Lzh Dg Bi Pm Pc 128Nānuśāset

SUTTA NĀNUŚĀSET

Teaching on Not Seeking Counsel

Background

The Nānuśāset Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, an indispensable part of the Pāli Canon in the Theravāda tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the foundation for ethical governance and discipline in the Sangha, the community of monks and nuns, perfected by the Blessed One over nearly fifty years of teaching. This sutta is presented in the typical style of the Vinaya: it records rules of practice together with illustrative stories explaining why the Buddha established those rules.

The word "nānuśāset" (Pāli: nānusāsati) means "not following instruction" or "not being willing to practice according to guidance." This sutta focuses on an important aspect of Buddhist practice: monastics must accept the guidance of the Buddha and virtuous teachers, and should not arbitrarily interpret or oppose teachings they have not yet understood.

Main Content

In the discipline of Theravāda monastics, obedience, understood as right and clear understanding of discipline, is a key factor. The Nānuśāset Sutta emphasizes that those monks and nuns who break the disciplinary rules (Vinaya) often begin by refusing to listen to instruction. The Buddha taught that within the Sangha there are many kinds of people: those who have not yet attained the fruit but are striving in practice, those who have achieved attainment, and those who maintain discipline.

Those who are unwilling to practice according to instruction (nānuśāsaka) are often seen as violating the spirit of the Sangha. This affects not only the individual monastic but also harms the harmony of the community (saṅgha). The Vinaya records that the Buddha identified degrees of offense, from minor faults that can be corrected (dukkaṭa) to heavier offenses (pārājika).

This sutta also points out that respect for instruction is not blind submission, but an expression of wisdom (paññā) and trust in the path of practice.