Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Pc 169Having Someone Brush Hair
Pāli / Sanskrit:Having someone brush hair
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The Scripture on Letting Someone Else Brush One’s Hair
An Explanation from the Pāli Vinaya Piṭaka
Background
This scripture belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, specifically the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the analysis of rules for nuns. It is one of the detailed rules concerning Buddhist nuns and the way to maintain the practice of purity in monastic life.
The historical background of this rule arose from specific situations in the earliest monastic community. Nuns, when studying the Dharma with the Buddha, needed to observe disciplines appropriate to the spirit of practice. Rules concerning bodily care, including brushing hair, are not trivial matters but part of restraining desire and maintaining focus on the Dharma.
The Pāli Vinaya Piṭaka is divided into three main parts: Sutta Vibhaṅga, the basic rules; Khandhaka, chapters concerning communal life; and Parivāra, the supplement. This scripture lies in the Pācittiya category, offenses requiring confession, showing that this is a rule of moderate seriousness in the disciplinary system of Theravāda Buddhism.
Main Content
The rule “letting someone else brush one’s hair” (parakammakāraṃ) concerns the following matter: a nun should not let another person, other than other nuns or permitted persons, brush her hair regularly or in a way that could lead to unsuitable practice.
The heart of this rule is maintaining independence and not depending excessively on personal care work from people outside the monastic community. Although nuns need to care for the body in a reasonable way, allowing others to perform this work regularly may lead to: first, attachment and dependence on others; second, situations that may cause distraction or distress.
The Vinaya Piṭaka stipulates that if a nun violates this rule, she must recite confession according to the Pācittiya procedure, that is, openly admitting the fault before the community of nuns and seeking to correct the action.
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