Lzh Dg Bi Pm Pc 136Not Ordaining Trainees After She Follows

Exposition of the Anubandha-sikkhamānana-vuṭṭhāpana Sutta

Not Ordaining Female Trainees Who Follow After

Background

This sutta is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the rules for bhikkhunīs. In the period after the Buddha accepted women into practice, the bhikkhunī community developed with a strict administrative system to protect the quality of the Sangha.

This rule concerns a specific situation: when a bhikkhunī leaves the training or commits a serious breach of the rules, the female trainees (sikkhamānana) who follow or are attached to her are not permitted to receive official ordination. This is a disciplinary measure intended to protect the purity of the Sangha and prevent the spread of conduct contrary to the Dharma.

Main Content

This rule states that if a bhikkhunī is deprived of standing ("vuṭṭhāpana," removed from the Sangha) or leaves of her own accord, then the female trainees studying under her (anubandha) may not be accepted into the Sangha by other bhikkhunīs. In other words, these persons are prohibited from continuing the path of practice until another valid measure is available.

Female trainees (sikkhamānana) are women who have sought entry but have not yet officially become bhikkhunīs. They observe a preparatory set of six principal rules, whereas bhikkhunīs must observe 311 rules. This process is an important bridge between household life and the full life of renunciation.

This regulation reflects the principle of "purity of the group" (saṅgha-suddhi), an essential element in the Vinaya. When the guide or teacher has a problem with discipline (sīla) or spiritual standpoint, those who follow her also cannot continue to be accepted by the Sangha, because the integrity of the training process has been damaged.