True DhammaLibrary · Community
Bi Pc 802 min read

80. Ordaining without permission from family

Ananuññāta

A nun who ordains a trainee nun who has not been given permission by her parents and husband must confess the offense.

Translated by Bhikkhu Brahmali · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Theravāda VinayaTheravāda Collection on Monastic Law
  • 0.2BhikkhunivibhaṅgaThe Nuns’ Analysis
  • 0.3PācittiyakaṇḍaThe chapter on offenses entailing confession
  • 0.4KumāribhūtavaggaThe subchapter on unmarried women

0.580. AnanuññātasikkhāpadaOrdaining without permission from family

1.0Origin story

1.1Tena samayena buddho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery.1.2Tena kho pana samayena thullanandā bhikkhunī mātāpitūhipi sāmikenapi ananuññātaṁ sikkhamānaṁ vuṭṭhāpeti.At that time the nun Thullanandā gave the full admission to a trainee nun who had neither been given permission by her parents nor by her husband.11.3Mātāpitaropi sāmikopi ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—They complained and criticized her,1.4“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā amhehi ananuññātaṁ sikkhamānaṁ vuṭṭhāpessatī”ti.“How could Venerable Thullanandā give the full admission to that trainee nun without our permission?”

1.5Assosuṁ kho bhikkhuniyo mātāpitūnampi sāmikassapi ujjhāyantānaṁ khiyyantānaṁ vipācentānaṁ.The nuns heard the complaints of the parents and the husband.1.6Yā tā bhikkhuniyo appicchā …pe… tā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti—The nuns of few desires complained and criticized her,1.7“kathañhi nāma ayyā thullanandā mātāpitūhipi sāmikenapi ananuññātaṁ sikkhamānaṁ vuṭṭhāpessatī”ti …pe…“How could Venerable Thullanandā give the full admission to a trainee nun who has neither permission from her parents nor her husband?” …1.8“saccaṁ kira, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī, mātāpitūhipi sāmikenapi ananuññātaṁ sikkhamānaṁ vuṭṭhāpetī”ti?“Is it true, monks, that the nun Thullanandā did this?”

1.9“Saccaṁ, bhagavā”ti.“It’s true, sir.”

1.10Vigarahi buddho bhagavā …pe…The Buddha rebuked her …1.11kathañhi nāma, bhikkhave, thullanandā bhikkhunī mātāpitūhipi sāmikenapi ananuññātaṁ sikkhamānaṁ vuṭṭhāpessati.“How could the nun Thullanandā do this?1.12Netaṁ, bhikkhave, appasannānaṁ vā pasādāya …pe…This will affect people’s confidence …” …1.13evañca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniyo imaṁ sikkhāpadaṁ uddisantu—“And, monks, the nuns should recite this training rule like this:

1.14.0Final ruling

1.14.1PTS 4.335“Yā pana bhikkhunī mātāpitūhi vā sāmikena vā ananuññātaṁ sikkhamānaṁ vuṭṭhāpeyya, pācittiyan”ti.‘If a nun gives the full admission to a trainee nun who has not been given permission by her parents or her husband, she commits an offense entailing confession.’”2

2.1.0Definitions

2.1.1Yā panātiA:
2.1.2yā yādisā …pe…whoever …
2.1.3bhikkhunītiNun:
2.1.4…pe… ayaṁ imasmiṁ atthe adhippetā bhikkhunīti.… The nun who has been given the full ordination in unanimity by both Sanghas through a legal procedure consisting of one motion and three announcements that is irreversible and fit to stand—this sort of nun is meant in this case.
2.1.5Mātāpitaro nāmaParents:
2.1.6janakā vuccanti.the biological parents is what is meant.
2.1.7Sāmiko nāmaHusband:
2.1.8yena pariggahitā hoti.he who possesses her.
2.1.9AnanuññātātiWho has not been given permission:
2.1.10anāpucchā.who has not asked permission.
2.1.11Sikkhamānā nāmaA trainee nun:
2.1.12dve vassāni chasu dhammesu sikkhitasikkhā.one who has trained for two years in the six rules.
2.1.13VuṭṭhāpeyyātiGives the full admission:
2.1.14upasampādeyya.gives the full ordination.2.1.15“Vuṭṭhāpessāmī”ti gaṇaṁ vā ācariniṁ vā pattaṁ vā cīvaraṁ vā pariyesati, sīmaṁ vā sammannati, āpatti dukkaṭassa.If, intending to give the full admission, she searches for a group, a teacher, a bowl, or a robe, or she establishes a monastery zone, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.1.16Ñattiyā dukkaṭaṁ.After the motion, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.32.1.17Dvīhi kammavācāhi dukkaṭā.After each of the first two announcements, she commits an offense of wrong conduct.2.1.18Kammavācāpariyosāne upajjhāyāya āpatti pācittiyassa.When the last announcement is finished, the preceptor commits an offense entailing confession,2.1.19Gaṇassa ca ācariniyā ca āpatti dukkaṭassa.and the group and the teacher commit an offense of wrong conduct.

2.2.0Non-offenses

2.2.1Anāpatti—There is no offense:2.2.2ajānantī vuṭṭhāpeti,if she gives her the full admission without knowing; 2.2.3apaloketvā vuṭṭhāpeti,if she gives her the full admission after permission has been given; 2.2.4ummattikāya,if she is insane; 2.2.5ādikammikāyāti.if she is the first offender.

2.2.6Dasamasikkhāpadaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ.The tenth training rule is finished.

Translator’s notes

  1. According to DOP, the combination na + pi should be understood as “nor”. In the present case the na is represented by the negation an in ananuññāta. We then have a neither-nor sentence, which makes it fit with the rule below. Reading the pi as “and” creates a discrepancy with the rule.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-pc80:1.2

  2. It is often understood that a woman needs permission from both her parents and her husband to ordain as a bhikkhunī. Yet the rule uses the conjunction vā, which can only reasonably be rendered as “or”.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-pc80:1.14.1

  3. The Pali just says dukkaṭa, without specifying that it is an āpatti, “an offense”. Yet elsewhere, such as at Bu Ss 10:2.65, the dukkaṭa is annulled if you commit the full offense of saṅghādisesa. The implication is that in these contexts dukkaṭa should be read as āpatti dukkaṭassa, “an offense of wrong conduct”.

    ↩ pli-tv-bi-vb-pc80:2.1.16