Lzh Mu Bi Vb Pc 140Having Someone Else Wash Clothes
Pāli / Sanskrit:Having someone else wash clothes
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Explanation of the Sutta on Having Someone Else Wash Clothes
Background
This sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the discipline section for bhikkhunīs, female monastics. These are detailed regulations concerning the precepts that female monastics must observe in order to maintain the discipline of the community of practice.
The Vinaya Piṭaka is the foundation of the Theravāda tradition, transmitted from the time of the Buddha Gotama, reflecting the spirit of simple and pure practice. The regulations concerning clothing and daily utensils are not meaningless restrictions, but instructions that help monastics focus on the path of liberation and avoid habits that give rise to affliction and attachment.
A bhikkhunī needs to understand that each daily action, including the care of clothing, has deep significance for practice. Through these detailed regulations, the Buddha guided his disciples to live lives that are independent and self-reliant while also respecting mutual support within the Sangha.
Main Content
The rule concerning having someone else wash clothes is one of the details of the Pāṭimokkha, the fundamental rules. Specifically, a female monastic should wash her own clothes or make a proper arrangement according to the Vinaya.
If a bhikkhunī asks a lay attendant, someone who is not a nun, to wash her clothes without observing the specific conditions, this may violate a Pācittiya rule, a type of offense requiring repentance. These conditions include: the request must be made reasonably, not without basis; the one asking must act responsibly and not exploit others; and the request must not become a habit or a form of excessive dependence.
The rule stipulates that a bhikkhunī should be self-reliant in personal tasks, except when there is a legitimate reason, such as illness or special circumstances. This reflects the principle of “self-reliance and self-balance” in Theravāda Buddhist practice: a monastic should not become a burden to the community or develop a lazy mind.
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