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The Veṭhita Sutta: An Explanation Concerning Head-Wrapping

Background

The Veṭhita Sutta (Vietnamese: Sutta on Head-Wrapping) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Pāli Canon of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. It is part of the detailed disciplinary rules educating the community of monks and nuns in the early period after the Buddha’s nirvana.

In the social context of ancient India, the way one tied and adorned the hair was an important sign of social status, class, and religion. Those gone forth generally had to observe strict regulations concerning appearance in order to distinguish themselves from laypeople and to express renunciation of pride and of worldly ways of life. Therefore, the Buddha laid down precepts concerning hair-styling, head-wrapping, and means of adornment in order to preserve simplicity and humility in the Sangha.

Main Content

The Veṭhita Sutta identifies proper and improper ways for bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs to wrap, tie, and arrange their hair. Specifically, the sutta states that those gone forth are not permitted to wrap the hair in ways that are overly elaborate, complicated, or highly ornamental in a personal sense.

Prohibited forms of head-wrapping include: tying the hair into many complicated braids, curling the hair into elegant or eye-catching styles, and using decorative articles to enhance one’s appearance. These actions are regarded as violations of the Pāṭimokkha (the basic precepts), because they reflect attachment to self-regard (atta), sensual desire (kāma), and go against the spirit of renouncing material forms.

Conversely, the sutta encourages a simple, neat, but unelaborate arrangement of the hair. The purpose is for the entire Sangha to maintain a consistent appearance, abandon signs of status, and focus on the practice leading to awakening rather than on worldly appearance.

Practical Meaning

The Veṭhita Sutta is not merely a set of formal rules.