Xct Mu Bi Pc 85Ordaining Without Permission

Explanation of the Ananuññāta Sutra (Unauthorized Ordination)

Background

The Ananuññāta Sutra, unauthorized ordination, is a prohibition in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically belonging to the Pācittiya category, the class of moderate rules for bhikkhus. The background for the appearance of this rule is connected with maintaining discipline and order in the Buddha's Sangha.

During the period of establishing the Sangha, the Buddha Śākyamuni laid down specific rules to ensure that ordination would be performed formally and with verification by the monastic community. This was intended to prevent disorder and to ensure that those who put on the robe and call themselves bhikkhus on their own, without formal recognition, would be prohibited.

The foundation of this rule comes from a basic principle of Theravāda Buddhism: respect for communal discipline (Saṅgha), protection of the purity of the Sangha, and maintenance of noble ethical standards.

Main Content

The Ananuññāta rule forbids a bhikkhu from ordaining another person without permission from the monastic community (ananuññātaṃ upasampādenti). Specifically, if a bhikkhu independently gives someone ordination, whether through the conferral of precepts or ceremonies related to becoming a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī, without the consent of the Sangha, that bhikkhu violates this rule.

The principle behind the rule is this: every important decision concerning the admission of a new member into the Sangha must be carried out through a formal procedure. This ensures that those accepted are truly in accordance with ethical standards and observant of the law.

The penalty for violating this rule is Pācittiya, meaning that the offending bhikkhu must attend a communal meeting to confess the fault and amend it. This is not the heaviest penalty, but it reflects the importance of maintaining formal procedure.