Lzh Dg Bu Pm Np 17Getting a Nun to Wash Wool

Eḷakalomadhovāpana Sutta — The Sutta on Asking a Nun to Wash Wool

Background

This sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravada tradition of the Dharma, specifically in the Pātimokkha section concerning ceremonies and practical tasks in the community of bhikkhunīs. The sutta was recorded from occasions during the Buddha's lifetime, when he established prohibitions to manage order within the Sangha and prevent conduct unsuitable for the place of practice.

Washing wool, used to make seat-linings, cushions, or other requisites of practice, was common work in monasteries in ancient India. However, the Buddha saw that such work could become an occasion for bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs to violate rules related to restraint and determination in practice. Therefore, regulations on how work was assigned were clearly laid down to protect the purity of the place of practice.

Main Content

This rule stipulates that bhikkhus should not directly ask bhikkhunīs to perform tasks such as washing wool without appropriate supervision or support from other members of the Sangha. This is not because washing itself is wrong, but because private or poorly managed situations may lead to behavior inconsistent with the practice of keeping the precepts.

The sutta prohibits personal commands or assigned tasks lacking assessment by members of the Sangha. A bhikkhu entering the private quarters of bhikkhunīs to ask them to wash things, or any task involving closeness, is considered an infringement of the "Aniyata" rules (matters not definitively determined), or even of higher rules concerning restraint between men and women.

Instead, the Buddha encourages assigning work through communal channels, supervised by those with official responsibility in the monastery. This ensures that all members of the Sangha follow the principle of pure living and avoid suspicion from the community or deviations from the path.