Lzh Mi Bi Vb Sk 18Nātyastikākṛtā niṣatsyāma
Pāli / Sanskrit:Nātyastikākṛtā niṣatsyāma
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EXPOSITION OF THE NĀTYASTIKĀKṚTĀ NIṢATSYĀMA DISCOURSE
Background
This discourse appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, a core part of the Pāli Canon. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a dry disciplinary code, but profound guidance that helps monks and nuns develop spiritually through the regulation of bodily, verbal, and mental action.
This discourse concerns forms of unsuitable conduct in the Sangha, specifically behavior called “nātyastikā,” that is, words or actions of the nature of singing, performance, or sensual stimulation. These are states of heedlessness (pramāda) that may cause the practitioner’s mind to drift away from the path of liberation.
The historical context shows that the Buddha established these prohibitions not from harshness, but from deep understanding of the nature of the human mind. Monks and nuns in the early Buddhist period lived under difficult conditions, and any heedlessness could weaken meditation practice and the development of virtue.
Main Content
Nātyastikākṛtā niṣatsyāma concerns the prohibition of acts such as singing, dancing, or sensual performance in the environment of practice. The underlying principle is that these actions create sense objects (ārammaṇa) that stimulate the faculties (indriya) and disturb the mind.
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka tradition, these regulations are not intended to exclude all forms of art, but to protect the mind from unnecessary distraction. A monk or nun who observes this prohibition is practicing indriyasamvara, restraint of the faculties, an essential factor on the path of the Four Noble Truths.
The discourse states clearly that these actions should not be performed, “niṣatsyāma,” meaning that they should not be practiced or encouraged. Anyone who violates this commits an offense under the Vinaya, which depending on the degree may belong to such classes as dukkaṭa (wrongdoing) or pācittiya (requiring confession).
Practical Meaning
The profound meaning of this discourse lies in the ideal of purity and concentration.
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