Lzh Dg Bi Vb Pc 125Ordaining Married Girls Under Twelve

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

RULE 125

A. ORIGIN STORY

At one time, the Bhagavā was dwelling in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the Jeta Grove, at Sāvatthī. At that time, the bhikkhunīs heard that the Blessed One had laid down a rule permitting bhikkhunīs to confer full ordination upon others. The nuns ordained young women of tender age with full ordination. Having received ordination, these women did not know whether men had defiled minds or not, and they stood together, conversed together, and played and jested together with men who had defiled minds.

The bhikkhunīs heard of this, and among them were those of few desires, who were content, who practiced the austere dhūta qualities, who delighted in training in the precepts, and who were conscientious. They reproached those bhikkhunīs, saying: "The Blessed One has laid down a rule permitting bhikkhunīs to ordain others with full ordination. Why then do you ordain young women who have had husbands with full ordination? Having received ordination, not knowing whether men have defiled minds or not, they stand together, converse together, and play and jest together with men who have defiled minds."

The nuns reported the matter to the bhikkhus. The bhikkhus went and reported it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One, on account of this matter, assembled the Sangha of bhikkhus and rebuked those bhikkhunīs:

"You have done what is wrong, what is not in accordance with proper conduct, not in accordance with the practice of a renunciant, not in accordance with purity of conduct, not in accordance with proper behavior—you have done what should not be done. Why do you ordain young women who have had husbands with full ordination? Having received ordination, not knowing whether men have defiled minds or not, they stand together, converse together, and play and jest together with men who have defiled minds."

Having rebuked them with numerous methods of instruction, the Buddha said to the bhikkhus:

"From now on, if one wishes to ordain someone and confer full ordination, one must first inform the Sangha, and only then shave the head and proceed to confer the ten precepts as described above.

"From now on, it is permitted to admit a woman of ten years of age who has had a husband, giving her two years of probationary training in the precepts, and when she has reached twelve years of age, she may be given full ordination, by means of the procedure of a formal act with one announcement and three motions as described above.

"From now on, I shall lay down a rule for the bhikkhunīs, comprising ten beneficial principles, up to and including the phrase 'for the long endurance of the true Dharma.'"

The rule should be stated thus:

Whatever bhikkhunī ordains a woman of ten years of age who has had a husband, giving her two years of probationary training in the precepts, and only granting full ordination when she reaches twelve years of age—if she confers full ordination upon one under twelve years of age, it is a pācittiya.

B. ANALYSIS OF THE RULE

Bhikkhunī: the meaning is as stated above.

If a bhikkhunī, knowing that a person is under twelve years of age, confers full ordination upon her: upon completion of the third motion, the preceptor-nun incurs a pācittiya; upon completion of the second motion, she incurs two duṣkṛtas; upon completion of the first motion, she incurs two duṣkṛtas; after the announcement has been made, one duṣkṛta; if the announcement has not been completed, a duṣkṛta; before the announcement, upon assembling the congregation, with the congregation complete, all incur a duṣkṛta.

For bhikkhus, a duṣkṛta. This is called an offense.

Non-offense: if one admits her at ten years of age, gives two years of probationary training in the precepts, and confers full ordination at twelve years of age, there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits the act for the first time before the rule has been laid down; one who is mad, one whose mind is disturbed, one who is afflicted and in agony.

Vietnamese translation: Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. FOUR-PART VINAYA, PART ONE

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng

(Chinese translation, fascicles 1–21; Vietnamese translation, fascicles 1–2)

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002