Lzh Mu Bi Vb Pc 115Ordaining Married Girls Under Twenty
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ūnavīsativassa-kumāribhūta
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Sutta on Seeking Bhikkhunī Ordination for a Married Woman Under Twenty Years Old
Background
The Vinaya Piṭaka is the collection of rules governing the community of monks and nuns in the Theravāda Buddhadharma. This sutta belongs to the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the detailed explanation of the disciplinary rules for bhikkhunīs. The rule concerning the seeking of bhikkhunī ordination is an important issue in the history of the establishment and maintenance of the community of nuns.
According to the Theravāda tradition, for a woman to seek ordination and become a bhikkhunī, she must meet certain conditions concerning age, marital status, health, and reason for entering. This sutta specifically addresses a delicate situation: when a girl under twenty years old (ūnavīsativassa) who is married (kumāribhūta) wishes to go forth. This is a sensitive matter legally, ethically, and in terms of the responsibility of the Sangha toward family and society.
Main Content
This rule reflects the basic principle that women under twenty years old are not permitted to seek ordination as bhikkhunīs, regardless of their marital status. This applies especially to married women who have husbands, because at that point the rights of the husband and family must also be protected.
This rule has many profound reasons. First, the age of twenty is regarded as the minimum threshold for a woman to have sufficient maturity of mind and body to commit herself to the austere monastic life. Second, if a woman is married, then going forth does not affect only herself but also concerns conjugal duties, shared property, and the legal rights of the family.
If a married girl under twenty years old wishes to seek ordination, the community of bhikkhunīs must refuse that request. Instead, the presiding preceptor (upajjhāyā) has the responsibility to verify the minimum conditions: the true age of the applicant, her marital status, her health, and the consent of her family or husband.
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