Lzh Mu Bu Vb Sk 94Na mauliśirase

Explanation of the Na mauliśirase Sutta

Background

The Na mauliśirase Sutta (Nà mauri-sirase) is a regulation in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Early Buddhist tradition, recorded in the Vinaya collections of the Pāli Canon. Rules of this kind often arise from specific situations that occurred in the Sangha during the Buddha’s lifetime, when bhikkhus or bhikkhunīs acted in ways that violated ethics or caused disorder, and from this the Buddha issued a prohibition or rule to maintain discipline.

The title “Na mauliśirase” may be translated as “not on the head” or “do not place on the head,” and concerns an inappropriate or violating action related to the head or an object placed on the head. In the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, this is a detailed regulation intended to govern monastic behavior, ensuring purity and reverence in study and practice.

The Vinaya Pitaka is a collection of detailed disciplinary rules based on the fundamental ethical principles established by the Buddha. These regulations are not merely prohibitions, but educational instructions helping bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs gradually develop the mind, overcome mental disturbances (ādīnavā), and build noble conduct.

Main Content

The Na mauliśirase rule concerns the prohibition that bhikkhus should not perform a certain action related to the head or the use of objects in a way inappropriate to Sangha discipline. Although the specific content of this sutta has not been fully translated in available versions, based on the general context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, this regulation is related to maintaining purity in dress, gesture, and conduct.

In the Early Buddhist tradition, disciplinary rules are classified according to their degree of seriousness. They may be Pārajika, defeat offenses of the gravest kind; Sanghadisesa; Aniyata; Nissaggiya Pācittiya; or Pācittiya, depending on the nature of the action.