Monks & Body Hair!?

[rockyysdt]

Are monks required to shave all hair associated with the head, including the eyebrows?

Is this an adopted custom or did the Buddha specify it?

What is the significance of appearing hairless?

Does it extend to other parts of the body?

Some, of specific ethnic background, might experience greater hardship adhering.

[Brucenkhamen]

From what I understand the monks are not allowed to grow their hair and beard beyond a certain length and the Buddha shaved his head so he set the precedent http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/ariyesako/layguide.html

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/faqmonks.htm

My guess is that there were two kinds of ascetic in India at the time of the Buddha, those with long matted hair and those that shaved, the Buddha probably went for the latter for practical reasons.

Only Thai monks shave their eyebrows. There is a story behind this, when Thailand and Burma were at war the Burmese sent spies across the border dressed as monks, apparently the Thais ordered all their monks to shave their eyebrows to catch them out. Of course the Burmese spies followed suit and when they returned to the Burmese court the Thai spies there were able to identify them.

If you ever shave them while living in a hot climate you'll find out what your eyebrows are for.

Edited April 5, 2011 by Brucenkhamen

[khaowong1]

We shave our hair and eyebrows on the day preceding the full moon, every month. Some Thai monks will let their beards and mustaches grow for the whole month, but then, they don't have much to grow. I think they do it for the Brad Pitt effect. I have to shave my beard every two or three days or I start looking like Santa Claus. or a hippie.