Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Pc 116Ordaining Married Girls Under Twenty
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ūnavīsativassa-kumāribhūta
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Sutta on Ordaining Married Girls Who Are Not Yet Twenty
Background
This rule appears in the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the analysis of the Bhikkhunī rules, of the Sutta Vibhaṅga, belonging to the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka. It regulates complex cases related to allowing young women to go forth. In the context of early Buddhism, recording the age and marital status of those requesting ordination was extremely important in order to ensure the stability of the Sangha and adherence to the ethical principles of practice.
This regulation reflects the practical challenges that arose as Buddhism spread in communities with different social customs. People in India at that time often married early, especially girls. Therefore, the Sangha needed specific guidelines for handling cases in which a girl was already married but still very young.
Main Content
The regulation on ordaining married girls who are not yet twenty (ūnavīsativassa-kumāribhūta) is part of the Pātimokkha, the prohibitions in the discipline. Specifically, if a bhikkhunī ordains, or recognizes as a bhikkhunī, a girl who is married but not yet twenty years old, this act is considered a violation of one of the serious rules.
The reason for this regulation is twofold. First, the age of twenty is considered the minimum for a person to have sufficient mental and physical maturity to commit to the monastic life for life. Second, if a girl is already married, her going forth may cause legal and social disputes, threatening the harmony of the Sangha. Therefore, the Sangha must require the consent of the husband or wait until the girl reaches the legal age according to social regulations.
Acts violating this regulation are recorded among the Pācitta Vatta, offenses requiring confession, that is, violations requiring the offender to confess and recognize her fault before the Sangha.
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