Xct Mu Bu Pm Sk 89Not teach one braiding hair

Sutta on Not Teaching Hair Braiding

Background

This sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, where the rules of virtue and discipline of the Sangha are recorded. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not only a collection of dry prohibitions, but practical teachings that help bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs maintain spiritual purity, focusing on the Dharma rather than caring for appearance.

The sutta “Not teach one braiding hair” arose from the context of early Sangha life, when the Buddha and his disciples still faced practical issues of monastic lifestyle. Braiding hair, an activity regarded as connected with personal beauty and worldly enjoyment, is something those gone forth should not seek out or teach to one another. This rule reflects the basic principle of discipline (sīla): avoiding actions that stir up attachment to appearance and worldly pleasure.

Main Content

According to the spirit of the Vinaya Piṭaka, this rule establishes that bhikkhus must not teach one another how to braid hair or alter appearance in ways ordinary worldly people do. This is not an absolute prohibition against combing or washing hair, necessary bodily activities, but a prohibition against “preoccupation” with beautification, which is an expression of greed (lobha) and conceit (māna).

In the context of early Buddhism, going forth meant abandoning concerns with clothing, adornment, and outward beauty. Long hair or braided hair was a traditional sign of worldly women, and deliberately arranging it was often connected with the wish to preserve or display one’s own beauty. Therefore, this rule reminds practitioners that their spiritual life should be directed toward liberation (vimutti), not toward adorning themselves or attending to outward appearance.

This rule is also connected with the broader principle in the Vinaya Piṭaka of avoiding activities “not suitable for one gone forth” (ananulomika).