Mpt Sk 90Headdresses
Pāli / Sanskrit:Veṭhita
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SUTTA ON HEAD WRAPPINGS (VEṬHITA)
Background
The Veṭhita Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically in the Mahāvagga (Great Chapters). This is part of the detailed regulations related to the training and qualities of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs while they study and practice in the Sangha.
This sutta reflects an early period in the history of the Buddhist community, when the Blessed One and his direct disciples were still living. During that period, the Blessed One often received reports of inappropriate conduct from bhikkhus and established rules (dhamma) to regulate conduct, protect the purity of the Sangha, and help the community develop sustainably.
The title “Veṭhita” (wrappings, things wrapped around) concerns regulations on the use of clothing, especially hats or head coverings that monastics may or should not wear. These may seem like minor details, yet they carry deep meaning regarding elegance, humility, and the clear distinction between the life of renunciants and that of laypeople.
Main Content
The Veṭhita Sutta lays down that bhikkhus should not wear hats, wrappings, or forms of head ornamentation commonly used by laypeople. This includes kinds of hats used for decoration, displaying social status, or any form of personal adornment intended to enhance appearance or attract attention from others.
The basic reason for this rule lies in the concepts of “simple living” (appicchata) and “modesty” (hiri) in Theravāda Buddhism. Bhikkhus are expected to be those who have relinquished vain desires and forms of self-adornment. Accordingly, restraint in every part of bodily appearance becomes a concrete expression of abandoning conceit and fitting oneself to virtue.
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