Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 200Dressing Like Lay Woman
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dressing like lay woman
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Explanatory Discourse: A Nun Dressing Like a Laywoman
Background
This discourse is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli canon, in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the rules of training for nuns. In the early Theravāda tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka is the collection of ethical rules promulgated by the Buddha to maintain the purity and harmony of the Sangha.
In the Buddha’s time, nuns (bhikkhunīs) were encouraged to wear monastic robes (cīvara), the three robes consisting of the Uttarāsaṅga, Antarvāsaka, and Saṅghāṭi, in the prescribed manner. These regulations were not merely worldly matters but symbols of practice, awakening, and respect for the Dharma.
Main Content
The discourse states that nuns must not dress in a way that resembles laywomen. This arises from the need to protect the honor of the Sangha and especially to make a clear distinction between those who have gone forth from the world and those still living the household life.
Specifically, the regulation concerns how to wear clothing, how to adorn oneself, the use of fragrances, and other ornaments. These are not rigid formalities, but instructions helping nuns maintain purity of mind. When a person goes forth, outward appearance is the most visible sign of distinction to the public. If a nun dresses like a laywoman, the public may fail to respect the Sangha and may even question the sincerity of the nuns’ aspiration.
Offenses related to violating these rules are classified within the Pātimokkha system. Observing regulations on dress is part of the Vinaya, the discipline, and also part of the basic ethical training (sīla).
Practical Meaning
The clothing regulations in the Vinaya Piṭaka are not matters of mere appearance or formality. They reflect a profound principle: non-attachment to objects of sense pleasure (indriyaguṇa).
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