San Sarv Bu Pm Tf 11 Pc 72Ordaining Under Twenty

The Ūnavīsativassa Discourse (Ordaining Under Twenty) — An Explanation

Context

This discourse is recorded in the Pāli Canon, specifically in the Vinaya Piṭaka, in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha or Pātidesanīya section. These are training rules related to bhikkhunīs in the Sangha community.

The historical context of this rule arose in the early period after Śākyamuni Buddha allowed women to go forth as bhikkhunīs. Yet not everyone was mature enough to commit to this spiritual way of life. One issue that arose was that some women who were too young wished to go forth, or some who had already gone forth later discovered that they were not ready physically or psychologically. This led to difficulties for the Sangha and affected the concentration of the young bhikkhunīs themselves.

The Buddha, with unsurpassed wisdom, established a clear rule regarding the minimum age for ordination as a bhikkhunī, in order to protect both the individual and the community of practice.

Main Content

The Ūnavīsativassa discourse, Ordaining Under Twenty, states that a woman may not be ordained as a bhikkhunī if she has not reached twenty years of age (ūna-vīsati-vassa, meaning "less than twenty years old"). Age is counted from birth, according to the reckoning in ancient Indian tradition.

There are many dimensions to the reason this rule was established. First, a person under twenty is often not mature enough physically and psychologically to commit to a way of life filled with austerity and spiritual practice. Second, this age is the boundary that the Buddha regarded as appropriate for assessing the true determination of one who wishes to go forth, a time when character has become more stable than in adolescence.

If a woman under twenty wishes to become a bhikkhunī, she is not completely forbidden. Instead, she becomes a Sāmaṇerī (沙弥尼, a novice nun), that is, a trainee within the community of practice under the guidance of an accomplished bhikkhunī.