Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 153Scents and Colors

Gandhavaṇṇaka Discourse: Scents and Colors

Background

The Gandhavaṇṇaka Discourse belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon in the early tradition. It is part of the Pātimokkha, the collection of basic training rules that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must observe. Specifically, this discourse is found among the Pācittiya rules, offenses requiring confession, detailed regulations concerning the pure way of life of those gone forth.

The context in which this discourse arose comes from specific situations in the community of monks and nuns. The Buddha, understanding the nature of craving and the search for enjoyment among renunciants, laid down rules concerning the use of perfumes and decorative colors. The Gandhavaṇṇaka Discourse is the restraint of such conduct, because it contradicts the spirit of renunciation, the spirit of abandoning worldly pleasures.

Main Content

The Gandhavaṇṇaka Discourse states that bhikkhus are not permitted to use scents (gandha) to adorn the body or beautify themselves. This includes scented oils, perfumes, fragrances, and similar substances intended to increase beauty or attractiveness.

Likewise, the discourse also forbids renunciants from using colors (vaṇṇa) to decorate or embellish the body, such as drawing patterns, coloring the skin, or using dyes for aesthetic purposes. These are not unreasonable prohibitions, but humane guidelines appropriate to that context, when those gone forth should not bind their minds to the sensual desires of the world.

Violation of these rules is classified as Pācittiya, offenses requiring confession (paṭidesanā) before the Sangha or before a fellow bhikkhu. The purpose is not to punish renunciants, but to help them clearly recognize the nature of craving and the ways the mind can be bound to useless pleasures.