Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c22.13

c22.13

**Final Ordination of Upasampadā.** The preliminary ordination of the *Pabbajjā* inaugurates the period of novitiate which is ended by the final ordination of the *Upasampadā*, the arrival at the full status of monkhood or a Bhikshu, a full-fledged member of the Order. The period between the two ordinations was twelve years at its maximum and was not continued beyond the twentieth year of the postulant. The period of novitiate was, however, reduced to four months in the case of the postulant being previously a member of another monastic order [*Mahāvagga*, i, 38, 3]. The Brahmanical Vānaprasthas, called the Jaṭilas, fire-worshippers with matted hair, were, however, exempted from all probation (*parivāsa*) on the ground of their advanced doctrines, as also the Śākyas, the Buddha's kinsmen [ib.]. Sometimes, again, the two ordinations were gone through simultaneously ¹ when the grounds for separating them in time did not exist, as in the case of Koṇḍañña and other ascetics with him [*Mahāvagga*, i, 6, 32].