Lzh Mu Bu Vb Sk 17Nātyastikākṛtā pravekṣyāma
Pāli / Sanskrit:Nātyastikākṛtā pravekṣyāma
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Explanation of the Nātyastikākṛtā Pravekṣyāma Sutta
Background
This sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, the collection of rules of training and discipline that the Buddha Gotama established for the community of bhikkhus, the male monastics. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not a subtle penal code like worldly legal systems, but a set of enlightened guidelines intended to help bhikkhus maintain purity of mind, careful posture, and harmony within the fourfold Sangha.
The Nātyastikākṛtā pravekṣyāma sutta concerns regulations on proper conduct in circumstances related to the stage (nāṭya), entertainment (atika), or public events where bhikkhus may easily be drawn into behavior unsuitable to the bodhisattva path. It expresses the Buddha’s concern regarding latent forms of conduct that lead to decline in the mind of the path.
Main Content
In the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, especially the rules concerning activities unsuitable for bhikkhus, this sutta clearly establishes that a bhikkhu should not participate in amusements, stage performances, or public events of an entertaining nature. The word “nāṭya” indicates forms of performance such as dancing, drama, or music; “atika” suggests excessive or unnecessary events.
The sutta warns that these activities are “whirlwinds” (pravekṣyāma) capable of sweeping away a bhikkhu’s virtue. Though they may appear harmless, such activities create conditions for mental distraction, stimulate latent desires, and weaken the work of practice.
This rule was established not as harsh punishment, but to protect the wisdom-mind of bhikkhus from external influences. It is part of a comprehensive system of rules that helps the practitioner maintain concentration on the path of the Noble Eightfold Path.
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