Lzh Mi Bi Vb Pc 115Ordaining Untrained Unmarried Girls

A Scripture Guide on the Admission of a Twenty-Year-Old Untrained Candidate into the Bhikkhunī Community

Background

This rule is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Vinaya basket of the Pāli Canon, in order to define clearly the necessary conditions for a girl to be admitted into the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha, the community of nuns. In the early period of Buddhism, decisions concerning the Vinaya were still being established gradually through specific cases that occurred. One important issue was the age and level of training of women wishing to go forth.

According to the Theravāda tradition, one who goes forth must meet conditions not only regarding age, but also knowledge, character, and ability to practice the Vinaya. This is to ensure that those admitted into the Bhikkhunī community have the minimal preparation needed to preserve the precepts and practice diligently.

Main Content

This regulation establishes that a girl who wishes to go forth must be at least twenty years old (paripuṇṇavīsativassa, fully twenty years of age). The key point is that she must be “trained” (sikkhita) in the basic principles of the Vinaya and moral conduct before being formally admitted as a nun.

The term “kumāribhūta” refers to the unmarried state, that is, a girl who is still unmarried and without a marital household. This condition reflects the social context of ancient India, where a woman’s marital status affected her capacity to make an independent decision to go forth.

The term “asikkhita” (untrained) is the principal normative aspect. An untrained girl means one who has not practiced the Pātimokkha, has not studied the Dhamma, and has not cultivated concentration (samādhi) and wisdom (paññā). Therefore, if a girl has reached twenty years of age but still has not been properly trained, admitting her into the Bhikkhunī community is inappropriate and violates the Vinaya.