Lzh Sarv Bu Pm Sk 77Nojjighrantaḥ
Pāli / Sanskrit:Nojjighrantaḥ
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Nojjighrantaḥ Sutta
Explanation of the Traditional Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka
Background
The Nojjighrantaḥ Sutta (nojjighrantaḥ = “not bound”) is part of the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. This Vinaya Piṭaka was compiled to regulate the rules of life for monks and nuns, in order to protect the spirit of practice and maintain harmony within the Sangha community.
The Nojjighrantaḥ Sutta appears in the Sarvāstivāda Vinaya, the Vinaya of the Sarvāstivāda school, an important branch of Early Buddhism. This school emphasizes that material things as well as consciousness are real and exist moment by moment, and therefore preserving the rules is necessary for spiritual evolution. This discourse addresses an important aspect of the Vinaya: freedom and liberation from constraints or bonds beyond one’s will.
Main Content
The title “Nojjighrantaḥ” raises the question: which bhikkhu or bhikkhunī may be considered “not bound” or “unfettered”? This is a question of ethical freedom within the framework of practice.
In the context of Vinaya study, “not bound” (nojjighrantaḥ) does not mean living arbitrarily or neglecting responsibility. On the contrary, it indicates bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs who observe all the precepts (Śīla) completely, are not bound by defilements (kilesa), and are no longer pulled back by the chains of greed, hatred, and delusion. The person who keeps the precepts purely is the one who is truly free.
This discourse reminds us that observing the precepts is not haggling or restriction, but the path leading to liberation. When a practitioner correctly carries out the teachings in the Vinaya, they gradually escape the psychological bonds caused by sensual craving. This is the profound logic of the Vinaya Piṭaka: external law (Vinaya) helps purify the inner mind, and from there true freedom is attained.
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