Xct Mu Bu Pm Sk 4Na hastiśuṇḍaṁ
Pāli / Sanskrit:Na hastiśuṇḍaṁ
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Na Hastiśuṇḍaṁ Discourse
Exposition According to the Theravāda Tradition
Context
The Na hastiśuṇḍaṁ discourse (Nā hastisuṇḍaṁ) is a section belonging to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the collection of training rules and discipline for monks and nuns and for those who study the Buddhadharma. This discourse records events related to regulations on discipline among people and in the monastic community.
The phrase “Na hastisuṇḍaṁ” relates to a specific action or situation that occurred in the history of the early Sangha. The title contains the sense of prohibition (nā) and something resembling an elephant’s trunk (hastisuṇḍa). This is part of the detailed regulations that help the Sangha maintain purity and discipline.
Main Content
The specific content of this discourse records one or more events from which the Buddha promulgated Pātimokkha regulations, that is, basic prohibitions. These regulations were intended to educate bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs about ethical conduct, mutual respect, and the protection of the Sangha from harmful actions.
In the Theravāda tradition, these discourses are regarded as the “causes and conditions” (paccaya) that led to the formation of prohibitions. Each regulation was not laid down arbitrarily, but had a specific historical context. A certain monk or nun committed a violation and caused difficulty for the community of practice; from this, the Buddha established a regulation to prevent the recurrence of similar conditions.
This process reflects the wisdom of the Buddhadharma: the regulations are not absolute commands imposed from above, but lessons drawn from practical experience and specific mistakes. This allows the Sangha to continue adjusting and perfecting the ethics of action over time.
Practical Meaning
Although this discourse was recorded more than 2.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.