Female Samanas

From Wikivinaya

There are three kinds of female samanas: bhikkhunis, sikkhamānās and Sāmaṇeris

The Buddha allowed bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, sikkhamānās, sāmaṇeras and sāmaṇeris to exchange robes (pārivattakacīvara) (Vin,3,209). This suggests that their robes were similar i.e. brownish. Also, sikkhamānās must have dressed like bhikkhunis because the two types of nun could be confused (Vin.3.334). Samaneris could ordain as bhikkhunis at twenty if they were unmarried. In fact in bhikkhuni pacittiya 71 “maidens” are defined as “samaneris” which implies that married women did not become sāmaṇeris. Sāmaṇeri ordination, like sāmaṇera ordination, was meant for those under twenty.

Samaneris could undertake the sikkhamānā training when they were eighteen. This involves training for two years in the six rules – the first six of the eight precepts. This training is begun with formal Sangha permission (Vin.4.319) and is a prerequisite for ordination as a bhikkhuni. The sāmaṇeris are then called “sikkhamānās”. Sikkhamanas are therefore senior to samaneris even though they have fewer precepts, though in fact ‘maiden-sikkhamānās’ probably maintained their ten precepts.

Married women could not ordain as bhikkhunis until they had been married for twelve years and had finished sikkhamānā training and, even then, needed their husband’s permission. They could, no doubt, do sikkhamānā training while waiting for their twelve years to expire.

When listed, sikkhamānās come even before sāmaṇeras and they were therefore probably considered senior to these male novices on account of their age, both the older ‘married sikkhamānās’ and younger ‘maiden-sikkhamānās’. The ‘married sikkhamānās’ may have had access to money but probably lived like mendicants with a lifestyle similar to the ‘maiden sikkhamānās’. It seems likely that all sikkhamānās would have kept at least the eight precepts (for instance, not using perfume). Many of them may have renounced money too.

I.B.Horner says that in the Buddha’s day girls probably got married between the ages of sixteen and twenty and that the custom of child-marriage does not appear prevalent (Women under Primitive Buddhism pp27-8). A married sikkhamana, then, might commonly ordain as a bhikkhuni when she was thirty.