【中文版】

问：请谈一谈关于僧人剃发的问题。

赵朴初答：

根据佛制，剃发、染衣、受戒是取得僧人资格的必要条件。剃发染衣的用意是为了舍弃美好装饰，实行朴素无华的生活。一般出家人也不留胡须，但我国有一部分僧人留须，他们认为出家时应剃须，此后可以留。南方国家的僧人则一律不留须。至于受戒并不需要在头顶上烧戒疤。除汉族外，其他民族僧人都没有烧戒疤的规矩。这可能与《梵网经菩萨戒本》燃身供养之说有关。

唐朝已有炼顶（以艾燃顶）的习俗，这个习俗形成普遍的制度，据说是在元代。当时异族统治者想借以识别真假，防止抗拒法令的人民逃到僧众里面去。这话尚待查考。

【英文版】

Q:

What about the practice of tonsure for Buddhist monks?

A:

According to Buddhist regulations, a shaved head, dyed garments, and ordination are the prerequisites for gaining the monkhood. The purpose of the tonsure and dyeing of garments is to signify giving up beautification and leading a frugal and austere life. The monks generally do not wear beards, excepting some monks in China who shave their beards upon ordination, but believe that beards can be kept afterwards. No monks in southern countries grow beards. Regarding burning dot-scars on the top of head at the time of ordination, the monastics of other nationalities do not have such regulations, it is only the Han monks who do. This tradition may be related with Brahmajdla SuttaBodhisatta Sila which mentions burning ones own body （or parts of body） in dedication to the Buddha.

In the Tang Dynasty there was already a custom of scarring the top of the head with moxa cone. This was said to have become common practice during the Yuan Dynasty, when the alien rulers tried to distinguish the false monastics from the genuine ones in an attempt to prevent the law-breaking people from fleeing into the Sangha. This explanation remains to be verified.