Mpt Sk 89Na mauliśirase

Exposition of the Na Mauliśirase Sutta

Background

The Na Mauliśirase Sutta is a provision from the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda tradition of the Buddha-Dharma. The Vinaya Pitaka is the collection of rules for learning and practice that Śākyamuni Buddha established for the community of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, in order to protect the stability of the Sangha and support the progress of each individual’s practice.

This rule appears in the context of disciplinary matters in the Sangha, especially conduct inconsistent with the humble and pure life of one gone forth. Na Mauliśirase, though its name may seem unfamiliar to Vietnamese readers, reflects specific cases that the Buddha addressed through teachings and regulations. These stories are often recorded in the Aṭṭhakathā, the Vinaya commentaries, to clarify the spirit of each rule.

Main Content

According to the tradition of the Pāli Canon, the rules in the Vinaya Pitaka are not arbitrary restrictions, but wise guidelines based on the Buddha’s observation of the causes of suffering and the conditions that obstruct progress in practice. Each rule was established when a specific event occurred, often involving pride, carelessness, or failure to observe basic principles.

The Na Mauliśirase Sutta, like other rules, was established to protect the core values of the Sangha: purity, concentration, and wisdom. These regulations are not intended to punish, but to help those who have gone forth maintain mental concentration and avoid entanglement in worldly matters that disturb them.

The specific content of this sutta has not yet been fully translated in widely available materials. However, according to the general context of the Vinaya Pitaka, this may concern rules of conduct, the use of monastic requisites, or principles of restraint of the senses.