The Sramanera and Sramanerika Ordination Ceremony: A Summary1
Bhikshu Tenzin Josh
The ceremony of ordination as a sramanera or sramanerika (novice) is conducted
on the basis of having taken the lay precepts of an upasaka/upasika, and
rabjung (renunciation, leaving the householder's life). Then one takes the
novice vow of a sramanera/sramanerika. The ceremony consists of preparation,
actual practice, and conclusion.
1. Preparation
Being free from obstacles
To take ordination, a person must be free from obstacles preventing ordination.
If one is free from the obstacles, he or she may receive the vow. If not,
the vow will not be generated in his or her mind, or if generated, it will
not abide in the mind. Questions regarding a person's suitability for ordination
are asked in the presence of the ordaining bhikshu. One listens and replies
with an undistracted mind. The questions regard the following:
1. One is not a heretic or schismatic.
2. One is not under 15 years of age.
3. If one is under 15 years of age, one is able to scare away crows (i.e.
one is big enough to scare away a gathering of big birds.).
4. If able to scare away crows, one is not under seven years old.
5. One is not a slave.
6. One is not in financial debt.
7. One has permission from one's parents.
8. If one does not have one's parents' permission, one is in distant country
(i.e. it takes more than seven days to contact them.).
9. One is not ill (with a physical or mental disability that would interfere
with monastic life, study and meditation).
10. One has not violated a bhikshuni.
11. One is not living as a thief or spy.
12. One is not of different views (doubting whether to follow Dharma or
not to follow it).
13. One is not abiding in wrong views (non-Buddhist views).
14. One is not a hermaphrodite.
15. One is not a eunuch.
16. One is not a spirit.
17. One is not an animal.
18. One is not involved with a heretic or schismatic.
19. One has not killed one's mother.
20. One has not killed one's father.
21. One has not killed an arhat.
22. One has not caused a schism in the sangha.
23. One has not maliciously drawn blood from the body of a Buddha.
24. One has not committed one of the four defeats (parajika).
25. One is not someone who does not accept the law of cause and effect.
26. One is not crippled.
27. One is not an albino.
28. One is not missing any limbs.
29. One is not a royal servant or favorite of the king.
30. One has permission of the king.
31. If one does not have the permission of the king, one is in a distant
country.
32. One is not renowned as a violent robber.
33. One is not a degraded wrongdoer.
34. One is not of the cobbler caste. [see
note 2]
35. One is not of the lowest caste (blacksmith, fisherman).
36. One is not of the lowest caste of worker.
37. One is not a being other than a human being.
38. One is not a person from the Northern Continent.
39. One is not someone who has changed sex three times.
40. One is not a woman posing as a man or a man posing as a woman.
41. One is not a tyrant.
42. One does not resemble a person born from another continent or world.
If a person is able to reply to each of the questions, '"'I am not,'"'
he or she is suitable to be ordained.
Taking the upasaka/upasika vow
This is done in conjunction with taking refuge. Having prostrated to a representation
of the Buddha, regarding it as the actual Buddha, and then to the preceptor,
one kneels with one's hands in prostration mudra at the heart. The preceptor
explains the proper mental attitude for taking refuge (i.e. caution regarding
the dangers of cyclic existence and faith/confidence in the Triple Gem).
One recites the refuge after the preceptor, saying that one takes refuge
in the Buddhas, the Dharma, and the Sangha for as long as one lives. At
that time, one also receives the five lay precepts of an upasaka/upasika.
Most important is one's mental attitude, thinking with joy, '"'I have
now received the lay precepts, and this is my preceptor.'"'
Rabjung (leaving the lay life of a householder)
This is a prerequisite for novice ordination. First one requests the ordination
and a bhikshu (who has been ordained at least ten years) to be one's abbot.
A bhikshu other than the abbot asks one to prostrate to all the sangha present
and to remove the white clothing of a lay person. He requests the abbot
on one's behalf to be one's abbot and to ordain one. From then on, one refers
to that person as one's abbot. (One removes the white clothing of a lay
person either by changing from white clothes into monastic robes, or symbolically
by wearing and then removing a white kata.). One takes up the name, dress,
signs, and way of thinking of an ordained one. One should now have a zen
(upper robe; the chogu is not yet needed), shamtab (lower robe), dingwa
(seating cloth), bowl (with a few seeds or other food in it so it is not
empty), and water filter (The bowl and water filter may be borrowed. The
robes must be one's own.). These are all determined by the abbot and oneself.
Both hold their left hands below each article and right hands above it,
and do a recitation to determine the article as being one's object of use.
It is explained that the robes are to distinguish one from lay people and
members of other sects and to protect one from insects and the elements.
One should consider them as being only for these purposes (not for beautifying
oneself). The purpose of the other articles is explained, i.e. the bowl
for eating food, the dingwa to distinguish one as a Buddhist monastic and
to protect the community's property when sitting, the water filter to prevent
killing insects when using water. One is aware that now one is shaving the
head and leaving the householder's life. One's hair is cut (prior to coming
to the ceremony, one's head is shaved, leaving a small tuft at the crown,
which is cut now), after which flowers or rice are thrown to rejoice at
one's leaving the householder's life.
One prostrates to the Buddha and the abbot, and then kneels. The abbot advises:
'"'It is excellent to be ordained. There is a great difference between
lay and ordained people. All the Buddhas of the three times become enlightened
only on the basis of ordination. There are none who do so from the basis
of a lay person. One accumulates infinitely more positive potential (merit)
by taking one step towards the monastery with the thought of ordaining than
do the sentient beings of the three worlds by making offerings, even of
their spouses and children, for eons. Due to the distractions of lay life,
lay people are unable to accomplish very meaningful or helpful things for
the future. From this, only future suffering can arise. Through abandoning
these activities and having few possessions, ordained people can cultivate
hearing, thinking and meditating. From this, both temporary happiness and
ultimate nirvana can be reached. One is following in the footsteps of the
Buddha himself.'"' While listening to this advice, have a mind of faith
and belief in the abbot, seeing him as a wise parent and oneself as the
son or daughter.
Upon taking rabjung, one abandons the signs (dress, hair, etc.) and name
of lay life. One takes the name given by the abbot.
The actual recitation involves first taking refuge. Then, one recites
'"'Following the matchless lion of the Shakyas, from now until I die,
I take up the signs and clothes of an ordained one and abandon those of
a lay person.'"' Most important is to feel strongly in one's mind that
one has received the rabjung ordination.
From now on, one should keep the discipline, wear only the monastic robes,
abandon lay clothes, respect the abbot, not wear white or black clothes,
fringes, sleeves, ornaments, or jewels, and not have long hair. One should
eat at correct times and see the abbot as a parent (and the abbot should
regard one as if one were his own child, i.e. the abbot helps to raise the
disciple to become strong and healthy in the Dharma and as a member of the
sangha.)
Taking the sramanera/sramanerika vow.
A. Preparation
Here one requires a chogu (yellow patched robe). One should be free from
the four obstacles:
1. Incorrect place, i.e. the Three Jewels should be there.
2. Incorrect lineage, i.e. one should not have wrong views such as not believing in karma, etc.
3. Incorrect marks, i.e. one should wear ordained clothing.
4. Incorrect thought, i.e. abandon thinking:
The abbot explains the proper motivation, which is the determination
to become free from cyclic existence: '"'Cyclic existence is completely
unsatisfactory. Any realm one is born into, any companions one has, any
possessions one obtains are unsatisfactory and do not bring lasting happiness.
Therefore, develop the determination to become free from cyclic existence
and to attain liberation. The method to do this is to take refuge in the
Triple Gem and to take and keep the precepts.'"' It is very important
to have this attitude; otherwise, it is difficult for the vow to arise.
B. Actual
The vow is then taken by repeating verses after the abbot. At the end, one
thinks strongly that one has received the vow in one's mind and rejoices.
A bhikshu, who acts as the lopon (acharya), checks and announces the exact
time of ordination. From this, one will know where to sit in groups of sangha.
One should prostrate and show respect to those who are older in ordination.
One does not prostrate to those younger or to lay people. There is much
benefit from keeping this practice of order and respect.
Having received the vow, one should now try to live according to it. As
the Buddha said:
For some ethical discipline is joy,
For some ethical discipline is misery.
Possessing the ethical discipline is joy,
Transgressing the ethical discipline is misery.
Then repeat some words after the abbot promising to keep the discipline
of the ten precepts (the four root and six secondary precepts) just as the
arhats of the past have done. The sangha present then say prayers of auspiciousness
and throw flowers or rice. Finish by prostrating to the abbot and all the
bhikshus present.
Notes:
1. This is a brief summary of the important points in the ceremony used in the Mulasarvastivada Vinaya as practiced in Tibetan Buddhism. The ordination ceremony may vary according to the text used.
34-36 refers to those who, due to the caste system in ancient India, would find it difficult to live with other sangha or inspire faith in the laity. There are four types of obstacles to the vow, those inhibiting 1) the arisal or generation of the vow, 2) the abiding of the vow, 3) the increasing in virtue due to the vow, and 4) the capacity or health of an ordained person. In ancient India, those of lower caste had the fourth obstacle. In ancient times, a person of low caste could ordain, but he or she generally did not live in the sangha community.
The Sramanera/Sramanerika Precepts
The Ten Precepts
The sramanera/sramanerika (novice) vow consist of ten precepts, which can
be listed in a more expanded way as thirty-six precepts. The ten are to
abandon:
Precepts 1-4 are root precepts and deal with actions that are by nature
negative. Precepts 6-10 are branch precepts and deal with actions that are
to be avoided because of a precept established by the Buddha.
The Thirty-six Precepts
One should avoid:
1. taking a human life;
2. killing an animal or insect;
3. for selfish reasons, doing an action which may kill an animal or insect
and not caring about it; for example, using water that contains insects
without straining it; digging a hole in the earth without considering the
creatures that might die as a result; cutting grass; overburdening an animal,
which causes its death;
4. while doing something for others, doing an action which may kill an animal
or insect and not caring about it; for example, splashing water which has
insects on a dry place;
5. sexual intercourse;
6. stealing, taking what has not been given. This includes borrowing things
and not returning them, not paying fees and taxes one is required to;
7. lying in which one claims to have spiritual realizations or powers that
one does not have;
8. accusing a pure bhikshu or bhikshuni of transgressing one of the four
root precepts (parajika) when he or she has not;
9. insinuating that a pure bhikshu or bhikshuni has transgressed one of
the four root precepts when he or she has not;
10. causing disunity among the sangha community through untrue slander or
taking sides in a disagreement;
11. supporting someone who is creating disunity in the sangha community,
taking sides in the dispute;
12. doing actions which obliterate lay people's faith in the sangha; for
example complaining untruthfully to lay people that action brought by the
sangha against oneself was unfair;
13. telling others lies;
14. criticizing the storekeeper in the monastery of giving more to those
who are near to him or her instead of sharing them with all, when this is
not the case;
15. criticizing directly or by insinuation that the storekeeper in the monastery
of not giving oneself a share of the food or other things equal to that
given to other monastics, when this is not the case;
16. claiming that a monastic gave a teaching in return for a little food,
which is not the case;
17. criticizing a bhikshu or bhikshuni by saying that he or she transgressed
a precept in the second group (sanghavasesa) when this is not the case;
18. abandoning the training, for example, rejecting the good advice of a
nun or monk; criticizing the Pratimoksha Sutra;
19. covering the vegetables with rice; covering the rice with vegetables;
20. taking intoxicants;
21. singing with self-attachment or for nonsensical reasons;
22. dancing with self-attachment or for nonsensical reasons;
23. playing music with self-attachment or for nonsensical reasons;
24. wearing ornaments;
25. wearing cosmetics;
26. wearing perfumes;
27. wearing the rosary like jewelry, wearing flower garlands;
28. sitting on an expensive throne;
29. sitting on an expensive bed;
30. sitting on a high throne;
31. sitting on a high bed;
32. eating after midday (Exceptions: if one is ill, if one is traveling,
or if one cannot meditate properly without food.);
33. touching gold, silver or precious jewels (includes money);
34. wearing lay people's clothing and ornaments; letting one's hair grow
long;
35. not wearing the robes of a Buddhist monastic;
36. disrespecting or not following the guidance of one's ordination master.
(Precepts 34-36 are called the three degenerating actions.).
Five Conditions Conducive to Keeping One's Precepts
1. External: cultivate a relationship with a spiritual mentor who keeps
pure ethical discipline and who knows the Vinaya well, and rely on his/her
teachings.
2. Internal: develop mindfulness and introspective alertness with a pure
motivation.
3. Know the actions that one has to abstain from.
4. Attend the sojung ceremony to purify and restore the training precepts.
5. Rely on conducive circumstances (shelter, clothes, food, medicine, etc.)
The Ten Precepts as Explained by Thich Nhat Hanh
1. Do not kill living beings (any creatures that move and breathe). Have
compassion and love all beings as a mother loves her children. Do not yourself
kill or tell anyone else to kill. Do not eat meat from animals that have
been killed. When you are overwhelmed by impatience, practice mindfulness
and do not say: '"'It would be better if he were dead!'"' or wish
silently that someone were dead. Consider all beings as your own marrow,
your parents, your children or yourself. Embrace all of them in your heart
with love, and wish all of them liberation from suffering.
2. Do not steal even a small amount of money or things of little value like
hay, wool or grain. Do not take anything which the legitimate owner has
not given you. Do not talk or think too much about buying things. Do not
be carried away by beautiful forms, sounds, scents or tastes so that you
feel you have to have them. Do not crave for clothes. Guard the six senses.
3. Keep your heart and your body pure. Do not talk or think about sexual
behavior in a way which waters the seeds of sexual desire. When your mind
is not attached it is as free as space and knows no obstacles. Be mindful
of the six senses. Your body is made of the four great elements: earth,
water, fire and air. Your body is not you and is always changing. It is
better to keep your mind and your heart free from attachment.
4. Speak only after thinking. Do not spread news that you have not witnessed
with your own eyes or heard with your own ears. Do not fabricate stories
or help others to fabricate. Do not dispute about politics and the situation
in the world. Devote yourself to studying the precepts and mindful manners.
The most important thing to attain is liberation from suffering. Do not
waste your energy in talking about less important things.
5. Monks and nuns are not allowed any kind of alcoholic drinks or intoxicants.
Wine ruins virtue, the family, our health and our life. Someone who is under
the influence of alcohol and drugs does not have the clarity of mind to
meditate and practice mindfulness. If we continue to drink and take drugs,
we shall be bound to the wheel of samsara.
6. Do not adorn yourself with garlands of flowers, perfumes, jewelry, luxurious
or colorful clothes and attractive accessories. Clothes must be simple and
dark in color. Be humble and walk with your head lowered. Instead of thinking
about perfumes and garlands, practice transforming the unwholesome mental
concomitants, and be eager to realize the truth through the teachings in
order to bring happiness to beings.
7. Novices are not allowed to use high seats ornamented with gold, silver
and precious fabrics. Do not desire such luxury, talk about it or make efforts
to acquire it. Do not use elegant mats, painted fans, bracelets or rings.
Liberation from suffering is much more important than these things. You
should practice the path of understanding, be diligent in meditation, grow
in stability, and learn to let go.
8. Do not let yourself be carried away by listening to music and watching
dancing. Your body should be used for serving the Dharma and not sense pleasures.
Use music to honor the Buddha and chant sutras. Let your joy be healthy
and not cause you to be caught in the world. Reading the sutras and meditating
on the deep meaning is a great pleasure. Do not use cars unnecessarily.
Free yourself from attachment, and focus on complete freedom and the vehicle
which will take you out of the fear of impermanence.
9. Do not accumulate or talk with craving about money or precious things.
You have started on the path to perfect purity. The Dharma is your most
precious treasure, and your daily task is to understand more deeply its
meaning. Letting go will free you from ill-being. The practice of letting
go is something you can do for the whole of your life. If you enjoy that
practice, it will remove all the obstacles.
10. Do not eat too much. Do not eat or invite others to eat when the community
is not eating. Do not eat just because the food looks good. Take the foods
which keep you in good health. The joy of meditation is an important spiritual
food.
