Titthiyaparivasa : The Screening Guidelines for Another Religious Ascetics Prior the Becoming of Buddhist Monks

Abstract

The objective of this article is to study the Titthiyaparivasa which is the tool for screening other religious Ascetics before ordaining as Buddhist monks.

The results of the study are as follows:- the Paribajakas such as Ajivaks, Acelakas (including with Niganthas) are the only ones who need to hold the Titthiya-parivasa practice for 4 months before ordaining as Buddhist monks because these Paribajakas have the opposed attitude against Buddhism. But the Kammavadhi-Kiriyavadhis who are hermits and ascetics can become monkhood at once without the Titthiyaparivasa practice for the views concerning Kamma and the ways of practice are similarly as Buddhism. Moreover, the Lord Buddha as being of Bodhisattva together with his great disciples used to be the hermits before. The ways of practice  of  Hermits such as wearing clothes, renunciate by earning their lives with alms food from givers, teaching people about Kamma, the Five Precepts, Uposathasila (the Eight Precepts) and Jhanasamapatti (the Absorption), all these are similarly as the pragmatic of Buddhism. Therefore these people will not have much self-adjustment in becoming as Buddhist monks. In case of during the Titthiyaparivasa period, if these ascetics have attained the Sotapanna, they are able to ordain as monks because they are regarded as the noble ones by attaining the first stages of the supreme enlightenment.