upasampada, Buddhist rite of higher ordination, by which a novice becomes a monk, or bhikhu (Pali: bhikkhu; Sanskrit: bhikshu). Ordination is not necessarily permanent and, in some countries, may be repeated in a monk’s lifetime.
A candidate for ordination must be at least 20 years old, have the permission of his parents, be exempt from military service, be free from debt and from contagious disease, and have received at least some elementary instruction in Buddhism.
The ceremony may be performed on any day determined to be auspicious, except during vassa (varsha), the rainy season retreat. It takes place within the sanctuary in the presence of monks already ordained. The pabbajja, or ceremony of lower ordination to the rank of novice, is repeated even if the candidate has undergone it previously. He dons the garments of a monk and repeats the Triratna (“Threefold Refuge”) of the Buddha, the dharma (teaching), and the sangha (community of believers) and the 10 precepts (basic rules of ethical conduct for a monk); the candidate then stands before the assembly in the company of his sponsoring tutors and is questioned on his fitness to be received into the order. The assembly is questioned three times, and, if there is no objection to his ordination, the candidate is accepted into the priesthood. Female novices are ordained nuns (Pali: bhikkhunis) in a similar rite.