temporary ordination

A Dictionary of Buddhism | 2004 | 700+ words | Copyright

temporary ordination. Rite of passage into manhood practised in certain Theravādin countries of south-east Asia. It requires that all men at some point in their life, before their marriage, take ordination and spend some time in a monastery (vihāra). Besides its social function temporary ordination is taken as a way of acquiring and transmitting puṇya (merit). In some countries, like Thailand, it is customary for the temporary monks to spend at least one rainy season in the monastery, while in others, like Burma, this is rarely the case, probably because of the younger age of the temporarily ordained. Temporary ordination was not practised during the lifetime of the Buddha and it is not known when this practice was introduced in Theravāda Buddhism. A recent attempt to introduce temporary ordination in Sri Lanka did not meet with success.

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DAMIEN KEOWN. "temporary ordination." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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