Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 195Giving Ordination the Next Day After Training for Two Years

Giving Ordination the Very Next Day After Two Years of Training

Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 195 — Chinese Comparative Vinaya

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Source Status

The text item numbered Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 195 belongs to the Comparative Vinaya — Chinese collection, within the branch Sectarian Canon · Comparative. This is a training rule in the system of comparative disciplinary rules among Buddhist sectarian traditions, related to a specific ordination procedure for nuns. The original full Chinese text of this rule has not yet been directly compared in the database currently being processed. Therefore, the explanation below is composed solely from the descriptive information provided, together with a general understanding of the sectarian Vinaya system. Readers should consult the original Chinese text and corresponding comparative Vinaya collections for an accurate and complete understanding of the content of this training rule.

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Background

The Comparative Vinaya — Chinese is a work that gathers and compares Vinaya training rules from many different Buddhist sectarian traditions preserved through Chinese textual transmission. Such comparison has great scholarly value, for the Buddhist Vinaya system did not exist in only one line of transmission, but was preserved by traditions such as the Dharmaguptaka, Sarvāstivāda, Mahīśāsaka, Mahāsāṃghika, and others, with certain similarities and differences.

The designation Pc in the rule number suggests the category Pācittiya, that is, the class of rules called “to be dealt with” or “requiring confession,” a type of offense lighter than Pārājika or Saṅghādisesa, but still requiring resolution through confession before the Sangha. The designation Bi clearly indicates that this training rule belongs to bhikkhunīs, female renunciants who have received full ordination.

The ordinal number 195 shows that this is a rule found rather deep in the system of rules for nuns, reflecting the complexity and detail with which sectarian Buddhism regulated the training life of ordained women.

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Content Identifiable from the Descriptive Information

The title of the training rule, “Giving Ordination the Very Next Day After Two Years of Training,” clearly indicates that its central content concerns the procedure of full ordination (upasampadā) for a female trainee (sikkhāmānā, one in the period of training).

According to the Buddhist disciplinary system, before receiving full ordination and becoming a bhikkhunī, a woman going forth must pass through a preparatory stage called sikkhāmānā, often translated as “female trainee” or “śikṣamāṇā.” During this period, she must strictly observe the six fundamental trainings for a period of two years. This is a special requirement for the nuns’ community, not applied to male renunciants, and reflects the particular caution that the discipline sets forth in admitting women into the Sangha.

This training rule specifies a situation: the granting of full ordination to a female trainee immediately on the following day after the two years of training have just concluded, or it may be understood as granting ordination at an improper time, or without sufficient basis to confirm that the two-year period has been properly completed. The act of receiving or granting ordination under such improper procedural circumstances is regarded as a Pācittiya offense, requiring confession and correction.

It is noteworthy that the presence of this rule in the comparative Vinaya shows that many different sectarian traditions were concerned with the validity of timing in the ordination process for nuns, even though the detailed regulations may differ among the schools.

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Meaning for Practice

This training rule, though simple in title, contains an important depth concerning the spirit of Buddhist training:

First, it emphasizes the importance of properly completing a stage of training. The two years of training are not a mere formality; they are a period in which the female trainee truly trains body and mind, establishing a firm foundation of moral conduct before entering the full life of a bhikkhunī.

Second, it expresses the principle that Dharma, discipline, and time cannot be arbitrarily shortened. Even with good intentions, giving or receiving ordination at a time not prescribed by the rule creates disciplinary consequences that must be addressed. This teaches practitioners to respect the Dharma and Vinaya as two of the Three Jewels.

Third, this rule relates to the responsibility of the bhikkhu and bhikkhunī communities in protecting the purity of the Sangha. Checking and confirming qualifications before performing ordination ceremonies is the duty of both those who confer ordination and the witnessing community.

Fourth, in the context of sectarian comparison, this training rule helps researchers see that although details differ among the schools, the shared spirit of protecting the validity and solemnity of the ordination rite remains consistent throughout the Vinaya traditions.

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Comparative Note

Because the full Chinese text of the training rule Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 195 has not yet been directly compared, researchers should consult the original text in the Chinese Vinaya collections to verify the precise scope of application, the required form of confession, and any exceptions. Comparison with equivalent training rules in other Vinaya collections preserved in Pāli, Sanskrit, or Tibetan will also help clarify the position and meaning of this rule within the broader picture of Buddhist Vinaya studies.