Xct Mu Bi Pc 127Adorning like a wife

Discourse on Adorning Oneself Like a Wife

From the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition

Background

This discourse appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka, especially among the rules governing the life of monks and nuns. It was recorded when the Buddha and his disciples were living in the community of the Sangha, where matters related to personal adornment, dress, and conduct had become points needing clarification in order to maintain the purity and discipline of the Sangha.

In the Buddha’s time, for one who had gone forth to adorn oneself like wives in lay households was an act that risked stirring the minds of others, or reflected that frivolous preferences had not yet been fully abandoned. Therefore, the Vinaya Piṭaka sets forth specific guidelines to protect the spirit of practice and the outward purity of those who have gone forth.

Main Content

This discourse, titled “Adorning Oneself Like a Wife,” directly concerns the prohibition against members of the Sangha, especially nuns, adorning themselves in ways that wives in lay households commonly do. This includes using fresh flowers, scented water, perfumes, various paints, or jewelry to make oneself attractive.

More deeply analyzed, this rule is not merely a simple prohibition. It is a practical guideline based on a fundamental principle of Buddhadharma: to limit desires born from sensuality (kāma), abandon attention to outward form, and turn the mind inward. One who has gone forth has resolved to abandon worldly ways of life, including ways of painting and adorning the body to attract others.

This rule also reflects respect for the ideal of simple living (appicchataṁ), fewness of desires (santuṭṭhi), and concentration on truly spiritual matters. By abandoning acts of adornment like a worldly wife, those who have gone forth make clear their resolve in the journey of practice and liberation.