Bi Pc 6464. Ordaining a trained candidate without approval
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sikkhita-sikkhamānā-asammata
A nun who ordains a trainee nun without the approval of the Order must confess the offense.
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Commentary on Bi Pc 64: Ordaining a Female Trainee Without the Approval of the Community
Background
This rule is found in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha — the code of ethics designated specifically for bhikkhunīs in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. According to the history of the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Buddha established the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha (the community of female monastics) later than the Bhikkhu Saṅgha, and consequently bhikkhunīs are required to observe a greater number of detailed regulations in order to protect the unity and integrity of the teaching.
In its historical context, the issue addressed by this rule arose when certain bhikkhunīs unilaterally conferred ordination upon female trainees without having obtained the approval of the full Bhikkhunī Saṅgha. Such action violated the principle of communal governance — namely, that all significant decisions within the Saṅgha must be carried out through the collective consent of the assembly. This ensures that the quality of candidates is maintained and that no individual may expand the community in a private or unilateral manner.
Main Content
Rule Bi Pc 64 stipulates that a bhikkhunī is not permitted to ordain a female trainee (sikkhamānā — the Pāli term designating a woman who is undergoing training in the precepts prior to formally receiving the higher ordination of a bhikkhunī) without the approval of the full Bhikkhunī Saṅgha. Should any bhikkhunī perform such an act, she must confess her offense before the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha.
The distinction between a female trainee (sikkhamānā) and a bhikkhunī is significant. The sikkhamānā observes eighty training rules, whereas the bhikkhunī observes three hundred and twenty-seven rules — a more stringent set of precepts. The act of ordaining someone to a higher status is therefore an important decision that concerns the entirety of the Bhikkhunī organization.
The act of conferring ordination without the approval of the assembly is classified as a pācittiya offense — a serious transgression requiring public confession before the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha. This demonstrates that a violation of the communal procedure is regarded as a threat to the integrity of the religious institution.
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