Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Dh Pc 124Not Ordaining Trainees After Promising
Pāli / Sanskrit:Cīvaradāna-sikkhamānana-vuṭṭhāpana
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The Vinaya Discourse on Not Ordaining Female Trainees After Making a Promise
Background
This discourse is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the section on offenses in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha recitation, reflecting a legal situation in the community of monks and nuns during the Buddha’s lifetime. The Vinaya Piṭaka is the most fundamental part of the holy Dharma, prescribing a stable way of life for those who have gone forth, helping to manage the monastery and protect the purity of the monastic community.
This situation arose when nuns promised a woman that they would raise her to the status of a female trainee (sikkhamānā, one who undertakes training in five or six precepts), but then did not fulfill the promise. The violation of this commitment was regarded as a fault requiring restraint through rules of mindfulness and ethics.
Main Content
The discourse states clearly: if a nun has promised to ordain a woman as a female trainee but then does not do so, this is a blameworthy violation. The fault is classified at the level of Pāyantika, offenses requiring confession before the community.
The reason this discourse was established is to protect honesty and trustworthiness in commitments related to practice. When nuns promise to ordain a female trainee, an important step on the path of practice, this means the monastic community recognizes the spiritual preparation and virtue of that candidate. If the promise is not fulfilled, not only is the woman harmed in spirit, but trust in the monastic community as a whole is weakened.
The discourse emphasizes the necessity of mindfulness (sati) when making any commitment, especially in the religious sphere, where speech reflects wisdom and ethics. If the promise cannot be fulfilled for legitimate reasons, such as illness or unavoidable circumstances, the nun must inform the person early and frankly, and must not remain silent or abandon the matter without explanation.
Practical Meaning
In the practice of Early Buddhism, this Vinaya discourse teaches us a valuable lesson about truthfulness and responsibility.
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