Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Pc 171Having Someone Comb Hair
Pāli / Sanskrit:Having someone comb hair
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THE SUTRA ON ALLOWING ANOTHER PERSON TO UNTANGLE HAIR
Background
This text belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically among the Pātimokkha rules for bhikkhus. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the collection of disciplinary rules that the Buddha Gotama taught in order to maintain purity and harmony in the Sangha, as well as to support the process of practice leading to nirvana.
According to the Theravāda tradition, these disciplinary rules arose from specific situations in the daily life of monastics. When a problem arose, the Buddha would determine whether it violated the spirit of the precepts, and from that a rule (sikkhapadha) would be formed. These rules are not punishments, but tools of practice for eliminating greed (lobha), hatred (dosa), and delusion (moha), the three basic unwholesome roots.
Main Content
The Sutra on “Allowing Another Person to Untangle Hair” is related to rules on proper bodily self-care in the monastic life. According to the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, bhikkhus are permitted to cut their hair and maintain bodily hygiene as part of diligence (ātapi) and non-negligence. However, there are points to be observed concerning how these activities are performed.
This specific rule may relate to a monastic allowing another person, perhaps another bhikkhu, a layperson, or an attendant, to untangle the hair, or more deeply, to matters of hygiene or hair care according to the Buddha’s guidance. The purpose is to prevent laziness, excessive dependence on others, or conduct that may lead to unnecessary intimacy and create trouble within the Sangha.
In Theravāda, bhikkhus are encouraged to care for their bodies in a balanced way, neither through excessive austerity (tapakkhama) nor excessive laxity (pamāda). Allowing another person to untangle one’s hair, if not done properly, may lead to dependence or create conditions that disturb the process of practice.
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