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THE ORDINATION CEREMONY

Learn about the origin, procedure, and requirements of the Buddha's ordination ceremony, including age limit and necessary qualities for ordination aspirants. Discover the step-by-step process and significance of this sacred ritual in Buddhism.

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THE ORDINATION CEREMONY

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  1. THE ORDINATION CEREMONY

  2. The history and procedure of an ordination ceremony is as follows: Gotama Buddha attained Buddha hood on the full-moon day of Kason and delivered the first sermon, Dhammacakkapavattanasutta, to pañcavaggiya in Migadāya on the full-moon day of Wazo. • On that same day, Venerable Koṇḍañña, who was the leader of the group, realized the truth of Buddha’s teaching and became an ehibhikkhu. • On the first waning-moon day, Venerable Vappa became an ehibhikkhu, on the second Venerable Bhaddiya, on the third Venerable Mahanāma and on the fourth Venerable VenerableAssaji respectively.

  3. Following them, Yasa, a rich man’s son, and four of his friends and another fifty of their friends became “ehibhikkhus”, too. • When Buddha said the words beginning with “ehibhikkhu”, request makers became bhikkhus. • Those who became bhikkhus at these words of Buddha are “ehibhukkhus”. These “ehibhikkhus” were to become arahats in the same life.

  4. As Buddha himself uttered “ehibhikkhu” and ordained people as “ehibhikkhus”, saṃgha brought to Buddha others who wanted to be ordained. • So, to save them the trouble of bringing would-be bhikhus to him, Buddha allowed bhikhus to ordain recruits with tisaraṇa. • The procedure of ordination was similar to that of Rāhula mentioned earlier. • Bhikkhusordained in this way were called those who became bhikkhus by receiving tisaraṇa.

  5. Later Buddha cancelled his permission to perform ordination by means of tisaraṇa and established a new practice, that is, ordination by means of ñatticatuttha-kammavācā. • In ordination by tisaraṇa, a would-be sāmaṇera could be ordained by only one bhikkhu, but in ordination by ñatticatutthakammavācā, a would-be sāmaṇera could only be ordained by a group of monks. • To make ordination easy, an ordination hall is necessary. • The number of monks required for an ordination ceremony is ten in Majjhima province in India, and in other regions such as Siri Lanka and Myanmar, it is five at least.

  6. At this point, the expression “ñatticatutthakammavācā” needs a little clarification. “ñatti” means “let it be known” or “announce”. “Kammavācā” means “stating that a deed is done”. • In brief, the group of saṃgha say, “We will ordain this would-be bhikkhu so-and-so under the upajjhāya so-and-so. • If everyone agrees to that, please keep silent. • And if anyone disagrees, please speak out.

  7. In an ordination ceremony, the question as to whether the audiences agrees or disagree is asked three times. • If nobody objects when asked three times, the ceremony is successful. • Therefore, after asking the question three times, the announcement that ‘the would-be sāmaṇera has become a real sāmaṇera under the upajjhāyo so-and-so’ is uttered. • If the utterances in an act of ordination are counted backwards, the “ñatti” is the fourth statement. • This is why it is called “ñatticatuttha-kammavācā”.

  8. Ordaining Age • In the religious order of Buddhism, when Buddha gave permission to perform Ordination for the first time, there was no limit as to the age. • However, when seventeen boys led by Upāli were Ordinate, they rose early the next morning and asked for food. When they could not get food, they cry noisily. When Buddha heard this, he said that one who was not yet twenty could not stand hunger and ailment. Only when one was twenty would one be able to stand the hardships of life (lokadhamma). • So, Buddha prescribed that only those who were already twenty were allowed to become bhikkhus.

  9. Other requirements for a would-be bhikkhu • A would-be bhikkhu who had already turned twenty must have the following qualities. • (1) Being free from five types of kuṭṭha: leprosy, boils, dry leprosy, consumption, and fits, • (2) Being human, • (3) Being a man, • (4) Not being a slave, • (5) Being free from debt, • (6) Not being a service personnel, • (7) Having approval from parents, • (8) Having three sets of robes and one begging bowl of his own, • (9) Having an upajjhāya.

  10. Theprocedure of Ordination • On the day the ordination ritual would take place, members of the required group of saṃgha, the would-be bhikkhu and the upajjhāya gathered in the khaṇḍa ordination hall of the monastery. • The would-be bhikkhu, with a complete set of bowl and robes, is asked to sit in the centre of the group and to nominate an upajjhāya. • Then he is to proclaim, one by one, that the bowl, the upper robe, the lower robe and the double rope are his own.

  11. Then comes the required ñatti. When reciting ñattikammavācā, it is proclaimed that, for simplicity’s sake, the upajjhāya is called not by his real name but by the name Tissa, and similarly, the would-be bhikkhu is called by the name Nāga. • Then the would-be bhikkhu is told to walk out of the group and stand at a respectful distance. • He stands up putting both palms together, backing out to a respectful distance and stands there. • A bhikkhu requests the group of saṃgha to allow him to teach the would-be bhikkhu things concerning ordination, and goes to where the would-be bhikkhu is standing, and teaches him how to answer when asked the above questions about requirements for monkish.

  12. After that, the would-be bhikkhu is told that he can now come back to the centre of the group. • Thus when he was back in the centre, he requests permission to become a bhikkhu three times, putting the palms together. • At that time, the bhikkhu who taught the would-be one earlier, asks him questions such as “Are you free from five kinds of diseases?”

  13. After questioning, as they find that the would-be bhikkhu meets the conditions, three bhikkhus, each with a kammavācā in his hand, read the ñattikamma-vācā beginning with “suṇātu me bhante”. I • f kammavācā has been recited three times and there is no bhikkhu who makes an objection, then it is proclaimed that the would-be bhikkhu has become a bhikkhu proper. • Usually, in order for the kammavācā to be correct in stress, rhythm and intonation, it is recited in three readings, by three bhikkhu at one reading.

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