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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

10: The Book of the Tens

IV. With Upāli — AN 10.34: Ordination

1“Sir, how many qualities should a mendicant have to give ordination?”

“Upāli, a mendicant should have ten qualities to give ordination. What ten? It’s when a mendicant is ethical, restrained in the monastic code, conducting themselves well and seeking alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken. They’re very learned, remembering and keeping what they’ve learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, reinforcing them by recitation, mentally scrutinizing them, and comprehending them theoretically. Both monastic codes have been passed down to them in detail, well analyzed, well mastered, well judged in both the rules and accompanying material. They’re able to care for the sick or get someone else to do so. They’re able to settle dissatisfaction or get someone else to do so. They’re able to dispel remorse when it has come up. They’re able to rationally dissuade someone from misconceptions that come up. They’re able to encourage someone in the higher ethics, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom. A mendicant should have these ten qualities to give ordination.”

1"Katihi nu kho, bhante, dhammehi samannāgatena bhikkhunā upasampādetabban"ti?

"Dasahi kho, upāli, dhammehi samannāgatena bhikkhunā upasampādetabbaṁ. Katamehi dasahi? Idhupāli, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu; bahussuto hoti sutadharo sutasannicayo, ye te dhammā ādikalyāṇā majjhekalyāṇā pariyosānakalyāṇā sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ abhivadanti, tathārūpāssa dhammā bahussutā honti dhātā vacasā paricitā manasānupekkhitā diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā; pātimokkhaṁ kho panassa vitthārena svāgataṁ hoti suvibhattaṁ suppavattaṁ suvinicchitaṁ suttaso anubyañjanaso; paṭibalo hoti gilānaṁ upaṭṭhātuṁ vā upaṭṭhāpetuṁ vā; paṭibalo hoti anabhiratiṁ vūpakāsetuṁ vā vūpakāsāpetuṁ vā; paṭibalo hoti uppannaṁ kukkuccaṁ dhammato vinodetuṁ; paṭibalo hoti uppannaṁ diṭṭhigataṁ dhammato vivecetuṁ; paṭibalo hoti adhisīle samādapetuṁ; paṭibalo hoti adhicitte samādapetuṁ; paṭibalo hoti adhipaññāya samādapetuṁ. Imehi kho, upāli, dasahi dhammehi samannāgatena bhikkhunā upasampādetabban"ti.

Catutthaṁ.