Beginning Of Pabbajja
Beginning of Pabbajja
Our Sammāsambuddha the blessed one, the perfected one, the self enlightened one who acted for the well being of everyone in the world including humans and devas attained enlightenment on the full moon day of the month of vaisāka (May) by overcoming the fivefold māra (tempter) arrived at Issipatana in Bārānasī on the full moon day of the month of Asāla (July) which was eight weeks after enlightenment, in order to teach all beings, the profound Dhamma He realized by fulfilling the perfections for a period of four asankheyya (1 and 140 zeros) and one hundred thousand aeons and taught five hermits named Kondañña,Vappa, Bhaddiya, Mahānāma, Assaji as well as devas and brahmas arriving from tens of thousands of world systems, the Dhamma Cakkapawattana sutta beginning “Dve me bhikkhave, antā pabbajitena sevitabbā”. The hermit Kondañña who realized the Dhamma along with eighty-four koti (840 million) devas and Brahmas by listening to this discourse approached the Buddha and requested for pabbajja and upasampadā (higher ordination).Then the Tathāgata uttered “Ehi bhikkhu svākkhāto Dhammo Cara brahma cariyan sammādhukkhassa antakiriyāya”, miraculously the hermit like appearance of Kondañña disappeared in an instant. He appeared as a mahā thero who has been a bhikkhu for sixty years and clad in robes, carrying a bowl, both of which appeared spontaneously. Buddha’s mere expressing of the stanza begining as “Ehi bhikkhu” established the status of pabbajja and upasampadā of the hermit Aññā kondañña. It was the first pabbajja and upasampadā in this Buddha sāsana (dispensation of the Buddha).
Pabbajja and upasampadā so received are called ehi bhikkhu pabbajja and ehi bhikkhu upasampadā. Pabbajja so established, without the shaving of hair of the head, beard, offering of robes, undertaking of precepts cannot be performed by anyone other than a Sammāsambuddha. Similarly, after the pabbajja received by hermit Aññā Kondañña on the full moon day of Asala, having heard the advice and teachings of the Tathagata and attaining the state of sotāpanna (stream enterer), hermit Vappa on the second day, hermit Bhaddiya on the third day, hermit Mahānāma on the fourth day and hermit Assaji on the fifth day received pabbajja form the Tathagata. On the sixth day Anatta lakhana sutta (discourse on non-self) was preached for those five. Listening to this Dhamma all five attained Arahantship by eradicating all defilements. Then there were six Arahants in the world including the Tathāgata.
Thereafter the Tathāgata, ordained by ehi bhikkhu means, Yasa the son of a noble family and his four friends named Wimala, Subāhu, Punnajī and gavampati and a further fifty friends of Yasa who belonged to prestigious families of the state, during that vassāna period. All of them attained Arahantship. Then there were sixty-one Arahants in the world, including the Tathagata. One day the Tathagata addressing the sixty Arahants stated thus, “Bhikkhūs, I have rid myself of all attachments. You have also rid yourselves of all attachments. Bhikkhūs, travel for the benefit of the many people. Nor two should travel the same path. Teach people the Dhamma. There are those who can realize the Dhamma.” Saying so, the Tathāgata sent off the Bhikkhūs in different directions and He also travelled to the state of Uruvelā.
The bhikkhūs who travelled the different states teaching the Dhamma brought to the Tathagata those desirous of receiving pabbajja and higher ordination from various directions and states and the Tathagata personally ordained and conferred higher ordination on them. It was very tiresome for the bhikkhūs and those seeking pabbajja to come all the way to the Buddha. Noticing this the Buddha assembled the Sangha and made the following virtuous address.
Anujanāmi bikkhave, tumheva dāni tāsu tāsu disāsu tesu tesu janapadesu pabbājetha upasampādetha.
Bhikkhūs you may now yourself ordain and confer higher ordination on those who come from various areas and are desirous of receiving pabbajja, in their own localities themselves. This dispensation belongs to the Buddha. Therefore, everything here should be done according to the rules of the Buddha. The Buddha has granted permission to ordain and confer higher ordination on noble sons only to higher ordained bhikkhūs. No one else has permission to ordain others in this sāsana. Desiring to be ordained one cannot receive pabbajja by simply wearing robes himself or with the assistance of anyone who is not an upasampanna bhikkhu (one who has received higher ordination). They are just lay people wearing robes. It is a grave mistake to wear robes in such a manner. Receiving veneration from laity by appearing as a bhikkhu without receiving proper ordination too is a grave offence. Living in temples belonging to the sangha too is an offence.
