Can a bhikkhu roam freely once ordained?

[DooDoot]

Dear learned Bhikkhus

I understand there are monasteries that expect five year commitment, etc, to a preceptor.

However, once a bhikkhu is ordained, are there is any Vinaya rules to stop a new ordained bhikkhu leaving their preceptor?

Thank you

[pitakele]

Dear learned Bhikkhus

I understand there are monasteries that expect five year commitment, etc, to a preceptor.

However, once a bhikkhu is ordained, are there is any Vinaya rules to stop a new ordained bhikkhu leaving their preceptor?

Thank you

NIssaya (dependence) is the way of practice for a bhikkhu during his first five years. If one ordains in a monastery where Vinaya is practised well, it is expected one will undertake Nissaya. This does not necessitate living continuously in one monastery under one's preceptor. One can also take Nissaya from a Teacher in a different location. Under certain conditions, a bhikkhu may be exempt from Nissaya during the first five years - please see https://www.dhammatalks.org/vinaya/bmc/Section0008.html

(Note: When in robes, I lived in forest monasteries where there was strict Vinaya practice)

[Bhikkhu_Jayasara]

Dear learned Bhikkhus

I understand there are monasteries that expect five year commitment, etc, to a preceptor.

However, once a bhikkhu is ordained, are there is any Vinaya rules to stop a new ordained bhikkhu leaving their preceptor?

Thank you

NIssaya (dependence) is the way of practice for a bhikkhu during his first five years. If one ordains in a monastery where Vinaya is practised well, it is expected one will undertake Nissaya. This does not necessitate living continuously in one monastery under one's preceptor. One can also take Nissaya from a Teacher in a different location. Under certain conditions, a bhikkhu may be exempt from Nissaya during the first five years - please see https://www.dhammatalks.org/vinaya/bmc/Section0008.html

(Note: When in robes, I lived in forest monasteries where there was strict Vinaya practice)

This is accurate, I am currently in my 5th vassa right now actually.

monks are free agents, but the first five years, with some rare exceptions( like traveling, cant find senior monk to do dependance with etc) a monastic should be in dependance of a senior monastic.

Buddha even gives junior monks the ability to choose and test who that senior monk may be, you are not stuck with the monk who ordained you. Infact i believe its a minor rule to stay with a bad monk, or something of that sort, so the junior monastic has their monkhood in their own hands from the minute they are ordained, vinaya wise, tradition is a different matter.

[Nicolas]

A competent and capable monk should live with formal support for five years, but one who is incompetent should live with such support for life.

A monk who has five qualities shouldn’t live without formal support. He doesn’t have the virtue, stillness, wisdom, freedom, or knowledge and vision of freedom of one fully trained.

A monk who has five qualities may live without formal support. He has the virtue, stillness, wisdom, freedom, and knowledge and vision of freedom of one fully trained.

A monk who has another five qualities shouldn’t live without formal support. He has no faith, conscience, or moral prudence, and is lazy and absentminded.

A monk who has another five qualities may live without formal support. He has faith, conscience, moral prudence, energy, and mindfulness.

A monk who has another five qualities shouldn’t live without formal support. He has failed in the higher morality; he has failed in conduct; he has failed in view; he’s ignorant; he’s foolish.

A monk who has another five qualities may live without formal support. He hasn’t failed in the higher morality; he hasn’t failed in conduct; he hasn’t failed in view; he’s learned; he’s wise.

A monk who has another five qualities shouldn’t live without formal support. He doesn’t know the offenses; he doesn’t know the non-offenses; he doesn’t know which offenses are light; he doesn’t know which offenses are heavy; neither Monastic Code has been properly learned by him in detail, and he hasn’t analyzed them well, thoroughly mastered them, or investigated them well, either in terms of the rules or their detailed exposition.

A monk who has another five qualities may live without formal support. He knows the offenses; he knows the non-offenses; he knows which offenses are light; he knows which offenses are heavy; he’s properly learned both Monastic Codes in detail, and he’s analyzed them well, thoroughly mastered them, and investigated them well, both in terms of the rules and their detailed exposition.

A monk who has another five qualities shouldn’t live without formal support. He doesn’t know the offenses; he doesn’t know the non-offenses; he doesn’t know which offenses are light; he doesn’t know which offenses are heavy; he has less than five years of seniority.

A monk who has another five qualities may live without formal support. He knows the offenses; he knows the non-offenses; he knows which offenses are light; he knows which offenses are heavy; he has five or more years of seniority.

A monk who has six qualities shouldn’t live without formal support. He doesn’t have the virtue, stillness, wisdom, freedom, or knowledge and vision of freedom of one fully trained, and he has less than five years of seniority.

A monk who has six qualities may live without formal support. He has the virtue, stillness, wisdom, freedom, and knowledge and vision of freedom of one fully trained, and he has five or more years of seniority.

A monk who has another six qualities shouldn’t live without formal support. He has no faith, conscience, or moral prudence, is lazy and absentminded, and has less than five years of seniority.

A monk who has another six qualities may live without formal support. He has faith, conscience, moral prudence, energy, mindfulness, and five or more years of seniority.

A monk who has another six qualities shouldn’t live without formal support. He has failed in the higher morality; he has failed in conduct; he has failed in view; he’s ignorant; he’s foolish; he has less than five years of seniority.

A monk who has another six qualities may live without formal support. He hasn’t failed in the higher morality; he hasn’t failed in conduct; he hasn’t failed in view; he’s learned; he’s wise; he has five or more years of seniority.

A monk who has another six qualities shouldn’t live without formal support. He doesn’t know the offenses; he doesn’t know the non-offenses; he doesn’t know which offenses are light; he doesn’t know which offenses are heavy; neither Monastic Code has been properly learned by him in detail, and he has not analyzed them well, thoroughly mastered them, or investigated them well, either in terms of the rules or their detailed exposition; he has less than five years of seniority.

A monk who has another six qualities may live without formal support. He knows the offenses; he knows the non-offenses; he knows which offenses are light; he knows which offenses are heavy; he’s properly learned both Monastic Codes in detail, and he’s analyzed them well, thoroughly mastered them, and investigated them well, both in terms of the rules and their detailed exposition; he has five or more years of seniority.