Xct Mu Bu Vb Sk 24Nolambikayā gamiṣyāma

Scripture Commentary on Nolambikayā Gamiṣyāma

Context

The Nolambikayā Gamiṣyāma text belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Pali Canon, the sacred record transmitted from the time of the Buddha. The Vinaya Piṭaka is a precious normative collection that clearly sets forth the rules of life for the monastic community, the Sangha. Unlike Dharma discourses that teach doctrine, the Vinaya Pitaka focuses on practical action and pure conduct in communal life.

The title “Nolambikayā gamiṣyāma” means “We will go in an unbound way” or “We will practice without leaning upon support.” This is a teaching of the Buddha guiding his disciples in the spirit of freedom and nondependence, core values of the Dharma.

This text is found in the Suttavibhaṅga, the analysis of the discipline, where each Pātimokkha rule is explained in detail together with the historical contexts in which it arose.

Main Content

The Buddha teaches that bhikkhus should practice in a “non-attached” way (nolambika). This does not mean living in scattered freedom, but rather not clinging, not being covered over by ambition, greed, hatred, or delusion. This spirit is the foundation of all the regulations in the Vinaya.

When practicing the Dharma, a practitioner should not “lean upon” temporary things such as fame, craving for pleasure, or habits of ignorance. Instead, one should practice with a pure, clear, and self-mastered mind. This is a distinctive characteristic of the Theravāda tradition: it emphasizes personal awakening rather than reliance on any external power.

The regulations are not imposed limitations, but expressions of the unbound mind. When a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī observes the Pātimokkha rules, they are not obeying a transcendent authority; they themselves choose to walk the path of purity because they see its benefit.

Practical Meaning

The profound meaning of this text lies in independence of mind.