Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 103Ordaining Trained Unmarried Girls Without Approval
Pāli / Sanskrit:Paripuṇṇavīsativassa-sikkhita-kumāribhūta-asammata
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Explanation of the Sutta on Giving Pabbajjā to Unmarried Girls Without Approval
Background
This sutta is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the disciplinary section for bhikkhunīs. In the early period of the Sangha community, principles of going forth were established to protect the well-being of the Sangha body and ensure the integrity of the monastery.
This sutta concerns a specific case: giving pabbajjā, that is, preliminary going forth or an initial stage, to unmarried girls who have been trained in the precepts (sikkhita) from the age of twenty onward, but without approval from their parents or lawful guardians. This is one of the situations that violates the strict rules of Theravāda Buddhism.
The historical context shows that, during the Buddha’s lifetime, women who wished to go forth needed the consent of parents or guardians. This was not to restrict freedom, but to respect family ties and ensure that the decision to go forth came from a truly voluntary mind, not from flight or coercion.
Main Content
The sutta states that if an elder bhikkhunī gives pabbajjā to an unmarried girl (kumāribhūta), even if that girl has been trained in the precepts from the age of twenty onward (paripuṇṇavīsativassa-sikkhita), but lacks approval (asammata) from her parents or lawful guardians, that act is a violation of one of the disciplinary rules of the community of nuns.
Specifically, this is a Pācittiya, the 103rd Pātimokkha rule for bhikkhunīs, meaning a fault that must be confessed. This violation is not an act of corruption or dishonesty, but it shows a lack of respect for family relationships and proper social legal procedure.
The reason for establishing this rule arises from the principle of protecting social harmony.
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