Ordination Guidelines & Protocol
Sāmaṇera / Sāmaṇerī Novice Ordination
Arahanist Order of Canada
Part IV. Establishing the Teacher–Student Relationship
14. Requesting a Preceptor (Upajjhāya)
A novice requires guidance in the proper conduct of monastic life. The candidate therefore formally requests a preceptor.
The candidate kneels respectfully before the designated preceptor.
Candidate: Okāsa! Upajjhāyo me, bhante, hohi.
Bhante, please be my preceptor.
The request is repeated three times.
Preceptor: Paṭirūpaṃ. (It is appropriate.)
Candidate: Sādhu, okāsa, sampaṭicchāmi. (Very well, Bhante. I accept.)
The preceptor’s role is to guide the novice in discipline, conduct, study, meditation, and the responsibilities of renunciation.
15. Requesting a Teacher (Ācariya)
Where a separate teacher is designated, the candidate requests the guidance of an Ācariya.
Candidate: Okāsa! Ācariyo me, bhante, hohi.
Bhante, please be my teacher.
The request is repeated three times.
Teacher: Paṭirūpaṃ. (It is appropriate.)
Candidate: Sādhu, okāsa, sampaṭicchāmi. (Very well, Bhante. I accept.)
The Ācariya assists in the novice’s training and instruction according to the arrangements established by the Order.
Where the same monastic serves as both Upajjhāya and Ācariya, the preceptor should clarify the responsibilities being undertaken and follow the appropriate ceremonial form.
16. Presentation of the Alms Bowl
The novice is presented with the alms bowl.
The bowl is a practical requisite of monastic life and a reminder that the renunciant depends upon the generosity of others for material sustenance. This dependence calls for gratitude, restraint, and careful reflection on the proper use of requisites.
The preceptor should explain that the bowl is not merely a possession but an instrument of the renunciant life. The novice should learn to receive food without greed, use it appropriately, and cultivate contentment with what is offered.
The novice should also receive instruction in the proper handling, care, and use of the bowl according to the Order’s customs.
17. Receiving a Pāli Name
The preceptor gives the novice a Pāli monastic name, according to the naming customs of the Arahanist Order of Canada.
The name may serve as a reminder of the qualities the novice is encouraged to cultivate or of the spiritual direction of the renunciant life.
The preceptor announces the name clearly and explains its meaning where appropriate. The novice should be instructed in the correct pronunciation and use of the name within the monastic community.
18. Closing the Ceremony
Once the candidate has received the robes, undertaken the Three Refuges and Ten Training Precepts, established the teacher–student relationship, and received the necessary instructions, the formal ordination gathering may be brought to a close according to the customs of the Order.
The novice pays homage to the preceptor and the assembled Saṅgha as directed.
The preceptor offers a final exhortation, reminding the novice that the ceremony marks the beginning of training rather than its completion.
The novice should leave the ceremony with a clear understanding of the commitments undertaken and the daily discipline expected of a renunciant.
Part V. Life and Training After Ordination
19. Initial Instruction in Monastic Life
Following ordination, the novice begins training under the guidance of the Upajjhāya and Ācariya.
The first period of training should establish a sound foundation in the daily conduct and spiritual disciplines of novice life.
Instruction should include:
- The meaning and observance of the Ten Training Precepts.
- Proper conduct toward the preceptor, teachers, fellow monastics, and lay supporters.
- The appropriate use and care of robes, the alms bowl, and other requisites.
- The principles of simplicity, contentment, sense restraint, and dependence on generosity.
- The daily schedule of the monastery or training centre.
- The study and recollection of essential Dhamma teachings.
- The practice of meditation and the development of concentration.
- The cultivation of wisdom through careful observation and investigation of experience.
The novice should have opportunities to ask questions and clarify matters of conduct. Guidance should be given consistently, with attention to both the outward discipline of monastic life and the inward development of the mind.
20. Training in Virtue, Concentration, and Wisdom
The Ten Training Precepts establish the ethical foundation of novice life. Their purpose is not limited to avoiding misconduct; they also support the gradual transformation of one’s habits, intentions, and relationship with the world.
Within the Arahanist path, training proceeds through the development of virtue (sīla), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (paññā).
Virtue (Sīla) establishes restraint and reduces the disturbances created by unwholesome bodily and verbal actions. It supports trust, simplicity, and a mind less burdened by remorse.
Concentration (Samādhi) is developed through systematic meditation, the cultivation of collectedness, and the gradual calming of mental agitation. The novice learns to direct attention inward rather than continually seeking stimulation and satisfaction from external conditions.
Wisdom (Paññā) develops through the investigation of experience, including the nature of the body, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness. Through sustained practice, the novice learns to recognize impermanence, the unsatisfactory nature of conditioned existence, and the absence of lasting refuge in worldly phenomena.
These dimensions of training support one another. Virtue provides the foundation for concentration; concentration supports clear investigation; and wisdom deepens disenchantment with craving and attachment.
The novice should be taught to regard ordination not as an isolated event but as the beginning of a sustained course of spiritual cultivation.
21. The Purpose of Renunciation
The novice life is directed toward liberation from the defilements that bind the mind to worldly existence.
Renunciation therefore requires more than external simplicity. It calls for a gradual reduction of craving, aversion, and delusion through disciplined conduct, meditation, and wisdom.
The novice should learn to examine the motives behind ordinary habits and desires, including the search for sensory pleasure, possessions, status, entertainment, and security through material conditions.
By simplifying external life and cultivating inner composure, the renunciant creates favourable conditions for the development of concentration and insight.
The preceptor should encourage steady progress without treating spiritual development as a matter of mere appearance, titles, or ceremonial status. The measure of training lies in the gradual transformation of conduct and mind.
Within Arahanism, the ultimate direction of this training is Arahantship: the complete eradication of the defilements and liberation from dukkha.
22. Continuing Guidance and Review
The preceptor and teacher should continue to guide the novice after the ordination ceremony.
They should provide regular opportunities to review the novice’s understanding of the precepts, daily conduct, meditation practice, and progress in study.
When difficulties arise, the novice should be encouraged to approach the preceptor honestly and seek instruction. The purpose of such guidance is to strengthen understanding, correct errors, and sustain the training.
The novice, in turn, should cultivate respect for instruction, willingness to learn, and diligence in practice.
Progress should be assessed through the consistency of the novice’s conduct, the sincerity of the commitment to renunciation, and the development of the qualities required for deeper spiritual practice.
Part VI. Ceremonial Preparation Checklist
The following checklist is intended to help the preceptor and assisting monastics prepare for the ceremony without interrupting its spiritual atmosphere.
Before the Ordination
- The candidate has received instruction on the meaning and responsibilities of Pabbajjā.
- The candidate’s readiness and relevant eligibility requirements have been reviewed.
- Necessary family, legal, financial, and personal responsibilities have been addressed.
- The ordination date and place have been confirmed.
- The preceptor and any assisting monastics have been confirmed.
- The robes and alms bowl have been prepared.
- The offering tray and other necessary requisites are ready.
- The candidate has prepared clean white clothing.
- The ceremonial space has been arranged.
- The Pāli recitations are available and have been checked.
- Arrangements have been made for the novice’s initial training.
During the Ceremony
- The candidate enters and pays homage.
- The candidate requests Pabbajjā.
- The preceptor gives the initial instruction on refuge and renunciation.
- The candidate receives instruction in the Taca Pañcaka Kammaṭṭhāna.
- The preceptor presents the robes.
- The candidate dons the robes and recites the reflection on their use.
- The candidate requests the Three Refuges and Ten Training Precepts.
- The candidate undertakes the Three Refuges.
- The candidate undertakes the Ten Training Precepts.
- The preceptor gives the admonition on maintaining the training.
- The candidate requests a preceptor and, where applicable, a separate teacher.
- The novice receives the alms bowl and Pāli name.
- The preceptor gives the final instructions.
After the Ceremony
- The novice understands the basic expectations of monastic life.
- The novice knows whom to approach for instruction and guidance.
- The initial daily schedule and training arrangements have been explained.
- The novice has received guidance on the Ten Training Precepts.
- The next steps in Dhamma study and meditation training have been established.
Concluding Reflection
Pabbajjā is the beginning of a life directed toward liberation. The robes, the Three Refuges, the Ten Training Precepts, and the relationship with the preceptor establish the outward foundation of renunciation. Their deeper purpose is fulfilled through the novice’s continued practice.
The novice should therefore approach this undertaking with sincerity, humility, and diligence. Each day offers an opportunity to strengthen virtue, deepen concentration, develop wisdom, and loosen the attachments that sustain dukkha.
Through sustained training under the guidance of experienced monastics, the Sāmaṇera or Sāmaṇerī begins the journey of renunciation with a clear direction: the cultivation of the path leading toward Arahantship.
May this ordination establish a firm foundation for the practice of renunciation, the development of the Noble Path, and the realization of liberation.
