How to calculate age and rank in Buddhism

Regarding the Buddhist titles, it is the way of calculating age and ranks in Buddhism. There are two types of age mentioned, which are: age of life and age of religion. Age of life is the age calculated according to life, starting from the year of birth. Age of religion is the age that many people often calculate from the day they become monks. But in fact, age of religion must be calculated from the year of receiving full ordination and every year must follow the summer retreat and meet the standards, each year like that is counted as a summer retreat. That is, age of religion is also called summer retreat (or summer retreat).

How to calculate religious age

In the religion, everything, including the way of addressing, only counts the age of the religion, regardless of age. Here we do not discuss the people who run in and out, the process of practicing in the religion is not continuous. Now, we start from a person under 20 years old who has the heart to become a monk, or is sent to the temple by his family, often called a little monk, or a disciple. Those are the true believers entering the religion.

Upon joining, depending on age, this person is assigned to work in the temple and study sutras and rituals. Later, this person receives 10 precepts, called Sa di (male) or Sa di ni (female), or Chu (male) or Ni co (female). When under 14 years old, this person is assigned to chase away crows that disturb the meditation area of ​​older monks, so he is called "khu o sa di" (novice chasing crows).

The examination to select candidates to attend the Great Ordination Platform aims to select those who have officially left home to study Buddhism and join the ranks of monks who are professionally involved in Buddhist activities. Photo courtesy

When at least 20 years old, and demonstrating the ability to study and practice, meeting the requirements of cultivating character as well as cultivating appearance, this person is fully ordained, that is, 250 precepts of a bhikkhu (male) or 348 precepts of a bhikkhuni (female) and is called Thay (male) or Su co (female). On paper, it is written as Bhikkhu (male) or Bhikkhuni (female) before the dharma name of the ordained person. Here, it is worth mentioning that before receiving the bhikkhuni precepts, a novice nun (or a young woman of 18 years of age who has left the family life and has not yet received the novice nun precepts) is ordained by 6 groups of precepts for 2 years, called Thuc xoa ma na ni. This level is only available to nuns, not to monks.

However, in the Vinaya Pitaka, there are up to 100 groups of precepts common to both monks and nuns. It should also be added that the term bhikkhu is sometimes also called bhikkhu, or bhikkhu, bhikkhu. In the Southern sect, bhikkhus have 227 precepts, bhikkhunis have 311 precepts. The full precepts (bhikkhu or bhikkhuni) are the complete, perfect, and highest precepts in Buddhism for each monk to practice until the end of his life (often called nirvana), without having to receive any higher precepts.

Receiving Bodhisattva precepts (lay or ordained) is due to the individual aspiration of each person according to the Northern sect, the Southern sect does not have this precept. Here, I would like to add that: Northern sect (or northern transmission) is the term referring to the sects that practice according to the northern transmission from India, through the countries of Tibet, China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Southern sect (or southern transmission, original) is the term referring to the sects that practice according to the southern transmission from India, through the countries of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Hierarchy in Buddhism

While practicing the religion, that is, doing religious work in life, bringing religion to save lives, in general, Buddhist activities need to establish a hierarchy (rank) with the following names according to the charter of the Buddhist Sangha:

1. At the age of 20, a monk who receives the bhikkhu ordination is called Dai Duc.

2. At the age of 40, the monk has 20 years of practice and is called the Venerable.

3. At the age of 60, the monk had 40 years of practice and was called Venerable.

As for the female side (ni department):

1. At the age of 20, a female monk who receives the bhikkhuni ordination is called a nun (currently in Canada, some churches call these bhikkhunis as Great Monks).

2. At the age of 40, a bhikkhuni has 20 years of religious practice and is called a nun.

3. At the age of 60, the nun reached 40 years of religious life and was called a nun (now called a nun).

Venerable lecturer Thich Tam Luan shares and guides at a retreat for Buddhists at Phuc Lac Pagoda. Photo courtesy

These are official titles according to age and religious age (ha la), used in the management of Buddhist affairs, in the organizational system of the Buddhist Church. They must not be abused by self-proclaimed, self-proclaimed, or self-promoted titles, but must be reviewed and approved by a competent council of clergy, and granted a decree of ordination, on the occasion of a great Buddhist ceremony or congress, in ordination platforms, or during the annual rainy season retreat.

Therefore, we can understand that: Su co means Venerable monk in the nunnery. Ni su means Venerable monk in the nunnery. Su ba (or Ni truong) means Venerable monk in the nunnery. Therefore, in official ceremonies or documents, it is often stated: "Respectfully presenting to Venerable monks, Venerable monks, Venerable monks, and nuns", which is exactly the meaning.

However, in reality, there is no place that officially uses the titles: Venerable Nun, Venerable Nun, or Venerable Nun. If there is any place that uses them, it is only localized, not officially popularized, and may sound unfamiliar but it is not wrong.

Great Elder Monk

For the Venerables who are responsible for managing the central and local Buddhist Sangha establishments, or the Great Buddhist monasteries, Buddhist academies, and monasteries, they are usually over 80 years old and are honored as the Great Elder Venerable or the Elder Venerable.

These clergy are often invited to the councils of elders or the supreme council of Buddhist Sangha. However, when signing official documents, the Venerables still simply call themselves Bhikkhus or Sa Mon (meaning: monks).