Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Dh Pc 123Giving Ordination to Trained Maiden of 20 Without Sangha Agreement
Pāli / Sanskrit:Giving ordination to trained maiden of 20 without Sangha agreement
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THE DISCOURSE ON A TRAINED WOMAN OF TWENTY RECEIVING ORDINATION WITHOUT THE AGREEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY
Background
This discourse belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha, the code for female monastics in the Early Buddhist tradition. The background of its formulation relates to the earliest stages of the monastic Sangha, when the Buddha was still in the world, together with his female disciples.
During this period, giving ordination to women who wished to go forth was an important matter. Siddhartha accepted the establishment of the Fourfold Assembly, monks, nuns, male lay followers, and female lay followers, after the earnest request of his foster mother Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī. However, to ensure discipline and unity in the pure community, the Buddha established specific rules for conferring bhikkhunī ordination. One of the most important principles was the need for the approval of the Sangha, that is, the whole monastic community.
Main Content
This discourse addresses a specific case: a trained maiden of twenty years of age receives ordination without the agreement of the Sangha. This violates the Vinaya, the legal system of Early Buddhism.
According to the principle, a woman who wishes to go forth must meet certain conditions. First, she must be twenty years old or older. Second, she must be “trained” (sikkhā) in the preceding years, that is, she must have observed the rules for women still undergoing training. Third, and most importantly, the process of ordination must be formally approved by the Sangha through a vote or clear agreement.
If an ordaining group confers ordination without the agreement of the monastic community, that ordination is considered unlawful (aparisuddhā ordination). Although the girl is of age and has been trained, because the final crucial element, the attestation of the Sangha, is lacking, her precept status is still not recognized in the pure community.
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