San Sarv Bu Pm Tf 11 Sk 76Nojjighrantaḥ

The Nojjighrantaḥ Sutta (Those Not Afflicted)

Background

Nojjighrantaḥ is a sutta belonging to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. This sutta is found among regulations concerning Sangha discipline, guidance that helps bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs maintain noble morality. Nojjighrantaḥ means "not afflicted" or "not bound," referring to the state of freedom from the bonds caused by violations of Sangha law.

The Vinaya Piṭaka is regarded in Theravāda Buddhism as a basic living code, not a set of unreasonable restrictions but principles that help monastics free themselves from afflictions and negative consequences. The background of this sutta arises from specific situations in the early Sangha, when the Buddha and his elders needed to establish rules to protect the sanctity of the religious community and the spiritual development of each member.

Main Content

The Nojjighrantaḥ Sutta focuses on describing the qualities of those who truly practice according to the Dharma and are not bound by psychological and ethical fetters. The one who is "not afflicted" is one who observes the precepts (sīla) sincerely, not out of fear or personal benefit, but because he understands clearly the destructive nature of wrongful actions.

The sutta emphasizes that those who correctly keep the discipline will not have to suffer the heavy consequences of violations. On the contrary, they establish a firm foundation for the next steps of practice: concentration (samādhi) and wisdom (paññā). This freedom is not irresponsible freedom, but true freedom: freedom from fear, from remorse, and from spiritual harm.

The sutta also makes clear that those who violate the discipline will encounter natural consequences: they will be bound by guilt, by loss of honor in the community, and more importantly, by the negative mental states created by wrongful action. These are the true mental "fetters."