Lzh Mu Bi Pm Sk 31Nānujñātā niṣatsyāma

Exposition of the Nānujñātā Niṣatsyāma Sutta

Background

The Nānujñātā Niṣatsyāma Sutta is an important Vinaya regulation in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, belonging to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon. This regulation concerns rules for managing the community of monks and nuns in collective decision-making and in observing the norms established by the Buddha.

In the historical context of Buddhism, while the Buddha was still alive, he established a strict disciplinary system for monks and nuns in order to protect the purity of the religious community and maintain a firm ethical foundation. These rules were not an authoritarian imposition, but arose from specific situations in the development of the Sangha. The Nānujñātā Niṣatsyāma Sutta concerns cases in which monks and nuns must ask permission or receive approval before performing certain actions.

The word “Nānujñātā” (न) means “not permitted” or “not approved,” while “niṣatsyāma” is connected with sitting or remaining. This regulation teaches which actions require approval from the Buddha or the Sangha before being carried out, and which actions are violations if performed without permission.

Main Content

The Nānujñātā Niṣatsyāma Sutta establishes a basic principle: monks and nuns are not permitted to perform certain actions without the approval (anuññāta) of the Buddha or the Sangha community. These actions include leaving the monastery (vihāra), carrying out unauthorized practices, or making major decisions that affect the community.

This principle reflects respect for the Buddha’s authority of decision during the years when he was alive, and afterward for the authority of the Sangha according to the procedures established by the Buddha. The regulation emphasizes that discipline is not punishment, but practical guidance intended to protect the purity (pārisuddhi) of mind and action.