Lzh Dg Bi Pm Sk 8Covering the Head (2nd)
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dutiyaoguṇṭhita
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Explanation of the Dutiyaoguṇṭhita Sutra (Covering the Head - The Second Time)
Context
The Dutiyaoguṇṭhita Sutra is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, a core component of the Tipiṭaka in the Theravāda Buddhadharma tradition. This Vinaya collection is not an arrangement of independent rules, but a set of behaviors observed and reflected upon by Buddha Shakyamuni and developed into constructive precepts, intended to protect the wholesome strength of the Sangha (the monastic community).
This sutra is found in the Pātimokkha section, the final list of rules that bhikkhus - monastics who have gone forth - must observe. These rules are publicly recited twice each lunar half-month on the Uposatha, and are regarded as principles of internal governance and protection of spiritual harmony.
Main Content
The Dutiyaoguṇṭhita Sutra (The Second Covering of the Head) concerns a specific rule about how to cover the head and body in certain situations. This is not only a matter of aesthetics or custom, but an expression of respect, modesty, and self-control - essential virtues in Buddhist practice.
According to the Theravāda tradition, covering the head has deep meaning. When standing before those of higher virtue or in formal circumstances, covering the head is an expression of reverence, one of the basic qualities (Sampatti) in Sangha relationships. This sutra, recorded a second time, may reflect a clarification or repetition of the principle required by specific situations.
Rules concerning dress and bodily form (kāya-saṃpatti) are not unreasonable constraints, but tools that support the mind. They help monastics maintain attention, reduce jealousy or pride within the Sangha, and nourish an atmosphere of concentration and mutual respect.
🌏 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.