Why Did Monks Shave The Top Of Their Heads
Olivia Luz
Here s a question that comes up from time to time why do buddhist nuns and monks shave their heads.
Hair and the spiritual quest. Partial shaving may have its origins in ancient egypt greece and other places where men shaved a circular bald spot on top of their heads to honor the sun god. Male monks then shaved their heads in kind to indicate their status as slaves of christ the narrow crown of hair also evokes images of the crown of thrones placed on christ during his crucifixion. We can speculate that perhaps shaving the head reduces vanity and is a test of a monastic s commitment.
Some orders of monks who left a narrow crown of hair around their heads said that this signified the crown of thorns placed on christ s head during his crucifixion. It s observed that early monks styled themselves as slaves of christ. It s also practical especially in hot weather. There are a few reasons why early monks might have chosen to go for this sort of look and one is that it had long been traditional to completely shave the head of slaves to denote their low status.
By removing the hair of a servant their masters dehumanized them.
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