Lzh Mg Bi Vb Sk 25Swaying the Head
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sīsappacālaka
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THE SUTTA OF THE HEAD-SHAKER (Sīsappacālaka)
Background
The Sīsappacālaka is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Suttavibhaṅga — the section providing detailed explanations of the rules for monastics. This collection records occasions on which the Blessed One administered the True Dharma within his monastic community, addressing matters related to discipline and practice.
The account of the "Head-Shaker" (Sīsappacālaka) arises in the context of the Blessed One's need to instruct the bhikkhus in proper conduct. The name here does not refer to the Blessed One himself, but to a specific bhikkhu within the community. The name describes this individual's characteristic behavior — a habitual shaking of the head, which may have been an expression of disagreement or a refusal to comply with the instructions of his teacher.
In the Theravāda tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka holds a sacred role — it is the ethical foundation (sīla) that enables bhikkhus and bhikkhunis to maintain purity of mind and to uphold the discipline of the community. Each rule within the Vinaya is accompanied by a narrative account (anukathā) explaining the circumstances that prompted the Blessed One to establish it.
Main Content
Although the descriptive information provided does not supply the complete text of this sutta in full detail, we may understand that the account concerns a bhikkhu who had a habit of shaking his head — a gesture of refusal, an unwillingness to receive instruction, or some behavior otherwise outside the established norms. This action was regarded as lacking in respect toward the Dharma, toward one's teacher, or toward the monastic community as a whole.
In the spirit of the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Blessed One would typically evaluate such actions through the lens of the four factors that constitute a morally significant act (cakkhu): cetanā (intention), dhammarasa (the nature of the act), guṇa (its consequence), and kammanta (the manner of its performance). If this bhikkhu shook his head with an intention of disrespect or of rejecting the Dharma, that would constitute a violation of right mindfulness (sati) and right understanding (sammādiṭṭhi).
Following the conventions of the Suttavibhaṅga, upon determining that a violation had occurred, the Blessed One would:
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