San Mu Bu Pm GBM 3 Np 17Getting a Nun to Wash Wool
Pāli / Sanskrit:Eḷakalomadhovāpana
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Exposition of the Eḷakalomadhovāpana Sutta (Having a Nun Wash Raw Wool)
Background
This sutta is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha section (the code for female monastics). It is one of the detailed regulations intended to guide the disciplined and pure life of the community of monks and nuns under the teaching of the Buddha Gotama.
This event arose in the context of the growth of the monastic community, when the Buddha permitted women to go forth and established the bhikkhunī Sangha. Yet this process came with practical challenges related to discipline, ethics, and interaction among members of the community. The Eḷakalomadhovāpana Sutta is one of many rules that arose from concrete situations in the life of practice.
Main Content
The title of this sutta, translated from Pāli, means “having a female monastic wash raw wool” (eḷaka-loma-dho-vāpana). It is a juridical matter related to rules on labor and the management of property in the monastic community. In the context of a community of practitioners living together, the division of work and property is a practical matter requiring clear regulation.
The Vinaya Piṭaka records that when a problem arose concerning the way work was assigned to female monastics, especially tasks such as washing wool for weaving or making cloth, the Buddha gave specific guidance. The purpose was not to impose external notions, but to protect inner peace, avoid disputes, and preserve fairness in the community.
The regulations in this sutta reflect a basic principle: the division of work must be voluntary, fair, and not create strain or injustice for any member. If a female monastic is assigned a task, it must be reasonable in relation to that person’s health and ability, and it must follow ethical principles higher than convenience or profit.
Practical Meaning
This sutta teaches us that, in every community, fairness and respect for human dignity are foundations that cannot be compromised.
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