Lzh Mu Bi Vb Sk 98Na mālāśirase

Na mālāśirase Sutta - An Explanation of the Vinaya Piṭaka

Background

The Na mālāśirase Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Pāli Canon of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. It is part of the Pātimokkha or of rules related to the discipline of the monastic community. The title “Na mālāśirase” means “not with flowers on the head,” or concerns prohibitions on adorning the body with luxurious materials, especially flowers and objects unsuitable to the nature of practice of those who have gone forth.

The Vinaya Piṭaka was recorded to protect the purity of the community of monks and nuns, while helping bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs maintain discipline and a mind of renunciation of worldly concerns. This sutta appears in the context of disputes or incidents in the monastic community, from which the Buddha established specific rules.

Main Content

The Na mālāśirase Sutta concerns restrictions on bodily adornment for those gone forth. Specifically, the sutta prohibits bhikkhus from using flowers or ornaments on the head, because such actions contradict the spirit of renouncing fondness for pleasant sensual enjoyment (kāma-sukhallikankataṃ). Adornment with flowers is regarded as an expression of conceit (māna) and attachment to material objects.

These rules are not merely prohibitions on outward behavior, but are meant to nourish a mind that has renounced desires in the realm of aesthetics and sensual pleasure. According to the Pāli Canon, one gone forth should focus on the highest purpose of practice: the ending of suffering, not seeking ways to make oneself attractive.

These restrictions also have practical effect: they help maintain simplicity and cleanliness in monastic life, avoid disputes over beauty or status, and protect the pure nature of the members of the community.

Practical Meaning

In modern practice, the Na mālāśirase Sutta carries profound meaning regarding the effect of self-renunciation.