Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Pc 169Having Someone Brush Hair
Pāli / Sanskrit:Having someone brush hair
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
The Sutra on Having Someone Brush Hair
Explanation of the Vinaya Piṭaka - Theravāda Tradition
Background
This text belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Pāli Canon of the Theravāda tradition. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the collection that prescribes the precepts and training discipline for the community of monks and nuns (Saṅgha). The Sutra on Having Someone Brush Hair is a specific rule in the Pātimokkha, the list of offenses that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must avoid.
The background of this text reflects the practical life of the Sangha community in the Buddha’s time. The regulations in the Vinaya Piṭaka were not issued all at once, but gradually as specific situations arose. The Sutra on Having Someone Brush Hair records one of the situations related to self-management of the body and the expression of humility and non-display in the bhikkhu community.
Main Content
According to the Theravāda tradition, bhikkhus are encouraged to live simply and self-reliantly. Within this, tasks of bodily care should be performed personally or in a simple, unostentatious way. The Sutra on Having Someone Brush Hair indicates that a bhikkhu should not ask or rely on another person, especially a female monastic or layperson, to brush his hair regularly or to serve his basic personal needs.
The reason for this prohibition is not that brushing hair is bad, but that it reflects an attitude of laziness, lack of self-mastery, and may lead to dependence on others. This violates the spirit of humility (sappaya) and self-cultivation (appamāda), two qualities highly valued by the Buddha. A bhikkhu should care for himself, brush his own hair, wash his robes, and complete basic tasks without needing regular assistance from others.
This text is also related to the principle of “no trade, no requesting personal service” in the Bhikkhu Vinaya.
🌏 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.