Upp Sk 22Swaying the Head (2nd)
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dutiyasīsappacālaka
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Interpretation of the Dutiyasīsappacālaka Sutta (The Sutta on Shaking the Head for the Second Time)
Background
The Dutiyasīsappacālaka Sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the section of rules concerning female bhikkhus. The title "Shaking the Head for the Second Time" (Dutiya = second time; sīsa = head; appacālaka = shaking) evokes a specific bodily action considered through the lens of the teaching.
According to the structure of the Vinaya Piṭaka, suttas in the Uppalavaṇṇā-sutta section (Upp Sk) often concern specific situations arising in the community of monks and nuns, from which the Buddha issued regulations and instructions to protect the rank and dignity of the Sangha Jewel and maintain order. This sutta lies within that context, addressing a matter concerning the bodily conduct of female monastics.
Main Content
The specific content of this sutta is recorded among the disciplinary precedents of the community of nuns. The act of shaking the head, a bodily expression that often occurs in daily life, is examined by the text in the context of pure practice. The Vinaya Piṭaka does not absolutely prohibit natural actions, but sets standards to distinguish between accidental action, intentional action, and disciplinary violations.
This sutta likely concerns repeated cases (ditiya = second time) of a similar action, from which the Buddha considered the degree of fault and the appropriate form of instruction. In the Theravāda tradition, each violation is classified according to intention (cetanā), purpose, and the nature of the action, not merely on the basis of the physical act. Thus two instances of shaking the head may carry different disciplinary implications depending on context, intention, and prior warning.
The rule was given to educate female bhikkhus in mindfulness (appamāda) in every action and every thought. This is not mechanical repression, but the development of a lucid mind, always present with each movement.
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