San Lo Bi Vb Pc 97Ordaining Untrained Unmarried Girls
Pāli / Sanskrit:Paripuṇṇavīsativassa-asikkhita-kumāribhūta
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Explanation of the San Lo Bi Vb Pc 97 Scripture
On Seeking Ordination for Untrained Girls
Context
The San Lo Bi Vb Pc 97 scripture (Paripuṇṇavīsativassa-asikkhita-kumāribhūta) is one of the detailed rules belonging to the Vinaya Piṭaka of Theravāda Buddhism, in which regulations are recorded concerning seeking ordination for girls. The context in which this rule arose is connected with bhikkhunīs receiving those who wished to go forth, in order to ensure that such persons were truly qualified and ready for the path of practice.
According to the traditional Vinaya Piṭaka, receiving a female candidate for ordination is not a simple act. It requires careful consideration of age, mental health, motivation for practice, and the ability to observe the disciplinary rules. In particular, girls who have not been trained (asikkhita) in monastic ceremonies and virtues need to be properly prepared before being formally received.
Main Content
Rule Pc 97 deals with a specific case: seeking ordination for a girl of full age (paripuṇṇavīsativassa, twenty years complete), but who has not been trained (asikkhita) in the procedures of the Sangha and lacks experience in religious training (kumāribhūta, still naive, still immature). The scripture records that if a bhikkhunī receives such a girl for ordination without certification or consent from the bhikkhunī community, or without following the proper preparatory process, that bhikkhunī commits a pācittiya offense, a type of violation requiring confession.
The core of the rule is to protect gradual development. An untrained girl needs to learn the basic virtues, understand the monastery, and demonstrate that she can adapt to a celibate life of practice before formally becoming a bhikkhunī. If this preparatory stage is bypassed, the girl may not be sufficiently ready psychologically or spiritually, leading to abandonment of the monastic place or violation of the disciplinary rules.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.