Xct Mu Bi Pm Sk 91Nātyastikākṛtasya
Pāli / Sanskrit:Nātyastikākṛtasya
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EXPOSITION OF THE NĀTYASTIKĀKṚTASYA SUTTA
Background
The Nātyastikākṛtasya Sutta (The Actions of Those Without Faith) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, in the Suttavibhaṅga, where the instructions and training rules of the Sangha are preserved. These Vinaya discourses were compiled after Buddha Śākyamuni had entered nirvana, based on actual events that occurred in the earliest community of practice.
The background from which this discourse arose concerns ethical issues in the daily actions of monks and nuns, especially cases in which laypeople or monastics performed actions lacking sincere intention (saddhā) or faith (avicaya) in the Dharma. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a collection of prohibitive rules, but also a guide to spiritual development through conscious actions.
Main Content
The Nātyastikākṛtasya Sutta considers actions performed by those who lack faith or doubt the teaching. The word "Nātya" (one who is not) combined with "astiká" (one who believes) creates the meaning of individuals who do not truly have faith in the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
This discourse analyzes the nature of actions (karma) performed without a firm foundation of faith. In Theravāda Buddhist philosophy, intention (cetanā) is the determining factor of moral action. If an action is performed without sincere faith in the teaching of cause and effect (kamma), or if those practitioners lack mindfulness (sati) of the true meaning of the action, then the result of that action will differ from actions performed with faith and pure intention.
The cases raised in the discourse often relate to recurring situations in monastic life, such as preparing food, participating in collective rituals, or observing restraints (sīla) without deep understanding of the reasons that gave rise to them.
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