Lzh Mu Bi Pm Pc 139Not Owning a Bathing Cloth
Pāli / Sanskrit:Not owning a bathing cloth
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Scripture on Not Owning a Bathing Cloth
Commentary on Lzh Mu Bi Pm Pc 139
Background
This scripture is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition and reflects regulations concerning the daily life of the Sangha in the Buddha’s time. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a collection of prohibitions, but a code of cultivation that helps bhikkhus maintain purity, discipline, and harmony within the community of practice.
The matter of personal property, especially daily requisites such as a bathing cloth, is not trivial in the Buddhist tradition of practice. The Buddhist scriptures teach that bhikkhus should possess only what is necessary for practice and daily life. A bathing cloth (udaka-vattha) is one of the necessary items, but “not owning” it carries a deeper meaning concerning one’s attitude toward material things.
Main Content
According to the rule in the Vinaya Piṭaka, a bhikkhu should not accumulate or own too many bathing cloths beyond actual need. This does not mean that a bhikkhu will have no bathing cloth to use, but that he should not hoard them out of greed or anxiety about the future.
This rule reflects the principle of requisites (parikkhāra, necessary equipment). Bhikkhus are permitted to possess essential things: three robes (cīvara), an alms bowl (patta), and a few basic daily requisites. However, with respect to the bathing cloth, there are limits on quantity to prevent attachment (tṛṣṇā) to material things.
If a bhikkhu does not possess the needed bathing cloth, other practitioners have a responsibility to help, or the collective Sangha has the right to provide one. This expresses the spirit of mutual support within the community of practice. The scripture teaches that material lack is not an obstacle to practice if the mind is properly trained.
Practical Meaning
The scripture teaches the proper way to handle material things: neither choosing excessive provision nor imposing excessive harshness. The core question is: why is there such a rule?
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