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I read in this answer that if one wants to become a Bhikkhu then "He must never have committed any grievous crimes".

  • What could examples of grievous crimes be?

  • What if crimes where committed many years ago. Does that have any value in the ordination procedure or does it automatically result in one not being able to become ordained in this life?

Thank you for your time.

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    I believe its speaking of killing of your mother, father, murder of an Arahant, wounding the Buddha, or creating a schism in the Sangha.
    – Ryan
    Commented Jun 17, 2015 at 23:52

2 Answers 2

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Page 99 of this account of The Buddhist Monastic Code list 11 types who should not be ordained as bhikkhus,

  • a pandaka (essentially, a eunuch or a person born neuter—see Sanghadisesa 2),
  • a “non-human” being, (this includes nagas, petas, devas, and yakkhas),
  • a hermaphrodite,
  • a person who poses as a bhikkhu without having been ordained,
  • a bhikkhu who has ordained in another religion without first giving up his status as a bhikkhu,
  • a person who has murdered his father,
  • a person who has murdered his mother,
  • a person who has murdered an arahant,
  • a person who has sexually molested a bhikkhuni,
  • a person who has maliciously injured a Buddha to the point of causing him to bleed, and
  • a person who has dishonestly caused a schism in the Sangha, knowing or suspecting that his position was contrary to the Dhamma-Vinaya.

Pages 44 through 98 describe just four parajika rules, where if a bhikkhu breaks (or has broken) one of these rules then they are automatically no longer a bhikkhu and cannot ordain again in this life:

  • Sexual intercourse
  • Stealing
  • Killing
  • Falsely claiming a superior human state
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    Just the answer I was looking for. Thanks Chris.
    – user2424
    Commented Jun 17, 2015 at 23:55
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    Thanks Lanka, that's good to know. An answer like this one is very bare, no personality, personal opinion (or even politeness), it's nothing but a reference ... so I'm glad to hear that that's actually all you were looking for in this answer.
    – ChrisW
    Commented Jun 18, 2015 at 14:11
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There are prohibition against ordaining criminals who have been flogged, branded or tattooed ie....serious criminals

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