San Lo Bi Vb Pc 94Twelve Years of Seniority Without Approval
Pāli / Sanskrit:Paripuṇṇadvādasavassa-asammata
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Explanation of the Paripuṇṇadvādasavassa-asammata Scripture
Context
This scripture belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda tradition of the Buddha-Dharma, where regulations concerning spiritual standing and the discipline of the monastic community are recorded. The Pāli title "Paripuṇṇadvādasavassa-asammata" means "Twelve years of practice without having been approved," reflecting an important juridical situation in the history of the Sangha.
The originating context of the scripture concerns the recognition and approval (sammata) of the status of members of the Sangha. In Theravāda Buddhism, when a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī completes the course of training from going forth until official recognition by the Sangha, acts of approval (kammavācā) must be performed. If, for any reason, this process is delayed or left incomplete, that practitioner falls into the state of being "unapproved" (asammata), which affects their legal standing within the community.
This scripture records the case of a bhikkhu who had practiced for twelve years, yet because of difficulties or disputes within the Sangha, the act of approval had not been completed. This is a subtle legal issue, for twelve years is a sufficiently long period to demonstrate the practitioner's commitment, but without official recognition, his status remains unclear.
Main Content
The scripture records the condition and legal consequences of a bhikkhu living in the Sangha for twelve years without having been formally approved by the Sangha. This issue raises important questions regarding the status, rights, and obligations of the practitioner.
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, one who has not been approved does not enjoy certain privileges of official members of the Sangha. They cannot participate in important Sangha decisions (kammavācā), are not fully equal in the distribution of monastery property (bhattapiṇḍa), and their status may be reviewed at any time.
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