Lzh Mi Bi Vb Pc 178Ordaining Incontinent

The Sutta on Ordaining Those Who Lack Restraint

Background

This sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, specifically to the Pātimokkha, the fundamental code of the community of bhikkhus. The Vinaya Piṭaka was composed to regulate the conduct, way of life, and discipline of the Buddhist monastic community, in order to maintain purity and harmony in the Sangha.

In the time of the Buddha, as the Dharma developed strongly, many people sought ordination. Not all candidates were suited to the celibate and pure life. Those lacking the ability to restrain sensual desires, especially sexual desire, could cause distortions of the true Dharma, harming the religious mind and the reputation of the Sangha. Therefore, the Buddha established rules concerning the standards of fitness for ordination, and this rule concerns the capacity for self-restraint.

Main Content

The sutta states that those unable to restrain themselves, especially those who, even after ordination, cannot observe the minimum standards of the monastic life, should not be permitted to ordain or should be removed from the Sangha. Specifically, this sutta refers to those considered “incontinent,” meaning those unable to govern their actions, speech, and thoughts in the context of monastic practice.

This is not contempt or personal judgment, but practical recognition: not everyone is able to practice brahmacariya, the holy life of purity, at the present time. This rule requires teachers to examine carefully the mental qualities and self-control of candidates before formally ordaining them or accepting them into the Sangha.

The Vinaya Piṭaka also specifies particular behaviors regarded as violations or signs of lack of restraint: sexually suggestive actions, improper speech, or expressions unsuitable for the position of a monastic. When such signs appear, the Sangha must make a suitable decision in order to protect the Dharma.