Lzh Mu Bi Pm Pc 71Itch Bandage

Commentary on the Kaṇḍuppaṭicchādi

(The Rule on Covering the Itch)

Background

The Kaṇḍuppaṭicchādi belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, specifically within the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha — the code of rules governing offenses by nuns. This is not a doctrinal discourse but a monastic rule for bhikkhunīs, which the Buddha established in response to actual events arising within the early community of nuns.

This rule arose from a specific situation: a nun had an itch on her body but was not properly covered when attending to it, leading to conduct inappropriate to the monastic life. From this, the Buddha laid down a clear regulation concerning how ordinary physical needs are to be addressed while preserving the integrity of one's robes (coleyyaka) — that is, the cloth used to cover the body.

Main Content

The Kaṇḍuppaṭicchādi rule prescribes that when a bhikkhunī needs to scratch or rub an itching area of the body, she must cover that area with her hand, a piece of cloth, or other suitable material. More specifically, this must not be done in public or in any manner suggestive of sensuality; rather, it must be carried out discreetly, with clear awareness of hiri — moral shame — and ottappa — fear of wrongdoing and its consequences.

What is prohibited is exposing the skin or scratching in a way that affords others occasion for improper imaginings, or that constitutes a loss of decorum. The underlying principle is this: every action of a monastic, however small — even the scratching of an itch — must be performed with full clear comprehension (sampajañña) and independence from the mere demands of the body.

This rule likewise reflects the philosophy of the Vinaya Piṭaka: legitimate physical needs are not forbidden, but they must be attended to in a dignified, unobtrusive manner, always keeping in view the goal of liberation from sensual desire (kāma).