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Head Shaving

edited November 2010 in Buddhism Today
Aloha friends.

I've been fence sitting on the idea of shaving my head for awhile now. I still remain indecisive about it. I was wondering if any of you could share some of your experiences you've had regarding head shaving.

For example,
Do you shave your head?
What were your reasons for doing so?
Has it been a good experience?
Would you reccomend it to others?
How did your peers react?
How old were you when you did it?
How did it effect you?

Thanks a lot,
Marcus

Comments

  • edited November 2010
    Haha, I shaved my head for a different purpose.
    I shaved it for a cancer cause.

    Contrary to what people think, we still use shampoo to strip the oil away.
    (Well, I did anyway.)

    I don't know, it certainly feels much "lighter", a little airy, and of course, there's lesser protection against the sun. My peers shaved with me, so I have no idea.

    sure, if you want to try it, why not?

    Haha, I think my experience with a bald head was a transient one, so I'll just wait till someone else with a prolonged experience replies.
  • edited November 2010
    Thank you for you response.
    That sounds like a very nice thing to do.
    I live in New Zealand, and I have rather brown skin so I don't think I really need that much sun protection, hehe.

    Yeah, I think I will. The only reason I'm hesitant is because of the possible social impact it could have with me, as I am a teenage boy in a rather superficial crowd in a superficial time and wouldn't want to alienate myself. I know that sounds silly, but my aesthetics does play a large role in how people interact with me.
    Again,a silly reason I know.
  • edited November 2010
    You mean in regards to the pabbajja or personal style?
  • edited November 2010
    I'm not too sure what pabbajja means, however I am talking as a way to drift away from vanity and deattach yourself from your own aesthetics.
  • andyrobynandyrobyn Veteran
    edited November 2010
    For me as a householder, mother, wife and very much a western women, my thoughts of shaving my head are to do with the renunciation of concern with what I do with my hair , as my husband still likes to look at my long straight hair it is not the time, when he no longer has an opinion it would be possible - my current view is that my children would not be affected greatly even now at their young ages.
  • edited November 2010
    Marcus wrote: »
    I'm not too sure what pabbajja means, however I am talking as a way to drift away from vanity and deattach yourself from your own aesthetics.

    Haha, some of the bald people I know maintain an abnormal sense of vanity
    I guess it's also called a hairstyle :lol:

    I think it should come from within.
  • edited November 2010
    Pabbajja is when a Monk leaves home for monastic life, and a mark of this is to shave his head to disassociate from householder worldly life, but if a person is concerned with image and does so, they're doing it wrong.

    :screwy:
  • andyrobynandyrobyn Veteran
    edited November 2010
    compassion wrote: »
    Haha, some of the bald people I know maintain an abnormal sense of vanity
    I guess it's also called a hairstyle :lol:

    I think it should come from within.


    Yes, have seen that too ... indeed, it can be a hairstyle, especially for men as they start to go bald in my experience.
  • edited November 2010
    Bald can be a great hairstyle, and some people like it. :D I think my Dad would look great bald!
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited November 2010
    Nothing wrong with bald, but if the assumption is "Buddhists shave their heads, so I should too", then that's not entirely the case. Monks shave their heads. Lay Buddhists aren't expected or encouraged to shave their heads; two different worlds. Blend in and be helpful, unless you're shaving you head for reasons other than conforming to some notion of what a Buddhist should do/look like. :)
  • edited November 2010
    Exactly why I said they're doing it wrong.:crazy:
  • nanadhajananadhaja Veteran
    edited November 2010
    Hi Marcus.Yeah I shave my head,regularly.I recently ordained and had to go get my head shaved.I had long hair for about 40 years and it felt a bit strange at first.Now it just feels normal and takes a lot less time to dry.:lol:
    When I was having it shaved off before ordaining I watched it falling on the floor and just thought"there goes the ego".
    With metta
  • edited November 2010
    Does getting a number 1 (1/8in) buzz cut count?
    :p
  • ZaylZayl Veteran
    edited November 2010
    Just a quick question because I do not know but, What about not touching your hair at all? Would that not achieve the same thing as letting your ego go when you do not even pay attention to it and let it grow unchecked?

    I also seem to recall some images of ancient holy-men in India who had hair and beards down to their waist.
  • edited November 2010
    Zayl wrote: »
    Just a quick question because I do not know but, What about not touching your hair at all? Would that not achieve the same thing as letting your ego go when you do not even pay attention to it and let it grow unchecked?

    I also seem to recall some images of ancient holy-men in India who had hair and beards down to their waist.
    They may have been Sihk.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kesh_(Sikhism)

    There may be other religions that practice something similar, but that's the only one I know of.
  • BonsaiDougBonsaiDoug Simply, on the path. Veteran
    edited November 2010
    Bhikkhu, on you it looks good! :thumbsup:

    avatar7079_1.gif
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited November 2010
    Marcus wrote: »
    Aloha friends.

    I've been fence sitting on the idea of shaving my head for awhile now. I still remain indecisive about it. I was wondering if any of you could share some of your experiences you've had regarding head shaving.

    For example,
    Do you shave your head?
    What were your reasons for doing so?
    Has it been a good experience?
    Would you reccomend it to others?
    How did your peers react?
    How old were you when you did it?
    How did it effect you?

    Thanks a lot,
    Marcus

    I shave my head all the time.

    My reasons vary. Sometimes I do it out of a spirit of renunciation. Sometimes because it's cheaper than getting a haircut. Sometime it's because I like the way it looks or I feel like I just need a change. Sometimes I do it because I mess it up trying to trim it myself.

    I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but I don't see anything wrong with it.

    Most people who know me well don't really seem to notice or care. People who are used to seeing me with hair are surprised when they first see me, and often ask to touch my head, but that only lasts a few days. Plus, it grows back pretty quick and I look like a Q-tip after a few weeks.

    It doesn't really effect me, except for the first time. I had really long hair and I think I messed it up trying to give myself a haircut (the whole long-on-top-and-shaved-around-the-sides thing). I ended up shaving it all off and I think I cried a little bit.
  • edited November 2010
    I do not shave my head, although my wife actually likes shaved heads (bald) people but I chose not to. I think it's just as troublesome as having a full (balding) head of hair.

    Instead I clip all my facial hair, beard, mustache and the rest of the head with a clipper (#1 attachment) on sundays as part of my getting ready to go to my weekly Sangha meeting. I shave under my chin to keep my beard trimmed and look neat.

    That's it it lasts a whole week, I don't spend any additional money on shampoos, haircuts etc...

    I think bald (for me) is too radical, and actually defeats my purpose.

    you see I want to feel\look clean and neat yet with little vanity or maintenance, primping etc. I think that going bald would actually require more maintenance than just getting a haircut every 2-3 months which is what I used to do.

    Same for my clothing, I use plain earthy colors, use minimalist shoes from terra plana which give you the feel of always being barefoot and keep things simple. By the way I'm also a barefoot runner, running 3-4 miles a day on local roads. It's great once you get used to it. but that's another story...

    my close shaved head is part of how I choose to live my life with simplicity and mindfulness.

    metoday.jpg
  • edited November 2010
    No no, conforming or living up to a stereotype is most definitely not my intention. I just meant as a way of letting go of your ego a bit, which is something I've had a bit of trouble with in the past. Exactly as nanadhaja stated I was hoping to achieve a similar result.

    Thank you all for the helpful replies. :)
  • edited November 2010
    Lots of boys and men have shaved heads here in the UK, including men who are already going bald.

    It's a fashion statement rather than about letting go of ego.



    .
  • edited November 2010
    Hey, what's all this talk about shaven heads? Look at the Buddha statues? Do you see shaven heads? :D

    Just kidding. In the early days of Buddhism, the Buddha was represented by iconrgaphy such as the Buddhapada (foot imprints), empty seat, etc... but not statues. The statues came much later with Hellenistic/Greek influence, probably linked with Alexandra's conquests. The curly hair is reminiscent of Greek Gods. The top-knot is reminiscent of both the Yogis of Ancient India and Hindu Gods.

    Buddha

    picture.php?albumid=15&pictureid=151

    Shiva
    picture.php?albumid=15&pictureid=150

    Apollo
    picture.php?albumid=15&pictureid=152
  • edited November 2010
    Shaving head is symbolic. I don't shave my head, because there is really no reason for me to do it. I don't want to be a walking sign of something that means different things in different cultures and different contexts anyway.

    Besides, my hair protects me from sun and cold. I notice I'm much more susceptible to colds when I cut my hair :)
  • Invincible_summerInvincible_summer Heavy Metal Dhamma We(s)t coast, Canada Veteran
    edited November 2010
    Epicurus wrote: »
    Shaving head is symbolic. I don't shave my head, because there is really no reason for me to do it. I don't want to be a walking sign of something that means different things in different cultures and different contexts anyway.

    Indeed.

    If people don't know you're practicing Buddhism, you could be mistaken for a skinhead punk (as in the working-class focused sub-genre of punk music... similar to Oi! I think), or even a neo-Nazi (bonehead)
  • nanadhajananadhaja Veteran
    edited November 2010
    Vincent JG wrote: »
    Does getting a number 1 (1/8in) buzz cut count?
    :p
    Some Theravada temples don't allow the use of electric razors as they have a scissor type effect and monks are not supposed to use scissors on their hair,so unfortunately a number 1 is out.:confused:
  • edited November 2010
    For most of my adult life I've kept my hair close-cropped, buzzed anywhere between 1/8" to 1/2" in length, mostly because it was low maintenance and partly for work (I used to work in security and long hair can be a liability).

    For about the last 18 months I've let it grow out to try something different. It was more work to maintain on a regular basis with no real benefit, so I recently went back to a buzzed look. Again, primarily for low maintenance reasons.
  • Floating_AbuFloating_Abu Veteran
    edited November 2010
    Marcus wrote: »
    Aloha friends.

    I've been fence sitting on the idea of shaving my head for awhile now. I still remain indecisive about it. I was wondering if any of you could share some of your experiences you've had regarding head shaving.

    For example,
    Do you shave your head?
    What were your reasons for doing so?
    Has it been a good experience?
    Would you reccomend it to others?
    How did your peers react?
    How old were you when you did it?
    How did it effect you?

    Thanks a lot,
    Marcus

    bodhi.gif

    "When a person has shaved his hair and beard and put on the ochre robe, that's the symbol of his state as a monk. But it counts only on the external level. Only when he has shaved off the mental tangle — all lower preoccupations — from his heart can you call him a monk on the internal level.

    "When a head has been shaved, little creeping insects like lice can't take up residence there. In the same way, when a mind has gained release from its preoccupations and is freed from fabrication, suffering can't take up residence at all. When this becomes your normal state, you can be called a genuine monk."

    - Ajahn Dune Atulo
  • BonsaiDougBonsaiDoug Simply, on the path. Veteran
    edited November 2010
    Mother Nature has intervened on my behalf regarding head hair. :D
  • edited November 2010
    nanadhaja wrote: »
    Some Theravada temples don't allow the use of electric razors as they have a scissor type effect and monks are not supposed to use scissors on their hair,so unfortunately a number 1 is out.:confused:
    Why are monks not allowed to use scissors on their hair? Do you know?
    After all, isn't scissors = two blades attached to a pivot? ;)
  • nanadhajananadhaja Veteran
    edited November 2010
    sukhita wrote: »
    Why are monks not allowed to use scissors on their hair? Do you know?
    After all, isn't scissors = two blades attached to a pivot? ;)
    I will have to ask about that.I will let you know when I have an answer.Of course there may not be a logical reason.It may be that Lord Buddha never used an electric razor or scissors.Let me get back to you on this.:confused:
    With metta
  • BonsaiDougBonsaiDoug Simply, on the path. Veteran
    edited November 2010
    Here is an interesting page from Access to Insight regarding Monks and personal grooming - Monastic Code: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/bmc2/bmc2.ch01.html
  • edited November 2010
    Here is an interesting page from Access to Insight regarding Monks and personal grooming - Monastic Code: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/bmc2/bmc2.ch01.html

    Very informative. Thanks. :)
  • StaticToyboxStaticToybox Veteran
    edited November 2010
    I've shaved my head in the past, but not for spiritual reasons. More out of utility and also out of trying something different. I've had my hair in a short buzz several times. I change hairstyles like I change moods though. Currently I have longish hair just past my neckline. It may keep growing for awhile or I may buzz it tomorrow if the mood strikes me. The longest it's ever been was around halfway down my torso.
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