Lzh Mi Bi Vb Pc 205Adorning like a wife
Pāli / Sanskrit:Adorning like a wife
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Commentary on the Sūtra "Adorning Like a Wife"
Background
This sūtra is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, particularly within the Pātimokkha — the foundational code of discipline for bhikkhunīs (nuns). The title "Adorning Like a Wife" reflects a specific situation that arose within the early Buddhist community of female monastics.
According to the Theravāda tradition, the rules within the Vinaya Piṭaka are not rigid laws, but rather guidelines established by the Buddha in response to particular situations as they arose. Each rule (sikkhāpada) has its originating story (nidāna) — the cause that led the Buddha to sanction or prohibit a given action.
This sūtra concerns the domain of bodily adornment and beautification — a matter of particular importance in the practice of bhikkhunīs, as it relates directly to the principle of "going forth" (pabbajjā — renunciation) and the cultivation of a mind that does not dwell upon the beauty of the physical form.
Main Content
In the Pāli Canon, the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga — the section explicating the rules for bhikkhunīs — records cases pertaining to the use of adornments, cosmetics, hair-dyeing, and other forms of beautifying one's external appearance. The title "Adorning Like a Wife" suggests that the issue being addressed here is that of nuns employing means of adornment to beautify themselves in the manner of worldly wives, thereby falling into a state of mind characterized by conceit and the desire to be praised for one's outward appearance.
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