Bi Sk 2323. Covering the head
Pāli / Sanskrit:Oguṇṭhita
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THE DISCOURSE ON COVERING THE HEAD (Oguṇṭhita)
Background
The Oguṇṭhita (Covering the Head) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, recorded within the Vinaya Piṭaka. It forms part of the regulations pertaining to monastic discipline within the Saṅgha.
The background of this text arises from specific situations that occurred within the early monastic community under the guidance of the Buddha. When bhikkhus transgressed principles of conduct or discipline, the Buddha would set forth regulations in order to maintain the purity and order of the Saṅgha. The Oguṇṭhita concerns the act of covering the head, a behavior that may be associated with concealment, self-obscurement, or conduct unbecoming within the monastery.
The disciplinary regulations of the Vinaya Piṭaka were established not for the purpose of punishment, but for the sake of education, the cultivation of virtue, and the maintenance of the Saṅgha's spirit of purity. Each regulation has a specific reason and a purpose in practice.
Principal Content
The Oguṇṭhita addresses the act of covering the head (oguṇṭhita), which is regarded as a form of conduct incompatible with the proper bearing of a bhikkhu. The covering of the head or face may reflect an unsettled state of mind, or may represent an attempt to conceal sorrow, distraction, or even to exploit the privacy afforded thereby in order to avoid accountability.
Within the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, such actions are considered a transgression of the standards of virtue (sīla). A bhikkhu ought to live in openness, without concealing the state of his mind, and always maintaining heedfulness (appamāda). The Buddha taught that monastics must live in a manner that is open and straightforward, without concealing their actions and intentions.
The regulation concerning the covering of the head also reflects a broader principle within the Vinaya Piṭaka: whatever may lead to distraction, give rise to an undignified appearance, or cause doubt within the community is to be avoided.
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