Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Pc 171Having Someone Comb Hair

EXPLANATION OF THE RULE ON HAVING ONE’S HAIR COMBED

Background

This rule belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically to the Pācittiya section, one of the five kinds of offenses requiring confession in the system of bhikkhu discipline. Pācittiya literally means “to be cast off,” referring to light offenses that, if not confessed, create obstacles to the process of practice.

The Vinaya Piṭaka was compiled after the Buddha’s passing into nirvana, recording all the disciplinary rules that he had established during forty-five years of teaching the Dharma. Each rule usually begins from a specific incident in the Sangha, when the Buddha saw the need to establish a boundary to protect the deportment of the Bhikkhu Sangha, maintain the confidence of the lay community, and create favorable conditions for liberation.

The rule on combing hair belongs to the group of regulations concerning deportment and daily life of renunciants, reflecting the Buddha’s careful concern for every detail in the life of the holy conduct.

Main Content

Although the specific content of this rule in the Sarvāstivādin version has not been fully translated into Vietnamese, we can understand this rule within the general context of bhikkhu discipline.

In the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, after going forth, a bhikkhu must shave the head, symbolizing the abandonment of vanity and worldly bonds. However, before going forth or in special cases when hair remains, the care of a renunciant’s hair must follow strict regulations.

This rule may stipulate that a bhikkhu should not ask another person to comb his hair excessively, or at the wrong time, causing inconvenience to others, or creating an image of excessive concern for appearance, which is contrary to the spirit of pure ascetic practice. In the Vinaya, rules related to the body often aim to prevent heedlessness (pamāda), preserve simple deportment (santuṭṭhi), and avoid actions that may be misunderstood by the lay community.

Combing hair seems simple, but it reflects an attitude of mindfulness: if performed with attachment to appearance, elaborateness, or disturbance to companions in the Dharma, it becomes an offense. Conversely, if it is done simply, because it is necessary for hygiene or health, without giving rise to defiled intention, then it is not an offense.

Practical Meaning

This rule reminds renunciants of the virtue of contentment (santuṭṭhi), knowing enough in every aspect of daily life. Hair, clothing, food, and lodging are all minimal conditions for maintaining the body in order to serve the purpose of practice, not for adornment or satisfying craving.

For Theravāda Buddhist practitioners today, even those who are not formal bhikkhus, the spirit of the discipline still has value: simplifying life, not being intoxicated with external form, and always asking oneself, “Does this action nourish a pure mind, or does it merely satisfy attachment to self?”