Lzh Sarv Bu Pm Sk 25Not Enter Proudly

Explanation of the Sutta "One Should Not Enter Proudly"

Context

The sutta "One Should Not Enter Proudly" (Not Enter Proudly) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the section establishing discipline and conduct for the monastic community in the Early Buddhist tradition. This sutta arose from a specific situation related to the adjustment, management, and regulation of the psychology of those who have gone forth.

In the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, the regulations are not only simple prohibitions, but also guidelines that help people overcome psychological obstacles, especially faults that hinder practice. Conceit (māna), one of the deep-rooted defilements according to Early Buddhist thought, is considered a powerful spiritual poison, causing people to lose the humility needed to receive the teaching and progress on the path of practice.

Main Content

This sutta warns bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs not to enter places, such as storehouses, scriptural libraries, or community locations, with a conceited mind, considering themselves superior to others or boasting that they have attained superior achievements in practice. Specifically, practitioners should not carry an arrogant attitude, think themselves more worthy than others, or show contempt for fellow practitioners in the same community.

This regulation addresses a specific behavior, but it also reflects a deep principle: in the Sangha, equality and mutual respect are foundational. Conceit destroys this harmony, creating conflict and division. It also obstructs the practice of the conceited person, because the mind is bound to self-assertion instead of being directed toward liberation.

The sutta emphasizes that whatever progress a practitioner may have made, from mastering the Dharma to attaining meditative states, those attainments should not become a reason for arrogance. In fact, the noblest states, such as compassion, great supernormal powers, or wisdom, are accompanied by deep humility.