Upasampada
Encyclopedia
Upasampadā literally means "approaching or nearing the ascetic tradition." In more common parlance it specifically refers to the rite of ordination by which one undertakes the Buddhist
monastic
life.
According to Buddhist monastic codes (Vinaya
), a person must be 20 years old in order to become a monk or nun. A person under the age of 20 years cannot undertake upasampada (i.e., become a monk (bhikkhu
) or nun (bhikkhuni
)), but can become a novice (m. samanera
, f. samaneri
). (To see how a person sets out to gain upasampada, see pabbajja
or "adopting the condition of mendicancy.") After a year or at the age of 20, a novice will be considered for the upasampada.
Certain organizations may require a person to practice in a semi-renounced state for a set period of time for the sake of preparation and cultural familiarization.
The strictures surrounding upasampada are different for samaneras and samaneris.
Traditionally, the upasampada ritual is performed within a well demarcated and consecrated area called sima (sima malaka) and needs to be attended by a specified number of monks - "ten or even five in a remoter area" (Peter Skilling, How Buddhism invented Asia, 2009).
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
monastic
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
life.
According to Buddhist monastic codes (Vinaya
Vinaya
The Vinaya is the regulatory framework for the Buddhist monastic community, or sangha, based in the canonical texts called Vinaya Pitaka. The teachings of the Buddha, or Buddhadharma can be divided into two broad categories: 'Dharma' or doctrine, and 'Vinaya', or discipline...
), a person must be 20 years old in order to become a monk or nun. A person under the age of 20 years cannot undertake upasampada (i.e., become a monk (bhikkhu
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
) or nun (bhikkhuni
Bhikkhuni
A bhikkhuni or bhikṣuṇī is a fully ordained female Buddhist monastic. Male monastics are called bhikkhus. Both bhikkhunis and bhikkhus live by the vinaya...
)), but can become a novice (m. samanera
Samanera
A samanera ) may be translated as novice monk in a Buddhist context. The literal meaning is 'small samana', that is, small renunciate where 'small' has the meaning of boy or girl. In the Vinaya monastic discipline, a man under the age of 20 cannot ordain as a bhikkhu, but can ordain as a samanera...
, f. samaneri
Samaneri
A samaneri is a novice Buddhist nun, who lives according to the ten precepts. Male novices are called samaneras. A woman is to be ordained, according to Theravada tradition, by both a monk and a nun, first as a samaneri. After a year or at the age of 20, she will be ordained as a full bhikkhuni....
). (To see how a person sets out to gain upasampada, see pabbajja
Pabbajja
Pabbajja literally means "to go forth" and refers to when a layperson leaves home to live the life of a Buddhist renunciate among a community of monks . This generally involves preliminary ordination as a novice...
or "adopting the condition of mendicancy.") After a year or at the age of 20, a novice will be considered for the upasampada.
Certain organizations may require a person to practice in a semi-renounced state for a set period of time for the sake of preparation and cultural familiarization.
The strictures surrounding upasampada are different for samaneras and samaneris.
Traditionally, the upasampada ritual is performed within a well demarcated and consecrated area called sima (sima malaka) and needs to be attended by a specified number of monks - "ten or even five in a remoter area" (Peter Skilling, How Buddhism invented Asia, 2009).
See also
- Sangha#Ordination process
- PabbajjaPabbajjaPabbajja literally means "to go forth" and refers to when a layperson leaves home to live the life of a Buddhist renunciate among a community of monks . This generally involves preliminary ordination as a novice...
: "going forth," entering the condition of mendicancy. - BhikkhuBhikkhuA Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
, BhikkhuniBhikkhuniA bhikkhuni or bhikṣuṇī is a fully ordained female Buddhist monastic. Male monastics are called bhikkhus. Both bhikkhunis and bhikkhus live by the vinaya... - Dhammakaya International Ordination Program
Source
- Encyclopædia Britannica (2007). "Upasampada." Retrieved 26 Sept 2007 from "Encyclopædia Britannica Online" at http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9074384.
- Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921–25). The Pali Text Society’s Pali–English Dictionary. Chipstead: Pali Text Society. A general on-line search engine for the PED is available at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/.