Lzh Mi Bi Vb Ss 4Ordaining a Criminal
Pāli / Sanskrit:Corīvuṭṭhāpikā
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The Corīvuṭṭhāpikā Sutta: Ordaining One Who Has Broken the Law
Background
The Corīvuṭṭhāpikā Sutta, or "Ordaining a Criminal," is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka of Theravāda Buddhism, specifically in the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the analysis of the rules for nuns. These are valuable instructions from the Buddha’s time, reflecting his careful and far-seeing consideration in handling questions of ordination involving persons with a criminal past.
This background arose from a practical need of the Sangha: who may be permitted to go forth and become a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī? In particular, do individuals who have committed legal offenses, even thieves, have an opportunity to practice the Buddhadharma? This sutta addresses the criteria and conditions for accepting people with a history of wrongdoing.
Main Content
The Corīvuṭṭhāpikā Sutta deals with the case of offenders, especially thieves or lawbreakers, who wish to receive higher ordination (upasampadā) into the Sangha. The central question is whether such people are qualified to become bhikkhus or bhikkhunīs.
The Buddha observed that a principal social means for reforming offenders is to give them an opportunity to abandon bad habits through the practice of the Buddhadharma. Ordination is not a reward, but a condition that allows the person to transform themselves. However, those with a criminal past must be carefully examined and must be clearly questioned about past matters.
The sutta indicates that if the applicant for ordination is a thief or has a history of breaking the law, it must be verified that they truly wish to leave that path behind. The purpose of asking directly about the past is for the person to acknowledge their own wrongdoing; this is the first step in the practice of awakening. If the person conceals or denies their criminal past, they are regarded as unsuitable for the Sangha at that time.
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