Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 124Ordaining Without Permission

Explanation of the Ananuññāta Sutta

(Going Forth Without Permission)

Background

The Ananuññāta Sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon and expresses one of the most basic rules of the Buddhist Sangha body. This is not a supramundane sutta or a discourse in the ordinary sense, but a prohibition (pācittiya) recorded in the Sutta Vibhaṅga, the section giving detailed explanation of the monastic rules.

The context in which this sutta arose lies in the period when the Buddha was still living and the Sangha body was beginning to form and grow. As the number of people wishing to go forth increased, the Buddha and the senior disciples needed to establish rules to ensure the quality of the Sangha body. This sutta reflects a practical issue: who has the authority to decide whether another person may go forth.

Main Content

The prohibition concerning going forth without permission (ananuññāta) states that bhikkhus are not permitted to allow anyone to go forth without the approval of that person’s parents or lawful guardians. If this is violated, that bhikkhu or bhikkhunī commits a pācittiya offense, that is, a fault requiring confession and disclosure before the Sangha body.

This rule arises from a basic ethical principle: respect for family relationships and responsibilities of upbringing. Parents have the right to know and permit their children to enter the life of going forth. This is not only a legal matter within the Sangha body, but also reflects the ethical ideal of Theravāda Buddhism: respect for human dignity, lawful rights, and social relationships.

In the Vinaya Piṭaka, this sutta is often explained together with specific situations: children who are underage, people living in debt, people with legal responsibilities to the state, or those who already have a wife or husband. All such cases require the consent of those with lawful authority before going forth.