Lzh Dg Bu Pm 2 Sk 7Covering the Head

Oguṇṭhita Sutta (Covering the Head)

Background

The Oguṇṭhita Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, lying among the rules that govern the community of monks. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a set of prohibitions, but a historical record of the arising of each precept, usually beginning from specific situations that disciples of the Buddha encountered.

The incident of “covering the head” (oguṇṭhita) concerns the act of covering the head or face, an expression of a corrupt, arrogant, or concealing attitude. In the context of the Sangha, the community of monks and nuns, this act is considered a violation of the fundamental spirit of truthfulness, humility, and respect.

This text is recorded in the Pātimokkha, the Code of Discipline, as a monastic legal precedent, intended to educate monks and nuns to understand clearly the boundary between acceptable behaviors and behaviors that violate the character of monastic life.

Main Content

The Oguṇṭhita Sutta records specific cases in which the Buddha discovered monks or nuns covering their heads in inappropriate circumstances. These movements, though they may seem like minor actions in daily life, reflect mental states unsuitable to the path of practice of a monk or nun.

Covering the head can be understood on many levels: it signifies concealment, unwillingness to face the truth, or an expression of arrogance (“I do not want anyone to see me”). In the context of practice, such acts violate the spirit of brahmacariyā, the holy life, a life of transparency, truthfulness, and self-examination.

The Buddha established related rules so that his disciples would recognize that the quality of a monk or nun should not be hidden or made false. Mutual respect within the Sangha community rests on the foundation of openness and transparency.

Practical Meaning

The Oguṇṭhita Sutta teaches that practice is not only a matter of controlling actions, but also of correcting deep psychological attitudes.