Lzh Dg Bi Pm Pc 119Ordaining a Pregnant Woman
Pāli / Sanskrit:Gabbhinī
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THE RULE ON ORDAINING A PREGNANT WOMAN
Background
In the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition of the Buddha Dharma, the Gabbhinī rule (Gabbhinī Pācittiya 119) is recorded to handle a ritual issue in the community of female monastics. This rule arose from specific situations that occurred in the lives of bhikkhunīs after the Buddha permitted the establishment of the order of nuns.
The Vinaya Piṭaka is one of the three baskets (Tipiṭaka) of the Pāli Canon, intended to preserve discipline and ethics in the community of practice. The rules in the Vinaya Piṭaka are not arbitrary restrictions, but guidance to protect the purity of the monastery and develop virtue. Pācittiya is a type of offense requiring confession and acknowledgment before the Sangha.
Main Content
The Gabbhinī rule concerns the situation of ordaining a woman who is pregnant. This issue is directly connected with the purity of the ordination process and the responsibility of the community of nuns in receiving female candidates for the religious life.
According to the regulation in the Vinaya Piṭaka, when a woman requests ordination, the community of nuns must verify the condition of the applicant. A pregnant woman should not be ordained for the following reason: when a person is pregnant, her body and mind are in a state affected by the life of another being. Receiving ordination in such a state may lead to monastic legal and ethical complications. In addition, if a nun unexpectedly discovers that she is pregnant after ordination, or if she was pregnant before ordination but did not declare it, this constitutes a Pācittiya, an offense requiring public confession.
This rule instructs experienced and careful bhikkhunīs to question candidates about this condition before conducting the ordination rite. The purpose is not discrimination, but to ensure that the applicant can fully carry out the duties of a nun.
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