Lzh Mi Bu Pm Pc 61Ordaining Under Twenty
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ūnavīsativassa
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The Ūnavīsativassa Discourse (Lessons on Going Forth Before the Age of Twenty)
Background
This discourse is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the rules of the Sangha. It is not a sermon, but a rule of practice, reflecting the Buddha’s wisdom in building the monastic community. The background for the arising of this rule came from specific situations in the early Sangha, when the Buddha recognized that allowing those not yet mature in age to receive ordination could create certain difficulties for the stability and management of the monastic community.
The discourse is named Ūnavīsativassa, meaning "less than twenty years" (ūna = less than, vīsati = twenty, vassa = years). It is one of the most important regulations concerning the conditions for ordination in the Theravāda tradition, reflecting basic principles of maturity and responsibility for a novice, or trainee in the precepts.
Main Content
This rule stipulates that those who have not reached twenty years of age may not receive full ordination (upasampadā), that is, they may not be recognized as fully ordained bhikkhus or bhikkhunis in the Sangha. The age of twenty is regarded as an important threshold because it is the time when a person is considered sufficiently developed physically, mentally, and intellectually to commit to a complete ascetic way of life.
Those who are underage may be accepted as novices, that is, trainees in the precepts, in order to begin the journey of practice under the guidance of a teacher. This stage allows them to explore monastic life, study basic teachings, and train spiritually without having to bear all the burdens of the full discipline. This is a practical approach, fair both to young people with religious aspiration and to the stability of the monastic community.
This regulation is also connected with the concept of "vassa," the rains retreat, a three-month cycle of practice. Age is counted by the number of vassas a person has passed through in monastic life, not merely by lunar age.
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