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Head Shaving
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'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
0
Comments
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.
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.
Haha, some of the bald people I know maintain an abnormal sense of vanity
I guess it's also called a hairstyle
I think it should come from within.
:screwy:
Yes, have seen that too ... indeed, it can be a hairstyle, especially for men as they start to go bald in my experience.
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
I also seem to recall some images of ancient holy-men in India who had hair and beards down to their waist.
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.
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.
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.
Thank you all for the helpful replies.
It's a fashion statement rather than about letting go of ego.
.
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
Shiva
Apollo
Besides, my hair protects me from sun and cold. I notice I'm much more susceptible to colds when I cut my hair
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)
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.
"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
After all, isn't scissors = two blades attached to a pivot?
With metta
Very informative. Thanks.