Bi Ss 22. Ordaining a criminal

Corīvuṭṭhāpikā (The Ordination of an Offender)

Background

The Corīvuṭṭhāpikā belongs to the Bhikkhunī Saṃyutta (Collection of Rules for Bhikkhunīs) within the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda tradition. This text was recorded in order to regulate cases of violation in the conferring of ordination—a solemn ceremony within the Saṅgha, regarded as the gateway into the life of spiritual practice.

In the early history of the Order of Female Monastics, the Blessed One established the Vinaya to ensure the purity and discipline of the Saṅgha. One of its fundamental principles is that those who wish to take refuge in a monastery of bhikkhus or a monastery of bhikkhunīs must possess suitable qualifications. The case recorded in this text reflects a practical situation: a bhikkhunī had conferred ordination upon a woman guilty of a grave offense—specifically, one who had been condemned to death. This action was deemed a transgression, not in accordance with the principles of the Vinaya Piṭaka.

Main Content

According to the rule set forth in this text, when a bhikkhunī confers ordination upon a woman guilty of a particularly serious offense—a corī (a thief or one who has committed a grave crime) who has been executed—that bhikkhunī is subject to a penalty of suspension (Pācittiya or other levels depending on the severity of the transgression). The penalty of "suspension" means that the offender is not permitted to participate in the formal activities of the Saṅgha until the process of confession and expiation is completed and the Saṅgha has accepted her return.

The reasoning behind this rule is clear: ordination is a sacred act, an invitation for someone to enter the life of renunciation grounded in the Five Precepts (Pañcasīla) or higher trainings. To confer ordination upon one guilty of grave wrongdoing—particularly one who has been executed under the law of the world—may undermine the integrity and trustworthiness of this ceremony.