Boyce, depicts a scene similar to that attributed to Elie Wiesel, but is also described by Boyce as "apocryphal". In it, three Auschwitz prisoners sue God. The trial returns a guilty verdict, although with likely reasons for appeal.

In the Touched by an Angel (1998) episode "Jones vs God", a town is dying from a drought while other towns around it have received rain. Mr. Jones therefore sues God for unfair treatment. Tess represents God in the matter.

In a satirical news piece, The Onion parody newspaper published an article stating that New York attorneys had filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of the Children of Israel (the Israelites). The suit alleged a breach of the religious covenant between God and his chosen people, and sought $4.2 trillion in punitive and compensatory damages.

Blameless in Abaddon, the second book of the Godhead Trilogy by James Morrow, features a magistrate who tries God for crimes against humanity.

Christ on Trial is a book written by Roger Dixon describing a TV program trying Jesus Christ in a US court.

In the play Angels in America: Perestroika by Tony Kushner, the prophet Prior recommends to a council of angels known as the Continental Principalities that they sue God "for walking out" on them and on humanity.