Lzh Dg Bi Pm Pc 121Ordaining Married Girls Under Twenty
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ūnavīsativassa-kumāribhūta
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An Explanation of the Ūnavīsativassa-kumāribhūta Rule
On Ordaining a Girl Under Twenty Years Old
Background
This rule is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, especially in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, where the Buddha and awakened elders established rules for communal life among monks and nuns. The background arose from practical situations in the Buddha’s time, when young girls, especially those who were already married, sought to go forth into the community of nuns.
This rule is especially connected with the situation in which girls under twenty years old (ūnavīsativassa) and already married (kumāribhūta) wish to study the Buddha Dharma. The Vinaya Piṭaka reflects a balance between the aspiration for liberation among female practitioners and the practical management of the monastic community.
Main Content
In this rule, the Buddha or the elders set forth necessary conditions for receiving a girl under twenty who is already married into the Bhikkhunī community. The rule is primarily intended to protect family relationships, especially the rights of the husband, and to ensure the stability of the girl herself.
The basic condition stated is that the girl must have the consent of her husband before going forth. If the husband does not consent or objects, receiving that girl into the community would cause legal and social disputes. The Vinaya Piṭaka therefore requires caution and observance of social rules in order to maintain harmony between the Buddhist community and secular society.
The rule also notes that the age of twenty (vīsativassa) is regarded as the threshold of adulthood, so girls below this age need approval from family and husband. This expresses the Buddha’s reasonableness in respecting social relationships, even though the ultimate goal is liberation.
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