How to perform ordination

Evan ca pana bikkhave, pabbājetabbo, upasampādetabbo, paIhaman kesamassun ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā ekausan uttarāsaugan kārāpetvā bhikkhunan pade vandāpetvā ukkuIikan nisīdāpetvā añjhalin paggauhāpetvā evan vadehīti vattabbo. Buddhan sarauan gacchāmi. Dhamman sarauan gacchāmi. Saughan sarauan gacchāmi. Dutiyampi Buddhan sarauan gacchāmi. Dutiyampi Dhamman sarauan gacchāmi. Dutiyampi Saughan sarauan gacchāmi. Tatiyampi Buddhan sarauan gacchāmi. Tatiyampi Dhamman sarauan gacchāmi. Tatiyampi Saughan sarauan gacchāmiti. Anujāmi bhikkhve, imehi tīhi saraua gamanehi pabbajjan upasampadanti.

(Mahā vagga mahā khandhaka)

 Bhikkhūs this is how ordination must be done, this is how higher ordination must be conferred. First, hair and beard must be shaved. Dress with robes, having the single robe (uttarāsangā) covering one shoulder and squatting with the palms clasped together and made to recite Buddhan saracan gacchāmi – upto – tatiyampi Saghan saracan gacchāmi. Oh Bhikkhūs! Refuge in these three constitutes pabbajja and higher ordination, is its meaning.

At the early period of the Buddha sāsana, merely taking refuge in the triple gem was approved for pabbajja and higher ordination. As the number of bhikkhūs increased very much due to the development of the Buddha sāsana, receiving higher ordination by merely taking refuge in the triple gem was rejected by the Buddha.

Yā sā bikkhave, mayā tīhi sarauagamanehi upasampadā anuññātā, tāhan ajjatagge paIikkhipāmi. Anujāmi bikkhave,ñ atticatutthena kammena upsampadan.

(Mahā vagga mahā khandhaka)

Instead, ñapticaturtha kamma upasampadā was enforced. (That is reciting the motion once and reciting the hearing, three times). As there was no change made regarding ordination, taking pabbajja by taking refuge is maintained up to date.

Three activities of shaving the head and beard, donning of robes and taking refuge constitute the ordination. After this performance, the one who seeks pabbajja becomes a sāmacera (novice bhikkhu). The first act to be performed is the shaving of the head, if the person has already shaved the head, he may be ordained without reshaving. If a bhikkhu is to cut or cause to be cut even a single hair that is longer than two finger breadths (dvagulam), then all bhikkhūs within the premises must be assembled, the person seeking ordination produced before the sangha and the bhikkhu who is to shave the hair must recite “Imassa bhacdukamman āpucchāmi”, once, twice or three  times and should get the approval before cutting the hair. When assembling the bhikkhūs is troublesome, it is suitable to visit them individually and inform. If there are many bhikkhūs in the village sīma the person seeking ordination is taken to a baddha sima and the bhikkhūs informed. A bhikkhu who shaves head hair longer than two finger’s width, of a person seeking ordination without informing all the bhikkhūs incurs a dukkhata āpatti (minor offence).

It is better to perform the shaving of the head of a person to be ordained personally by the teacher or by another under his instructions. If the teacher is doing the shaving himself, he should do so while teaching the “Tacapañcaka Kammaiihāna” (fivefold working ground). If another person is doing the shaving, the teacher should stand by and explain the five fold working ground. This is a very important matter.

“Tacapañcaka kammaññhana” is the foundations of mindfulness (satipatthana Bhavanā) with regard to the body that involves the contemplation of the hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth and the skin. The teacher should explain this kindly and clearly. A lock of hair should be given to be held by the pupil and told “child, look at this hair. Direct your mind towards it. The colour of this hair is also ugly. Shape is also ugly; they are ugly because of bad smell, ugly because they arise from blood, pus, excreta, urine, bile and phlegm. This hair is also ugly as it arises with dirty materials such as body hair, nails and teeth.” The loathsome nature of hair must be so explained. The loathsome nature of the other four parts namely body hair, nails, teeth, and skin should be explained as well. Things explained at this time will be firmly embedded in the mind of the person being ordained. Therefore, some noble sons who had practised meditation during their previous births have overcome all defilements and attained Arahantship by contemplating this subject of meditation just as the shaving is concluded. Even if he does not attain Arahantship, the subject of meditation explained at this time will remain firmly fixed in his mind. It will serve him in good stead in the future. This is a matter, which should not be forgotten by the teachers. Subsequent to the shaving of the head and beard, the pabbajja seeker should be washed well with soap and bathed to remove lay odour. If the person is able to wash himself, he should be allowed to do so.

The person seeking pabbajja after cleansing himself by bathing should go to the place of pabbajja and if his parents are present worship them at their feet and bid farewell; if any relatives are present he should also bid farewell to them and go before the sangha and worship them and then kneel down in front of the preceptor with the robes in hand to request pabbajja by uttering.

Okasa; ahan bhante, pabbajjan yācāmī Dutiyampi ahan bhante, pabbajjan yācāmī Tatiyampi ahan bhante, pabbajjan yācāmī

Thereafter the robes must be handed to the preceptor after saying the following.

Sabba dhukkha nissaraua nibbāna sacchikarauatthāya iman kāsāvan gahetvā pabbājetha man bhante, anukampan upādāya. Dutiyampi Sabba dhukka nissaraua nibbāna sacchikarauatthāya iman kāsāvan gahetvā pabbājetha man bhante, anukampan upādāya. Tatiyampi Sabba dhukka nissaraua nibbāna sacchikarauatthāya iman kāsāvan gahetvā pabbājetha man bhante, anukampan upādāya

The meaning of which is, have compassion towards me, accept these robes and ordain me to enable me attain Nibbāna which is the extinguishing of all suffering. The following should then be uttered in requesting pabbajja once again.

Sabba dhukka nissaraua nibbāna sacchikarauatthāya etan kāsāvan datvā pabbājetha man bhante, anukampan upādāya. Dutiyampi Sabba dhukka nissaraua nibbāna sacchikarauatthāya iman kāsāvan datva pabbājetha man bhantē, anukampan upādāya. Tatiyampi Sabba dhukka nissaraua nibbāna sacchikarauatthāya iman kāsāvan datva pabbajetha man bhante, anukampan upādāya

The meaning of which is, have compassion towards me, and give these robes and ordain me to enable me attain Nibbāna which is the extinguishing of all suffering.

When the request is made, three times as stated above the bhikkhu should dress the pabbajja seeker personally with the robes or request another to do so or hand back the robes asking him to do it himself. Giving the robes in any one of the three methods is considered, as being handed back by the bhikkhu. While doning the robes he must reflect that it is done to protect oneself from cold, heat and insects such as flies and mosquitoes. If the person being ordained does not know this, the preceptor must make him say it.

After receiving the robes as above and covering one shoulder with the uttarāsangha he should pay respects to the bhikkhūs present and scot in front of the preceptor, and observe pabbajja ten precepts including the refuge in the triple gem.