Ka Bu Pm Sk 91Headdresses
Pāli / Sanskrit:Veṭhita
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
The Veṭhita Sutta — The Rule on Head Wrappings
Context
The Veṭhita Sutta, tentatively translated as "head wrappings," belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka regulations of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. This text is found in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the code of rules for bhikkhunīs recorded in the Pāli tradition. The sutta concerns details related to clothing and bodily adornment for nuns, specifically objects used to wrap or cover the head.
The context for the arising of this rule is connected with social and cultural differences in the time of the Buddha. Nuns from different social classes, including women from noble families, entered the Sangha. Some still tended to retain worldly habits of display, such as wearing hats, headcloths, or luxurious ornaments. Such behavior could harm the aim of practice and cause distraction in the monastic community. Therefore, the Buddha established clear guidance to regulate the dress of bhikkhunīs, especially concerning adornment of the head.
Main Content
The Veṭhita Sutta states that bhikkhunīs are not permitted to wear hats, headcloths, or any ornament used to beautify themselves or display the social status they held before joining the Sangha. Apart from the minimum necessary requisites, such as a head covering for hygiene or protection from the weather, wearing other things is considered contrary to the spirit of practice.
This rule concerns not only outward action, but also reflects a profound principle in Buddhism: the renunciation of thoughts of "I" and "mine." When nuns enter the life of practice, they vow to abandon outward expressions of selfhood, including the ways of adorning and dressing used to satisfy pride or the need for social recognition.
🌏 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.