Bi Pc 8181. Ordaining after consent expires
Pāli / Sanskrit:Pārivāsika
A nun who ordains a trainee nun after the consent of the Order has expired must confess the offense.
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Pārivāsika: Ordaining After the Approval Has Expired
Background
This text is recorded in the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha (the Rule for Nuns), belonging to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. Within the monastic community of Buddhism, ordination is a solemn event governed by strict regulation. When a female practitioner wishes to receive novice disciples (sāmanerī), she must obtain the approval of the entire Sangha through a formal public declaration made three times.
This approval is not permanent—it has a definite time limit. The Pārivāsika addresses the case of a nun who, whether through negligence or inadvertence, commits a transgression by receiving and conferring ordination upon a female novice after her period of approval has expired. This is a disciplinary offense (dukkaṭa) regarded as a violation subject to penance (pārivāsa)—a penalty requiring her to perform public expiation.
Principal Content
According to the rules of Sangha discipline, when a nun has been granted approval by the Sangha to confer ordination upon female practitioners, that approval is valid only for a specified period of time. After this period concludes, she no longer has the authority to perform ordination without seeking renewed approval from the Sangha.
If a nun exceeds this time limit and proceeds to ordain a female novice—whether knowingly or not—such conduct is regarded as an offense. The fault does not lie in her wish to instruct or care for female practitioners, which is an expression of compassion, but in her disregard for the prescribed procedures of the Sangha.
The Theravāda Vinaya emphasizes that order and harmony are the foundation of the monastic community. Each rule is established not to constrain, but to protect the purity, mutual respect, and integrity of those who are received as disciples. When one sets aside the rules, even with good intention, one breaks the trust of the Sangha.
The penalty for this conduct is pārivāsa—a period of public expiation.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.