A sāmaṇera (

Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist '' Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Bud ...

); sa, श्रामणेर (), is a novice male monastic in a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

context. A female novice is a ''śrāmaṇerī'' or ''śrāmaṇerikā'' (

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...

; Pāli: ''sāmaṇerī'').

Etymology

The ''sāmaṇera'' is a Pali language diminutive equivalent to the Sanskrit term ''śrāmaṇera'', which indicates an ascetic practitioner. Therefore, sāmaṇera might be said to mean "small or young

renunciate A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedicat ...

". In some South and Southeast Asian Buddhist traditions, the term refers to someone who has taken the initial pravrajya vows but not the upasampada or full ordination. The pratimokṣa rules do not apply to them and they do not take part in the recital of the rules on

uposatha The Uposatha ( sa, Upavasatha) is a Buddhist day of observance, in existence from the Buddha's time (600 BCE), and still being kept today by Buddhist practitioners. The Buddha taught that the Uposatha day is for "the cleansing of the defiled mind ...

days. The Sanskrit word ''śrāmaṇerikā'' is the feminine form of ''śrāmaṇera''.

History

The account provided in the literature of South Asian Buddhism (and adopted by other Buddhist sects) is that when

Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in ...

's son Rāhula was seven years old, he followed the Buddha, saying "Give me my inheritance." The Buddha called Sariputta and asked him to ordain Rāhula, who became the first sāmaṇera.

Overview

In the Vinaya (monastic regulations) used by many South Asian Buddhist sects, a man under the age of 20 cannot ordain as a bhikṣu (monk) but can ordain as a sāmaṇera. Sāmaṇeras (and sāmaṇerīs – the equivalent term for girls) keep the Ten Precepts as their code of behaviour and devote themselves to the religious life during breaks from secular schooling, or in conjunction with it if devoted to formal ordination. In other cultures and Buddhist traditions (particularly North East Asia, and those in the West that derive from these lineages), monks take different sets of vows, and follow different customary rules. The Ten Precepts upheld by sāmaṇeras are: #Refrain from killing living things. #Refrain from stealing. #Refrain from unchastity (sensuality, sexuality, lust). #Refrain from lying. #Refrain from taking intoxicants. #Refrain from taking food at inappropriate times (after noon). #Refrain from singing, dancing, playing music or attending entertainment programs (performances). #Refrain from wearing perfume, cosmetics and garland (decorative accessories). #Refrain from sitting on high chairs and sleeping on luxurious, soft beds. #Refrain from accepting money. Ordination differs between sāmaṇeras and srāmaṇerīs.

Transition to full ordination

After a year or at the age of 20, a sāmaṇera will be considered for the upasampada or higher ordination as a bhikṣu. Some monasteries will require people who want to ordain as a monk to be a novice for a set period of time, as a period of preparation and familiarization.

Ordination of women

A woman is to be ordained, according to the traditional vinayas, by both a monk and a nun, first as a śrāmaṇerī. Śrāmaṇeras and śrāmaṇerīs keep the Ten Precepts as their code of behaviour, and are devoted to the Buddhist religious life during a break from secular schooling, or in conjunction with it if devoted to formal ordination. After a year or at the age of 20, she will be ordained as a full bhikṣuṇī (Pali: '' bhikkhunī'').

External links

''The Bhikkhunis' Code of Discipline (''Bhikkhunī Pāṭimokkha') Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhuthe website of Bhante Sujato's Writings contains several (ancient and modern) texts on the role and ordination of women in Buddhism.''Bhikkhuni committee of the ASA''
includes a large resource of articles regarding Bhikkhunis

by Dhammacaro (07/23/2005).
"Vinaya Pitaka"
brief description includes "Order of ordination for men and women...."

References

{{Buddhism topics Buddhist titles Beginners and newcomers Buddhist monasticism Women's rights in religious movements Pali words and phrases Buddhism and children