Lzh Dg Bi Pm Pc 166Ordain Hermaphrodite
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ordain hermaphrodite
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SUTRA ON THE FOUR VIRTUES OF ASEXUALITY
Background
This Vinaya section belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, reflecting the Buddha’s regulations for the renunciant community. In the early period of Buddhism, as the community of monks and nuns expanded, the Buddha continually issued rules to manage order, protect reputation, and maintain the purity of the Dharma.
This Vinaya section addresses the case of people with unusual biological characteristics, those called ubhatobyañjanaka in Pāli, meaning persons with asexual or hermaphroditic characteristics. This is not a matter of discrimination, but rather a practical consideration concerning the maintenance of principles for building the monastic community in an orthodox context.
Main Content
This sutra prescribes that people with asexual characteristics are not permitted to go forth as monks or nuns in the orthodox community. This decision does not arise from contempt, but from standards concerning paripakkatattā, maturity and stability in body as well as mind for practicing austerity.
In the Vinaya Piṭaka, going forth requires that the practitioner meet certain conditions. It is not only a matter of morality, but also concerns the body’s ability to conform to noble practices: ascetic discipline, restraint of the faculties, and maintenance of specific elements of training. These regulations are understood as ways to protect the integrity of the Dharma and of the community of practice.
This Vinaya section also contains guidance on a humane approach toward such persons: they may still practice the Buddha’s path as lay disciples (upāsaka or upāsikā), observe the five precepts, develop loving-kindness, and proceed on the path leading to awakening.
Practical Meaning
The regulations in this sutra reflect a profound principle of Theravāda Buddhism: the rules of the monastic community are established to serve the purpose of liberation, not to judge individuals. Biological difference does not diminish the value of the path of practice; it only means that this person’s path will be different.
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