Bu Pc 6565. Ordaining a person under twenty
Pāli / Sanskrit:Ūnavīsativassa
A monk who acts as preceptor for anyone under twenty must confess the offense. And the ordination is invalid.
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Ūnavīsativassa Sutta: On the Full Ordination of One Who Has Not Yet Reached Twenty Years of Age
Background
The Ūnavīsativassa (Pāli: ūnavīsati = not yet twenty, vassa = years of renunciation) is a rule within the Pātimokkha—the foundational code of discipline of the Theravāda monastic community. This rule is recorded among the Bhikkhu Pācittiya offenses, those transgressions requiring public confession, reflecting the profound concern of the Buddha-Dharma for safeguarding the system of ordination and ensuring the spiritual quality of the Sangha community.
The historical formation of this rule is connected to specific events during the time when the Buddha was still present in the world. There were incidents in which certain young individuals were given full ordination before they had attained sufficient physical and psychological maturity, giving rise to problems concerning discipline and spiritual development. From this, the Blessed One established a clear rule: only those who have completed twenty years of age are permitted to formally receive full ordination into the monastic community.
Principal Content
This rule stipulates that if a preceptor (the bhikkhu fulfilling the role of khammar—the one who guides and confers ordination) proceeds to fully ordain a person under twenty years of age, that act is regarded as a Pācittiya offense. Notably, not only is that erroneous act prohibited, but the ordination itself is considered invalid (abhabba—without legal effect).
This means that those who have received full ordination before reaching the required age will not be officially recognized as bhikkhus or bhikkhunis within the monastic system. They must undergo the ordination process again once they have reached twenty years of age for it to be valid. The preceptor must perform public confession (patidesanā) before an assembly of the Sangha as an acknowledgment of this offense.
The rule does not distinguish between intentional and unintentional cases—even if the preceptor was unaware that the candidate was underage, or if the error arose from a misunderstanding, the offense is nonetheless recorded. However, the recognition (sammuti—formal consent) of the Sangha and the specific circumstances may influence the manner in which the matter is handled.
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