Vinaya Pitaka: Admission of bhikkhunis into the Order

Admission of Bhikkhunųs into the Order

After spending four vassas (residence period during the rains) after his Enlightenment, the Buddha visited Kapilavatthu, his native royal city, at the request of his ailing father, King Suddhodana. At that time, Mahępajępati, Buddha’s foster mother, requested him to admit her into the Order. Mahępajępati was not alone in desiring to join the Order. Five hundred Sakyan ladies whose husbands had left the household life were also eager to be admitted into the Order.

After his father’s death, the Buddha went back to Vesęlų, refusing the repeated request of Mahępajępati for admission into the Order. The determined foster mother of the Buddha and widow of the recently deceased King Suddhodana, having cut off her hair and put on bark-dyed clothes, accompanied by five hundred Sakyan ladies, made her way to Vesęlų where the Buddha was staying in the Mahęvana, in the Kž„ęgęra Hall.

The Venerable Ęnanda saw them outside the gateway of the Kž„ęgęra Hall, dust-laden with swollen feet, dejected, tearful, standing and weeping. Out of great compassion for the ladies, the Venerable Ęnanda interceded with the Buddha on their behalf and entreated him to accept them in the Order. The Buddha continued to stand firm. But when the Venerable Ęnanda asked the Buddha whether women were not capable of attaining Magga and Phala Insight, the Buddha replied that women were indeed capable of doing so, provided they left the household life like their menfolk.

Thereupon Ęnanda made his entreaties again saying that Mahępajępati had been of great service to the Buddha waiting on him as his guardian and nurse, suckling him when his mother died. And as women were capable of attaining the Magga and Phala Insight, she should be permitted to Join the Order and become a bhikkhunų.

The Buddha finally acceded to Ęnanda’s entreaties: "Ęnanda, if Mahępajępati accepts eight special rules, garu-dhammę, let such acceptance mean her admission to the Order."

The eight special rules are:

(i) A bhikkhunų, even if she enjoys a seniority of a hundred years in the Order, must pay respect to a bhikkhu though he may have been a bhikkhu only for a day.

(ii) A bhikkhunų must not keep her rains-residence in a place where there are no bhikkhus.

(iii) Every fortnight a bhikkhunų must do two things: To ask the bhikkhu Saµgha the day of uposatha, and to approach the bhikkhu Saµgha for instruction and admonition.

(iv) When the rains-residence period is over, a bhikkhunų must attend the pavęra¼ę ceremony conducted at both the assemblies of bhikkhus and bhikkhunųs, in each of which she must invite criticism on what has been seen, what has been heard or what has been suspected of her.

(v) A bhikkhunų who has committed a Saµghędisesa offence must undergo penance for a half-month, pakkha męnatta, in each assembly of bhikkhus and bhikkhunųs.

(vi) Admission to the Order must be sought, from both assemblies, by a woman novice only after two year’s probationary training as a candidate.

(vii) A bhikkhunų should not revile a bhikkhu in any way, not even obliquely.

(viii) A bhikkhunų must abide by instructions given her by bhikkhus, but must not give instructions or advice to bhikkhus.

Mahępajępati accepted unhesitatingly these eight conditions imposed by the Buddha and was consequently admitted into the Order.