Lzh Mu Bi Pm Pc 45Bathing
Pāli / Sanskrit:Nahāna
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
DISCOURSE ON BATHING (Nahāna)
Background
The Discourse on Bathing (Nahāna) is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. It is not a doctrinal sermon (sutta), but a rule of training within the Vinaya, intended to guide bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs in caring for the body in a manner consistent with the precepts.
In the time of Buddha Śākyamuni, the monastic community lived together in monasteries, under living conditions that differed according to season and region. Personal hygiene, maintenance of bodily health, and preservation of purity of mind were all regarded by the Buddha-Dharma as important matters in the process of practice. Therefore, rules on bathing were included in the Vinaya not as an arbitrary imposition, but to help practitioners maintain a balance between caring for the body and making spiritual effort.
Main Content
The Nahāna discourse states that bhikkhus should bathe at suitable times of day, especially after labor, contact with dirt, or in hot and humid weather. However, these rules are not intended for the pursuit of comfort or pleasure (sukha), but for maintaining the body with moderation and wisdom.
According to the Vinaya, bathing must observe certain principles: one should not bathe too frequently (not continually bathing out of enjoyment), and one should also not neglect hygiene when it is truly necessary. Bhikkhus are encouraged to choose safe bathing places, avoiding places that are dangerous or may affect others. In particular, bathing is also an occasion for practicing mindfulness (sati), clearly aware of each simple action of the body.
This discourse also implies that such care for the body reflects an attitude of respect toward life and cultivation. A clean and healthy body better supports the work of spiritual practice, meditation cultivation (bhāvanā), and pursuit of the path to awakening.
🌏 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.