Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 114Ordaining Trained Candidate Without Approval
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sikkhita-sikkhamānā-asammata
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Explanation of the Sikkhita-sikkhamānā-asammata Sutta
On Allowing a Trainee to Go Forth Without Approval
Background
This rule appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the basic code that monks and nuns must observe. Sikkhita-sikkhamānā-asammata, a trainee being allowed to go forth without approval, refers to a rule concerning the declaration of a woman as a sikkhamānā, a trainee or novice nun, without the consent of the proper monastic assembly.
In the history of the early Buddhist community, maintaining strict discipline was extremely important. Every decision concerning the status of members of the practicing community had to be carried out through formal procedures, with the witness of the whole Sangha. If someone was recognized as a sikkhamānā, an important intermediate stage before full ordination as a bhikkhunī, without formal approval, then that recognition would have no validity under the law of the Sangha.
Main Content
This Vinaya text establishes that if a woman is declared to be a sikkhamānā, a trainee, usually a woman practicing before formal ordination, without the approval or formal decision (asammata) of the Sangha, then that declaration is not considered valid. In other words, if even a proper vote or the full agreement of the Sangha is lacking, the recognition loses its force.
The key point here is administrative and legal procedure. Once the woman has not been formally approved by the Sangha, she does not enjoy the benefits or responsibilities connected with the status of sikkhamānā. She should not be regarded as having received the rule or as having committed herself to the special rules of a novice nun. This protects both the individual and the Sangha from false or unlawful certifications.
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