San Lo Bi Pn 10Bathing Cloth
Pāli / Sanskrit:dakaśāṭikā-pratisaṁyuktaṁ
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Bathing Cloth Discourse (Dakaśāṭikā-pratisaṁyuktaṁ)
Background
The Bathing Cloth discourse is cited in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the San Lo Bi Pn (Saṅghādisesa Pācittiya), rules concerning offenses that those who have gone forth need to observe. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the foundation of the discipline (Vinaya) in the Theravāda tradition, recording the teachings of the Buddha Shakyamuni on the discipline of the community of monks and nuns.
This event occurred while the Buddha and the disciples were staying together. During the course of practice, issues arose concerning the use of bathing cloths (dakaśāṭikā), pieces of cloth used to dry the body after bathing. This is not merely a material issue, but deeply reflects how monks and nuns manage property, practice asceticism, and cultivate the mind.
Main Content
According to the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, the Buddha established detailed rules on the use of bathing cloths in order to prevent craving and unreasonable provision in the monastic community. A bathing cloth is considered a basic requisite (parikkhāra), an essential item for monastic life, but it must be used for the right purpose, at the right time, and with the correct state of mind.
This discourse states that bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs should not store bathing cloths beyond the prescribed number. If a bathing cloth is wet or damaged, the practitioner is permitted to have an additional one as a replacement. However, excessive accumulation or using bathing cloths to elevate one’s personal status is considered an act contrary to the spirit of the Buddha Dharma.
This reflects the fundamental principle that a practitioner should not have too much private property, because property is a cause of desire (lobha), aversion (dosa), and delusion (moha). A bathing cloth is only a tool serving bodily health so that practice may be carried out; it is not an object to be accumulated or displayed.
Practical Meaning
The Bathing Cloth discourse teaches us a profound lesson about every detail in Theravāda practice.
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