Lzh Mu Bi Pm Pc 111Ordaining a Pregnant Woman

Teaching on the Gabbhinī Scripture: The Question of Ordaining a Pregnant Woman

Background

The Gabbhinī scripture is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, in the Pātimokkha, the basic disciplinary code for monks and nuns. This is a rule concerning the ordination procedure, specifically the question of admitting pregnant women into the Sangha.

In the historical context, when the Buddha allowed women to go forth as bhikkhunīs, the Sangha needed to establish detailed regulations to maintain order and the reliability of the disciplinary system. The Gabbhinī scripture reflects the Sangha’s careful consideration of special cases, in which pregnancy was regarded as a matter that required regulation.

According to the Theravāda tradition, the scriptures and discipline were recorded in detail in order to avoid disputes and division within the community of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. Each rule has its basis in actual situations encountered by the Buddha or by earlier elders.

Main Content

The Gabbhinī scripture states that a pregnant woman should not be admitted into the Bhikkhunī Sangha until the pregnancy has ended or the related matters have been resolved. This rule was established for practical reasons concerning bodily health, the ability to practice, and the preservation of purity in the monastic rule, that is, observance of the five precepts or eight precepts.

Specifically, the physiological changes of pregnancy could affect a woman’s ability to observe the strict rules concerning physical training, abstaining from food, physical activity, and other requirements of the renunciant life. Moreover, going forth involves renouncing family relationships, and the existence of an unborn child is a complex social and psychological matter.

This rule also aims to protect the safety of both the mother and the unborn child. The Sangha is regarded as a community devoted to spiritual practice, not as a place for raising small children.