Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Dh Pc 172Brushing Hair
Pāli / Sanskrit:Brushing hair
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Explanation of the "Brushing Hair" Discourse (Hair - Vinaya Piṭaka)
Background
In the Theravāda Buddha-Dharma tradition, the Vinaya Piṭaka records the training rules established by the Buddha Śākyamuni to protect the Sangha and the life of practice. These admonitions arose from specific situations in the daily lives of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunīs. The discourse "Brushing Hair" or "Hair" is one of the legal texts related to bodily cleanliness and the regularity of daily conduct.
During his lifetime, the Buddha saw that Bhikkhus had actions or habits that affected the spirit of practice or created scenes unsuitable to the image of a renunciant. Therefore, he gave specific guidance concerning how to care for the body appropriately, neither pursuing desire excessively nor tormenting oneself.
Main Content
The rule related to brushing hair reflects a basic principle of the Vinaya Piṭaka: moderation and propriety in action. Bhikkhus are instructed in how to care for the hair without departing from the spirit of renunciation. Brushing the hair should not become an occasion for indulgence in the desire for beautification or excessive adornment.
Specifically, this discourse may concern situations in which Bhikkhus use hairbrushes in a careless or overly meticulous way, giving rise to defilements such as pride and attachment to outward appearance. The Buddha taught that maintaining bodily hygiene is necessary, but one must not allow it to become a dwelling place for greed, hatred, and delusion, the three root poisons of suffering.
This rule also reminds us that a renunciant must regularly contemplate the fleeting and impure nature (anicca, asubha) of the body in order to cultivate letting go (vossagga), rather than creating habits focused on outward appearance.
Practical Meaning
The "Brushing Hair" discourse teaches that Buddhist practice is not an extreme between indulgence in desire and self-mortification.
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