Lzh Sarv Bi Vb Pc 119Giving Ordination to One Who Keeps Company of Men and Women

Exposition of the Sutta on Giving Ordination to Those Who Keep Close Company With the Opposite Sex

Background

This sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, specifically the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, the discipline for bhikkhunīs. It reflects practical issues that arose when the Buddha was establishing the bhikkhunī community in the early period of Buddhism.

The historical background of this sutta concerns the need to maintain the monastic character and training function of the Sangha. When women wished to go forth, natural questions arose: Were they truly determined to practice, or were they merely seeking to escape family responsibilities? In particular, women who still maintained close relationships with men, whether friends, relatives, or lovers, might have difficulty practicing the bhikkhunī precepts.

The Vinaya Piṭaka records specific cases in which the Buddha and experienced disciples had to face such situations. This sutta is the guidance for handling these cases, intended to protect both the individual monastic and the whole Sangha.

Main Content

The sutta states that when a woman wishes to go forth but still maintains close relationships and has not separated herself from men, the process of granting ordination must be examined more carefully than usual.

Specifically, during the preparation for ordination (sāmaṇerī, a trainee nun), the preceptor (upajjhāyā) and experienced bhikkhunīs must ask clearly whether the candidate is willing to abandon these ties completely. If she cannot promise to observe this, or if there is still doubt about her determination, ordination should not be granted.

The reason for this regulation is very clear: the code for bhikkhunīs contains 311 rules, or 348 rules depending on the tradition, and many of them relate directly to relations with men.