Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Pd 5Asking for Oil
Pāli / Sanskrit:Telaviññāpana
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The Sutra on Asking for Oil (Telaviññāpana)
Background
The Sutra on Asking for Oil is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha preamble of the Theravāda tradition. These are rules of virtue and monastic discipline established by the Blessed Buddha to maintain the purity of the Sangha. This sutra concerns specific details about the handling of everyday materials in the life of practice, especially oil, an essential substance used for personal hygiene and medical purposes in the monastic community.
The historical background shows that monks and nuns of that time lived under very simple conditions. Oil (telaṃ) was one of the substances permitted for use under certain rules, for the purpose of caring for the body, maintaining health, and meeting basic needs for cleanliness. The Sutra on Asking for Oil records principles concerning how to request, distribute, and use this substance in accordance with the aim of practice.
Main Content
This sutra reflects a basic principle in the Vinaya Piṭaka: monks and nuns must seek permission or give notice before using materials beyond what has been properly allocated. This does not arise from deprivation or miserliness, but from a profound principle of practice: restraining desires (tṛṣṇā) and cultivating restraint (samvara).
Specifically, if a monk or nun needs to use oil for medical or hygienic reasons, such as treating the skin, sores, or wounds, they must notify or seek permission from the steward of communal property or from the head of the Sangha. This ensures transparency and fairness in the distribution of shared resources, and prevents sensual greed from becoming habitual.
The sutra also reveals that these regulations arose after specific situations occurred: monks and nuns misused oil, used it without permission, or used too much, causing disputes. The Blessed Buddha, with inexhaustible wisdom, established rules to instruct monks and nuns in balancing care for the body with not falling into greed.
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