Bi Pc 6363. Ordaining an untrained candidate
Pāli / Sanskrit:Asikkhita-sikkhamānā
A nun who ordains a trainee nun who has not completed her training must confess the offense.
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Bi Pc 63: Ordaining an Untrained Probationer
Background
This rule appears in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha (the Code of Discipline for nuns), an important part of the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda tradition. The ordination of a nun is a sacred act of great responsibility, as it marks the transition from a state of probationary training to full membership in the Saṅgha.
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, before being ordained as a bhikkhunī, a female novice must pass through a period of training as a probationer (sikkhamānā). This training period is intended to ensure that the candidate is sufficiently prepared in terms of mental disposition, morality, and understanding of the Dhamma, so that she is capable of fully observing the forty-three rules that a bhikkhunī must uphold.
Main Content
Bi Pc 63 stipulates that: if a bhikkhunī ordains a sikkhamānā who has not completed the prescribed period of training (asikkhita-sikkhamānā), the ordaining bhikkhunī must confess an offense (pāpatti-samuccaya). This is one of the minor offenses (pācittiya) that a bhikkhunī must acknowledge and confess before the Saṅgha.
This means that the sikkhamānā must complete her entire training period—including the observance of the precepts, the study of the Dhamma and the development of wisdom, as well as the demonstration of steadiness in conduct and character—before being formally ordained. If one proceeds hastily without ensuring these conditions are met, the act of ordination will incur the pācittiya offense.
This rule reflects core principles of the Vinaya Piṭaka: respect for proper procedure, care for the quality of the Saṅgha, and ensuring that each new member is genuinely prepared to affirm a wholehearted commitment to the Buddha-Dhamma. Adherence to this condition is a form of reverence both for the Dhamma and for the sikkhamānā herself.
Practical Significance
Although this canonical text is established for bhikkhunīs, the lessons in governance and responsibility that it conveys are timeless.
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