San Lo Bu Pm Pc 71Ordaining Under Twenty

Explanation of the Ūnavīsativassa Discourse (San Lo Bu Pm Pc 71)

Background

The Ūnavīsativassa discourse belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition and is one of the prohibitions (Pācittiya) in the monastic code of the Buddhist Sangha. The Pāli title “Ūnavīsativassa” means “not yet fully twenty years old”; this is the rule concerning the minimum age for a person to be received into going forth according to the formal custom.

In the early history of the Buddhist community, establishing specific criteria for admitting people into the Sangha was extremely necessary. The Buddha did not accept only those who had a sincere mind; he also had to ensure that those received into going forth had the capacity to practice, endure difficulties, and not disturb the monastic community. This rule was therefore established to protect the purity of the Sangha and to ensure that those who go forth possess sufficient maturity to commit to the monastic life.

Main Content

The discourse states that if a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī who has not yet completed twenty years of age is allowed to go forth, or if age is calculated inaccurately, this violates a prohibition (Pācittiya), that is, an offense requiring confession before the Sangha.

The age of twenty years is established as the minimum because it represents physical and mental maturity and the ability to understand the disciplinary rules fully. A person of this age is considered to have enough strength to observe the demanding conditions of monastic life, to endure solitude, the discipline of the Sangha, and bodily trials.

The rule also includes cases involving inaccurate calculation of age, falsehood, or deception about age. If a person not yet fully twenty is permitted to go forth because of negligence or insufficient verification, the preceptor or those witnessing the act must bear responsibility and confess this fault.