Lzh Mg Bi Pm Pc 100Ordaining Married Girls Under Twelve
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ūnadvādasavassa-gihigata
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The Discourse on the Going-Forth of Married Girls Under Twelve Years of Age
Background
Theravāda Buddhism is grounded in the Pāli Canon — the oldest texts recording the teachings of the Buddha Gotama, compiled within the Tripiṭaka (Tipitaka). The Ūnadvādasavassa-gihigata is a pericope belonging to the Vinayapiṭaka, specifically the Sutta Vibhaṅga section of the Bhikkhunī Vinaya — the disciplinary rules governing the order of nuns.
The Vinayapiṭaka was compiled after the Buddha's entry into Nirvāṇa, and reflects the practical matters that arose in the administration of the Saṅgha. This discourse concerns one of the subtle issues the Saṅgha was required to resolve: the standards pertaining to the age and social status of those who wished to go forth and receive full ordination as bhikkhunīs (nuns).
In the context of ancient Indian society, early marriage was commonplace, and some young girls had already taken husbands while still very young — under twelve years of age. This discourse sets forth a clear ruling on whether such women may be received into the Saṅgha.
Principal Content
This discourse presents an important legal determination: young girls who have entered household life (gihigata) but have not yet reached twelve years of age (ūnadvādasavassa) are not permitted to go forth and become nuns. This ruling arises from reasons both practical and deeply ethical in nature.
First and foremost, age constitutes the minimum criterion of maturity. Theravāda Buddhism recognizes that the cultivation of the Buddhist path requires a certain degree of discernment, self-awareness, and mental discipline that cannot be present in girls who are still very young. Second, the fact that a young girl is already married gives rise to legal and social complexities: she still bears the obligations of a wife, psychological difficulties may well be the motivating cause behind her wish to go forth, and the consent of the husband is likewise a matter requiring consideration.
This ruling reflects a fundamental principle of the Vinaya: the Buddhist Saṅgha is not a place of unconditional refuge from social responsibilities, but rather a place where those who possess sufficient spiritual capacity may pursue liberation.
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