Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Pc 161Dancing and Singing

The Naccagīta Sutra: Dancing and Singing

Background

The Naccagīta Sutra (Naccagīta Pācittiya) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda tradition, the Pāli Canon, specifically within the Pātimokkha, the basic code of the Sangha. This text is recorded in the rules of practice for bhikṣus (bhikkhus) and bhikṣuṇīs (bhikkhunīs) as they enter the life of practice.

According to the Theravāda tradition, the background for the appearance of this rule concerns inappropriate conduct performed by certain bhikkhus. The Buddha saw that activities such as dancing and singing, although they may be ordinary features of worldly life, hold great dangers for practitioners. They can scatter the mind, awaken old habits, and weaken the will to practice. Therefore the Buddha established this prohibitive rule to protect the purity of the Sangha.

Main Content

The Naccagīta rule prohibits bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs from engaging in activities such as dancing (nacca), singing (gīta), and related forms of entertainment. This includes not only performing these activities themselves, but also watching others dance or sing.

The reason for the prohibition is not that dancing and singing are evil by nature. In worldly society, such activities are normal. However, for one who has gone forth, who has left worldly life in order to practice according to the Buddhist path, these activities become contrary to the nature of practice. They call forth ambitions and decadent habits of worldly life that the practitioner has abandoned.

The Naccagīta text warns that such activities can lead to the loss of what is most precious: the ability to concentrate the mind (samādhi). A mind distracted by things that arouse desire, sadness, and other strong emotions is a mind unable to progress on the path of liberation.

Practical Meaning

This rule is not merely a formal prohibition but also a profound expression of understanding the nature of the human mind.