Lzh Sarv Bu Pm Np 17Getting a Nun to Wash Wool
Pāli / Sanskrit:Eḷakalomadhovāpana
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The Eḷakalomadhovāpana Sutta — Having a Nun Wash Wool
Background
This sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, the section recording the rules of practice and specific situations decided by the Buddha for the community of monks and nuns. In the society of India during the Buddha’s time, dyeing and washing cloth were daily tasks for those gone forth. Woolen cloth (eḷakalomaṃ) was used to make robes, the sacred garment of bhikkhus (monks) and bhikkhunīs (nuns).
This sutta records a situation in the community of monks and nuns in which nuns had to complete the work of washing cloth made from raw wool. This is not a trifling detail, but an important legal matter, because it concerns the assignment of work, the circumstances surrounding nuns (bhikkhunīs), and the relationship between the Teaching and practical life.
Main Content
This sutta deals with the case in which there is a need to find a nun to wash woolen cloth. In that circumstance, the Buddha gave specific guidance on how to handle this work without violating the Vinaya, the sacred discipline.
According to the Theravāda tradition, daily tasks are not considered separate from the path of practice. They are part of sīla, ethical conduct, the practice of right action and mindfulness in every activity. The sutta prescribes that assigning the washing of cloth must follow certain principles: it must not be coerced, must not involve exploitation, and must be based on the voluntary and kindly spirit of the person doing the work.
The sutta also suggests that in the community of monks and nuns, members should support one another in the spirit of Saṃgha, the community in which each person has a shared responsibility. Completing daily tasks is not for accumulating possessions, but for sustaining a pure life of practice focused on the goal of liberation.
Practical Meaning
Although the title of this sutta seems very specific to a technical task, its deeper meaning goes beyond the work of washing cloth.
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