Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 178Ordaining Incontinent
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ordaining incontinent
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Discourse on Ordaining an Incontinent Person
Background
This regulation is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the early tradition, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the basic prohibitions for monastics. The Vinaya Piṭaka records the instructions of the Buddha Gotama concerning the maintenance of discipline in the Sangha community. The regulation concerning ordaining a person without the ability to restrain the pleasures arising from the three unwholesome roots concerns greed (lobha), hatred (dosa), and delusion (moha).
In the early period of the Sangha community, the Buddha had to set strict standards for selecting those entering the path. This was not to exclude anyone, but to protect the purity of the community of practice and ensure that those who go forth have real determination on the path to liberation. A person lacking self-restraint (asaññata) is understood as someone unable to observe precepts, especially in matters connected with sexuality.
Main Content
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, a person is prohibited from being ordained, meaning they should not be given ordination, if that person clearly shows a lack of restraint, especially in the field of sexuality. This condition is directly related to the five basic faculties that a monk must develop: faith (saddhā), energy (viriya), mindfulness (sati), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (paññā). If a person lacks basic self-restraint, the development of these faculties will face great obstacles.
This regulation also reflects the fundamental principle of sīla, morality, in early Buddhism. It includes maintaining the distinction between worldly life and the life of practice. A monk must practice the Pātimokkha with 227 or 311 rules, depending on the tradition, and lack of self-restraint is a violation that directly harms these commitments. Restraint of the faculties (indriya saṃvara) is the first step on the path of practice, recorded in the Dhammapada and other scriptures.
Practical Meaning
This regulation is not for judgment, but to remind us that Buddhist practice requires a certain degree of commitment. This discourse teaches that restraint is not harmful discipline, but the foundation of true freedom.
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