PERSONS SUITED AND UNSUITED FOR ORDINATION

Not all persons are suitable for ordination. Therefore, the teacher giving pabbajja should select and ordain only suitable persons.

Catamite, Hermophrodite, Person who has donned robes without pabbajja, One who has accepted another religion, An animal like naga or deva, Matricide, Patricide, Killer of Arahants, Person who has shed Bhuddha’s blood, Person who has caused schism among bhikkhūs, violator of bhikkhuni chastity are eleven types of people totally unsuitable for ordination. Even if they are ordained unknowly, pabbajja will not be valid in them. If one has been ordained without prior knowledge, such a person must be disrobed when the unsuitability is discovered. If a bhikkhu ordains such a person knowingly, it will be an offence.

“Na bikkhave, hatthacchinno pabbājetabbo, na pādacchinno pabbajetabbo” by which thirty-two other types such as individuals with incomplete hands are prohibited from being ordained. If a bhikkhu ordains any such person pabbajja will be valid for him. However, the bhikkhu who ordained will have commited an offence. “Na bikkhave ananuññāto mātā pitūhi putto pabbajetebbo. Yo pabbajeyya āpatti dukkañassa”. Even though a person may be devoid of shortcomings mentioned above, the Tathagata has said that he should not be ordained without the consent of the parents. If ordained, pabbajja will be valid. The bhikkhu who ordained will have commited an offence.

According to vinaya rules, apart from the exclusions mentioned above there are several other matters to be considered regarding ordination. Teachers who ordain pupils should consider such matters and select persons suitable for ordination. There are people who try to receive pabbajja for various reasons. Some in-disciplined people who cannot even live happily with parents, brothers and sisters; solely due to such inability to live peacefully with others seek ordination. Still others who suffer mental distress due to their failure in realizing expectations, try to ordain. Some due to rejection and demeaning by relatives because of birth defects try to receive pabbajja. Some who seek to fullfil indecent expectations under cover of the robe seek ordination. Some seek ordination as an easy means of livelihood. Some try to ordain their children in order to fullfil their own expectations. There are those who have heard or read of noble characters that achieved arahantship, absorptions and performed miraculous things like journeying through the air with psychic powers and wish to achieve the same themselves and seek ordination. People who seek ordination with such unsuitable and foolish intentions may sometimes cause problems for their teachers and other bhikkhūs, if they are ordained. This can result in difficulties even for lay benefactors of temples. It must be stated that aforementioned people are also unsuitable for ordination.

Even among those who seek ordination in good faith with the sole intention of releasing themselves from the suffering in sansāra (circle of births and deaths) and attaining nibbana, there are people who are evil and cannot be controlled by anyone. Faith is something that increases and decreases, appears and disappears from time to time. It will not remain the same in ordinary worldlings (putujjana) at all times. The immoral person will remain a good bhikkhu so long as his faith remains at a high level. His evil nature will begin to surface when faith wanes and disappears. Sometimes when such people are ordained they will cause harm to the teachers and other bhikkhūs by destroying the utensils and setting fire to the temple itself as happened in the case of the Ven. Maha Kassapa’s pupil.

Only those who are patient, can live peacefully with others, have equitable thoughts, given to loving kindness and compassion, with a tendency to accept the advice of teachers, faithful to teachers, honest and virtuous persons from among those who seek pabbajja with the intention of release from the sansāra and the attainment of nibbana should be ordained. Such persons will improve themselves in the Buddha sāsana. They are the ones who will light up the Buddha sāsana.