The ordination hall (

Pali Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...

: ''sīmā'') is a

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

building specifically consecrated and designated for the performance of the Buddhist ordination ritual (''

upasampadā Upasampadā (Pali) literally denotes "approaching or nearing the ascetic tradition." In more common parlance it specifically refers to the rite and ritual of ascetic vetting (ordination) by which a candidate, if deemed acceptable, enters the co ...

'') and other ritual ceremonies, such as the recitation of the Pāṭimokkha. The ordination hall is located within a boundary () that defines "the space within which all members of a single local community have to assemble as a complete

Sangha Sangha or saṃgha () is a term meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community". In a political context, it was historically used to denote a governing assembly in a republic or a kingdom, and for a long time, it has been used b ...

() at a place appointed for ecclesiastical acts ()." The constitution of the ''sīmā'' is regulated and defined by the

Vinaya The Vinaya (Pali and Sanskrit: विनय) refers to numerous monastic rules and ethical precepts for fully ordained monks and nuns of Buddhist Sanghas (community of like-minded ''sramanas''). These sets of ethical rules and guidelines devel ...

and its commentaries and sub-commentaries.

Burmese ordination halls

In Burmese, ordination halls are called ''thein'' (), derived from the

term , meaning "boundary". The ''thein'' is a common feature of Burmese monasteries ('' kyaung''), although the ''thein '' may be not necessarily be located on the monastery compound itself. Shan ordination halls, called ''sim'' (သိမ်ႇ)'','' are exclusively used for events limited to the monkhood. The central importance of the ordination hall in the pre-colonial era is exemplified by the inclusion of an ordination hall, the Maha Pahtan Haw Shwe Ordination Hall (မဟာပဋ္ဌာန်းဟောရွှေသိမ်တော်ကြီး), as one of seven requisite edifices (နန်းတည်သတ္တဌာန) in the founding of

Mandalay Mandalay is the second-largest city in Myanmar, after Yangon. It is located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, 631 km (392 mi) north of Yangon. In 2014, the city had a population of 1,225,553. Mandalay was founded in 1857 by Ki ...

as a Burmese royal capital.

Thai ordination halls

In Thailand, ordination halls are called ''ubosot'' (, ) or ''bot'' (, ), derived from the Pali term , meaning a hall used for rituals on ''

uposatha An Uposatha () day is a Buddhism, Buddhist day of observance, in existence since 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, ...

'' ("Buddhist sabbath") days.Architecture of Thailand. A Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Forms. Nithi Sthapitanonda; Brian Mertens. The ''ubosot'' is the focal point of Central Thai temples, whereas the focal point of Northern Thai temples is the

stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

. In Northeastern Thailand (

Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan language, Isan/, ; ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pāli ''isāna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provinces in northeastern Thai ...

), ordination halls are known as ''sim'' (), as they are in Laos () and the Tai-Shan States of Myanmar(သိမ်ႇ). The ''ubosot'', as the

wat A wat (, ; , ; , ; ; , ) is a type of Buddhist and Hindu temple in Cambodia, Laos, East Shan State (Myanmar), Yunnan (China), the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Etymology The word ''wat'' is borrowed from the Sanskrit ''v ...

's principal building, is also used for communal services. In the Thai tradition, the boundary of the ''ubosot'' is marked by eight boundary stones known as '' bai sema'', which denote the . The oldest ''bai sema'' date to the Dvaravati period. The ''sema'' stones stand above and mark the ''luk nimit'' (), stone spheres buried at the cardinal points of the compass delineating the sacred area. A ninth stone sphere, usually bigger, is buried below the main Buddha image of the ''ubosot''. The entrance sides of most ''ubosot'' face east. While '' wihan'' buildings also similarly house

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 legends, he was ...

images, they differ from ''ubosot'' in that ''wihan'' are not marked by ''sema'' stones. Across from the entrance door at the end of the interior is the ''ubosot'' largest Buddha statue which is usually depicted in either the '' meditation attitude'' or the '' Maravijaya attitude''.

Burmese ordination halls

Thai ordination halls

See also

References

Further reading