Bi Pc 22. Removing pubic hair
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sambādhaloma
A nun who removes hair from the armpits or the groin must confess the offense.
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Sambādhaloma Sutta: The Rule Concerning the Removal of Body Hair
Background
The Sambādhaloma is recorded in the Bhikkhunī Pāṭimokkha (the Code of Discipline for Bhikkhunīs), within the Pācittiya section of the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition. These are detailed ethical regulations pertaining to the bodily care of bhikkhunīs (women who have gone forth into homelessness).
The context from which this rule arose is connected to the cultural customs and hygiene practices of the Buddha's era. In ancient Indian society, the trimming of body hair was regarded as part of maintaining personal hygiene and propriety. However, within the monastic community, the Buddha set forth specific guidelines to ensure that bhikkhunīs would cultivate mindfulness (sati) and restraint (dama), avoiding actions that might give rise to sensual desire or self-indulgence regarding the body.
This rule reflects a general principle of Theravāda Buddhism: the body is regarded as an instrument of practice, not an object of adornment or embellishment. Care of the body should be directed toward health and reasonable cleanliness, and not undertaken for the purpose of making oneself attractive or alluring.
Main Content
According to the Bhikkhunī Pāṭimokkha, a bhikkhunī is not permitted to remove hair from areas such as the armpits (vijjha-bhāga) or the private parts (āghāta-bhāga), whether by her own hand or by requesting another person to do so. Should a bhikkhunī transgress this rule, she must confess the offense (pācittiya) — that is, a minor offense requiring public acknowledgment before the community of bhikkhunīs.
Pācittiya (the third category in order of severity within the system of monastic rules) does not constitute a defeating offense; rather, these are actions that tend to give rise to sensual desire or mental agitation. The reason for this prohibition is that adorning or attending to the body in such a manner may lead to preoccupation with one's physical form, which runs counter to the aim of the practice: the cultivation of renunciation (nekkhamma) and non-clinging (anattā).
The rule does not prohibit bodily hygiene altogether.
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