Xct Mu Bi Sk 55Na gulugulu

Na Gulugulu Scripture — Exposition According to the Pāli Canon

Background

The Na Gulugulu Scripture (in Pāli meaning “not rigid” or “not dry and stiff”) is part of the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the collection of rules of practice and guidelines on discipline (Vinaya) established by the Buddha for the community of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, in order to maintain harmony, purity, and progress in practice.

The context of the compilation of this scripture reflects specific situations in the Sangha, when the Buddha’s disciples encountered problems of behavior, attitude, or ways of interacting with one another. The Na Gulugulu Scripture was recorded to educate monastics about inappropriate attitudes and how to adjust the mind so that it accords with the path of practice.

Main Content

In the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Na Gulugulu Scripture concerns cautions about a “rigid” attitude (gulugulu: dryness, harshness, inflexibility) that some monastics display in practice and communication. The Buddha emphasized that the path of the Buddha Dharma is not absolute harshness, but the Middle Way (Majjhimā Paṭipadā).

This scripture teaches that those who practice with a “rigid” attitude, meaning those who are overly severe with themselves, overly critical of others, and lacking understanding or flexibility, will encounter difficulties in practice. This attitude can lead to quick judgment of others, create division within the community, or cause oneself to fall into psychological obstacles.

The Buddha guided monastics to maintain a balanced state of mind: firm in basic ethical rules (sīla), while preserving kindness and understanding in dealing with people. True practice does not lie in formal severity, but in the purification of the mind (citta) and the realization of the nature of suffering as well as the path leading out of suffering.