Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Pc 108Ordaining Married Girls Under Twelve

Explanation: The Rule on Ordaining Married Girls Under Twelve

Background

This text appears in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, where the rules of practice for the fourfold Buddhist community are recorded. After the Buddha announced the conditions permitting women to go forth as nuns, the bhikkhunī community encountered many practical situations requiring clear guidance. The case of a married girl who was still young and wished to go forth was complex, because in ancient India marriages were sometimes arranged early, though not always in a manner that modern historical standards would regard as lawful.

This regulation reflects the practical judgment of the Buddha and the senior bhikkhunīs in balancing respect for faith with the protection of young girls from harm. It also shows that the rules of practice are not mechanically absolute, but are suited to specific circumstances.

Main Content

This text addresses the question of whether a girl who is married but has not yet reached twelve years of age may be permitted to receive ordination (upasampadā, full ordination). In the Theravāda tradition, the minimum age is often around eighteen or twenty years in order to ensure both physical and mental maturity.

However, in this case, if the girl has a household life, meaning she is married, the matter becomes more complicated. The text states that a girl who has not completed twelve years but is married should not be accepted into the Sangha to receive the full discipline (bhikkhunī-sikkhamānā, a trainee for bhikkhunīhood).

The basic reasons are: (1) she is too young and lacks the maturity to understand and keep the full discipline; (2) being married does not automatically make the girl spiritually or legally mature; (3) the girl must be protected from hasty or coerced decisions.