Bu Sk 55. Being unrestrained
Pāli / Sanskrit:Susaṁvuta
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The Vinaya Piṭaka: The Unrestrained
Background
Within the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, the text "Susaṁvuta" (The Unrestrained) belongs to the regulations concerning the ethical conduct and behavior of bhikkhus. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the legal foundation of the monastic community, established by the Buddha to maintain purity and harmony within the Sangha.
This text was composed to warn against the consequences of lacking discipline and failing to restrain the sense faculties (indriyesu susaṁvuta). It reflects a fundamental principle: bhikkhus must guard the sense faculties (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind) in order to maintain purity of conduct. The circumstances of its composition may have arisen from specific situations within the monastic community, when the Buddha observed that certain bhikkhus were not adhering to basic rules of discipline.
Main Content
The text makes clear that discipline (saṁvara) is an indispensable factor on the path of practice. Those who do not restrain the sense faculties (indriya) are often drawn toward worldly engagements and scattered among activities unrelated to cultivation. They allow their eyes to wander after alluring forms, their ears to attend to sounds that arouse sensual desire, and their bodies to indulge in casual contact.
The text emphasizes that bhikkhus lacking self-restraint will be unable to attain stable meditative absorption (jhāna). They fall into a state of unconcentrated mind, easily swept away by sensual pleasure (kāma-sukha) and unwholesome activities. This leads to violation of the rules of the path, weakens the attainment of the fruits of practice, and brings loss upon themselves.
By contrast, bhikkhus who are well-disciplined (susaṁvuta)—that is, those who restrain the sense faculties and do not allow the mind to become dependent upon sensual pleasure—will gradually attain purity of mind, strong concentration, and the capacity to develop wisdom. They devote themselves to meaningful activities such as listening to the Dharma, contemplation, recitation of the scriptures, the cultivation of meditative absorption, and the development of noble virtues.
Practical Significance
The text "Susaṁvuta"
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