Lzh Mg Bi Vb Pd 2Asking for Oil
Pāli / Sanskrit:Telaviññāpana
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Asking for Oil - Telaviññāpana
Background
The Asking for Oil sutta (Telaviññāpana) is found within the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga — the section of monastic rules pertaining to nuns. This is not a discourse teaching ideal Dhamma, but rather concrete rules of daily conduct reflecting the practical life of training within the early Saṅgha.
The context for this rule arises from a situation within the community of nuns. Oil (tela) was an essential necessity, used to soothe the skin, provide warmth in cold weather, or treat certain ailments. In the setting of the early monastery, nuns were required to follow disciplinary principles regarding how to request material supports for daily life. This text records the proper manner of asking for oil without transgressing the Vinaya rules.
Main Content
The Asking for Oil rule stipulates that when a nun is in need of oil, the correct course of action is to inform her preceptress (upajjhāyinī) or teacher (ācariyā), who then arranges the request or procurement in an appropriate manner. This reflects a fundamental principle within the Vinaya: monastics do not independently decide how to solicit requisites on their own.
The rule prohibits a nun from going herself to ask for oil from lay householders without prior notification. If oil is needed, she must proceed through the proper channel — ordinarily through the senior members of the monastery or through attendants. The reason behind this rule is not merely a matter of formal discipline, but also concerns protecting the reputation of the Saṅgha, and avoiding situations that might give rise to suspicion or slander.
If a nun transgresses this rule — that is, if she solicits oil herself without giving notice — such an act is regarded as an offense that must be confessed and expiated before the monastic community.
Practical Significance
The Asking for Oil rule, though outwardly a minor disciplinary regulation, contains profound spiritual principles. First, it teaches about submission — not blind submission, but submission grounded in trust in the established system of training.
🌏 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.