Lzh Mi Bu Vb Sk 57Nojjighrantaḥ
Pāli / Sanskrit:Nojjighrantaḥ
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Interpretation of the Nojjighrantaḥ Sutta
Context
The Nojjighrantaḥ Sutta, meaning “not constrained” or “not bound,” belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Early Buddhist tradition. This is a vinaya text that establishes rules of practice for the community of monks and nuns in order to maintain discipline and harmony in the Sangha.
The text was recorded to resolve a practical issue in training: when bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs commit offenses, are they completely “bound,” or is there still a path of liberation? This context reflects the work of managing practice by the Buddha and the elder disciples, as the monastic community grew larger and required clear guidance regarding ethical conduct.
Main Content
The Nojjighrantaḥ Sutta considers the principle that even if a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī violates the rules of training, they are still not completely “constrained” or expelled from the Sangha if they show repentance and carry out the steps of correction. The Pāli term “nojjighrantaḥ” does not speak only of formal freedom, but of a mental condition: a person is not bound by faults if they have the determination to amend them.
The text emphasizes that in the Sangha’s legal system there are procedures for resolving offenses called Pātimokkha, the list of 227 or 311 rules depending on the tradition. When a monastic commits an offense, they need to acknowledge the fault before the community and carry out the steps for restoring discipline (parivāsa, mānatta, and so forth). The important point is that this process is not for punishment, but to help the offender cleanse the mind.
The text also implies that observing the Vinaya is not the ultimate goal, but a means to maintain purity of mind and support practice toward attaining nirvana. The Sangha exists to help its members progress on the path of Dharma, not to punish without purpose.
Practical Meaning
For practitioners today, this text teaches that mistakes are not permanent.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.