Lzh Dg Bu Pm 2 Sk 55Headdresses
Pāli / Sanskrit:Veṭhita
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Interpretation of the Veṭhita Sutta (Wrapped Headdresses)
Background
The Veṭhita Sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the rules for female monastics. This text arose from practical situations that occurred in the early Buddhist community, when female monastics (bhikkhunīs) faced issues related to dress and adornment of appearance.
The historical background shows that in the Buddha’s time, practice required purity and the abandonment of unnecessary luxuries. However, female monastics sometimes still wished to retain worldly habits, including the use of cosmetics or the wearing of various headwraps according to local customs to display beauty or social status. This text arose in order to correct conduct not in keeping with the spirit of practice.
Main Content
The Veṭhita Sutta concerns the fact that female monastics should not use headwraps (veṭhita) on the head for adornment or to conceal their beauty in an excessive, affected manner. This is considered contrary to the bhikkhunī precepts, the ethical rules for female monastics.
The basic principle is this: female monastics should dress simply, without displaying their appearance. Adornments such as headwraps are strictly regulated; they are to be used only when necessary, such as for protection from the weather or to cover the head when going outside for reasons of health, not for beautification or attracting attention. If any female monastic uses these items beyond their legitimate purpose, or uses them to enhance personal beauty, it is regarded as a violation of the communal rules.
The text also clearly points out that concern with external adornment is a form of clinging (upādāna) and a projection of the existence of “I,” an obstacle on the path of practice leading to nirvana.
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