Studies in Buddhist and Jaina Monachism

Author(s): Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 62

THE SALIENT FEATURES OF BUDDHIST VINAYA
41
Later on this formula also gave way to a new procedure called ñatticatutthakammaupasampada. According to this procedure, a person fully qualified for admission had to appear before a complete and lawful assembly with an anusāsaka (instructor) and to request the assembly for admission. Then after due enquiry about diseases, sex, debt, etc. of the person seeking pasampida (ordination), an announcement for his ordination along with his proposed upajjhaya (preceptor) was made before the assembly by a duly qualified monk. The announcement was deemed approved if the Sangha was silent. The procedure was completed with the resolution that such and such a person had received upasampada with such and such as his preceptor, announced thrice to the Sangha.'
Once Mahaprajapati Gautami, Buddha's aunt and foster mother made a request to the Buddha at Kapilavastu for the conversion of women, Buddha, as he was unwilling to the conversion of women turned down her request flatly. But she instead of loosing heart followed him to Vaisali with a band of Sakyan ladies. There, Ananda, seeing her pitiable condition and perceiving her intent desire for conversion, advocated her case before the Buddha. Ultimately Gautami and her following were admitted to the Sangha with sevenfold restrictions (garudhamma) to be observed by them. These restrictions put the nuns under permanent subjugation to monks, Thus the Order of nuns (Bhikkhunisangha) was formed.2
Buddha also converted persons as lay disciples (upasaka and upāsikā). The first such persons to be blessed with the conversion as lay disciples were Tapussa and Bhallika, the renowned merchants of the time. They were converted as lay disciples by the twofold formula, i e. by going to the refuge of the Buddha and the Dhamma only, even before the preaching of the first sermon."
Those converted first by the threefold formula were Yasa's father, his mother and his former wife. According to this formula, the Buddha or a full-fledged monk perceiving the householder's capacity to receive the Dhamma, preached him or her the four Noble truths (ariyasaccāni)-suffering (dukkha), the cause of suffering (dukkhasamudaya), the cessation of suffering (dukkhanirodha) and the path leading to the cessation of suffering (dukkhanirodhagaminipatipada). The householder having got insight into the dhamma i. e.
1. Ibid, 1.68.125-26, pp. 97-99.
2. CV, 10.1-2, pp. 373-77.
3. MV, 1. 4. 6, pp. 5-6.