Lzh Mg Bi Vb Sk 52Na gulugulu
Pāli / Sanskrit:Na gulugulu
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Commentary on the Na Gulugulu Sutta
Background
The Na Gulugulu Sutta is a portion of the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, belonging to the section known as the Suttavibhaṅga, or "Analysis of the Rules." These are detailed guidelines on monastic discipline within the Saṅgha community, set forth by the Buddha on the basis of specific situations that arose during the early period of Buddhism.
The name "Na Gulugulu" (na-gulugulu, or "Na gulugulu") may be rendered roughly as "not rolling" or as referring to the act of rolling oneself along the ground. This sutta is recorded in Pāli versions corresponding to various regional traditions, and there are occasionally minor variations in the manner of its transcription. As a part of the Vinaya Piṭaka, it is not a discourse on the Dhamma (Dhamma-desanā) but rather a monastic rule derived from a specific circumstance.
The general context of the Vinaya Piṭaka suttas is that the Buddha and his disciples lived together in a highly communal monastic community. When a problem arose, the Buddha would promulgate a rule (Pātimokkha) to regulate the improper conduct of monks or nuns, with the aim of protecting the purity of the Saṅgha and aiding each individual in pursuing the goal of liberation through their practice.
Main Content
The Na Gulugulu Sutta concerns a specific action considered inappropriate under monastic discipline. In the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, this pertains to matters related to bodily discipline, comportment, or actions unsuitable to a spiritual training environment.
Specifically, this sutta may relate to unbecoming or disrespectful actions in monastic community life, categorized as "sekhiya" (rules of training) — guidelines for training that contribute to the refinement of character. These rules are not major offenses (Pārājika or Saṅghādisesa) but rather points of cultivation to be observed in order to maintain discipline and decorum within the Saṅgha community.
The Buddha set forth this rule to help his disciples recognize that even actions that might seem trivial nonetheless reflect the mental disposition and the quality of cultivation of a practitioner.
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