Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Dh Pc 107Twelve Years of Seniority Without Approval
Pāli / Sanskrit:Paripuṇṇadvādasavassa-asammata
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The Paripuṇṇadvādasavassa-asammata Discourse
Twelve Years of Training Not Recognized
Background
This discourse is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the disciplinary code of Early Buddhism, specifically in the Pārimokkha section, the Bhikkhunī Code. These are disciplinary rules governing the life of probationers among bhikkhunīs in the Buddha’s community of practice.
The historical formation of this section is connected with the long period after Śākyamuni Buddha established the community of nuns. These rules were established to maintain discipline, protect the purity of the monastery, and create optimal conditions for practice. The Paripuṇṇadvādasavassa-asammata discourse turns on a specific issue: the status of a female trainee (sikkhamānā) after completing twelve years of study without being officially recognized (asammata) by the three assemblies as a fully ordained bhikkhunī.
Main Content
In the Early Buddhist Vinaya tradition, the process of becoming a bhikkhunī is not a single event. It includes three stages: first, the female trainee (sikkhamānā) studies the basic rules; then comes the novice nun (sāmaṇerī); and finally the fully ordained bhikkhunī.
This discourse refers to a special case: a female trainee who has completed twelve years of study and practice under strict conditions. Ordinarily, after this period she would be formally recognized by the bhikkhunī community through the Upasampadā ceremony, the full bhikkhunī ordination, without needing further waiting time. However, this rule applies only if she has been recognized and approved by the three assemblies: the bhikkhu community, the bhikkhunī community, and the combined assembly.
The case of being “not recognized” (asammata) is when, for certain reasons, perhaps related to conduct, character, or circumstances, the three assemblies do not issue a formal act of recognition. In this situation, the female trainee must continue to fulfill additional requirements and cannot automatically be advanced in status.
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