Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Dh Pc 121Giving Ordination to One of Bad Character
Pāli / Sanskrit:Giving ordination to one of bad character
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Explanation of the Discourse: Allowing a Person of Bad Habits to Go Forth
Background
In the traditional Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, the regulations concerning the acceptance of new candidates who shave the head and keep the path are not a trivial matter. The Buddha established clear standards to protect the monastic community from individuals whose virtue is impure. This discourse appears in the Bhikkhu Pātimokkha, the basic rules for bhikkhus, specifically among the Pācittiya offenses, faults requiring confession.
The historical background for this rule concerns situations in which monastics, whether unwise or insufficiently careful, accepted individuals with a bad moral history into the holy community. The result was actions that brought disrepute upon the Sangha jewel, damaged internal harmony, and disturbed the common life of practice.
Main Content
This rule prohibits bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, or other practitioners from allowing a person of bad habits (pāpaka-sīla) to go forth or enter the ascetic life, that is, formally enter the monastic path. “Bad habits” in this context does not simply mean ordinary human mistakes, but refers to individuals with a history of serious unethical actions: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, serious falsehood, or similar conduct causing significant harm.
When a monastic receives such an individual without verifying or confirming that the person has completely abandoned these bad actions, that monastic commits a pācittiya, a fault for which, whether voluntarily abandoned or pointed out by another, the monastic must make public confession before the Sangha jewel. This rule is not a severe disciplinary punishment, but a protective mechanism to maintain the purity (pārisuddhi) of the religious community.
This also reflects an important principle in the Vinaya Piṭaka: anyone who wishes to enter the monastic path must have a certain ethical foundation.
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