How to calculate spiritual age and rank in Buddhism

Regarding titles in Buddhism, this refers to the way age and ranks are calculated. Two types of age are mentioned: worldly age and spiritual age. Worldly age is calculated from the year of birth. Spiritual age is often calculated from the date of renunciation. However, strictly speaking, spiritual age should be calculated from the year of receiving full ordination and completing annual monastic training and meeting the required standards; each year counts as one year of monastic age. That is, spiritual age is also called monastic age (or summer retreat).

How to calculate religious age

In the Buddhist order, all matters, including forms of address, are based solely on monastic seniority, regardless of age. This doesn't address those who frequently leave or enter the monastic life intermittently. Now, let's begin with someone under 20 who decides to become a monk or nun, or is sent to a temple by their family, often called a novice or young monk. These are the young initiates into the monastic life.

Upon joining, depending on their age, they are assigned tasks within the temple and study scriptures and rituals. Later, they receive the ten precepts, becoming novice monks (male) or novice nuns (female), or male novices (male) or female novices (female). When under 14 years old, they are assigned the task of chasing away crows that disturb the meditation area of ​​the older monks, hence the name "crow-chasing novice monk".

The examination for candidates to participate in the Great Ordination Ceremony aims to select those who will officially become monks and join the ranks of professional Buddhist practitioners. (Photo: Archival image)

Upon reaching at least 20 years of age and demonstrating sufficient aptitude for spiritual practice, both in character and appearance, a person receives full ordination, which includes the 250 precepts for male bhikkhus or the 348 precepts for female bhikkhunis, and is addressed as Teacher (male) or Nun (female). On official documents, the title Bhikkhu (male) or Bhikkhuni (female) is written before the person's Dharma name. It should be noted that before receiving bhikkhuni ordination, a novice nun (or a young woman of 18 who has entered monastic life and has not yet received novice nun ordination) receives six sets of precepts for two years, known as Shikshamanas. This level is only observed among nuns; it is not practiced among monks.

However, in the Vinaya Pitaka, there are as many as 100 precepts common to both monks and nuns. It should also be noted that the term Bhikkhu is sometimes also called Bhikkhu, Bhikkhui, or Bhikkhui. In the Theravada tradition, Bhikkhus have 227 precepts, and Bhikkhunis have 311 precepts. The full precepts (for Bhikkhu or Bhikkhuni) are the complete, perfect, and highest precepts in Buddhism, which each monastic must practice until the end of their life (often called death), without needing to receive any higher precepts.

The receiving of Bodhisattva precepts (whether lay or monastic) is a matter of individual aspiration in the Northern tradition; the Southern tradition does not have this precept. It should be added here that: The Northern tradition (or Northern transmission) refers to the schools of practice that originated in the north of India, spreading through Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. The Southern tradition (or Southern transmission, original tradition) refers to the schools of practice that originated in the south of India, spreading through Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Hierarchy in Buddhism

In the practice of Buddhism, that is, carrying out religious work in life and using the Dharma to benefit the world, the activities of Buddhism generally require the establishment of a hierarchical order (ranks) with the following names according to the charter of the Buddhist Church:

1. At the age of 20, a monk who has received the monastic precepts is called a Great Virtuous One.

2. At the age of 40, a monk has completed 20 years of monastic life and is called a Senior Monk (Thượng Tọa).

3. At the age of 60, a monk who has been a monk for 40 years is called a Venerable Monk.

As for the female members (nuns):

1. At the age of 20, a female monastic who receives the Bhikkhuni ordination is called a nun (currently in Canada, some monastic orders refer to these Bhikkhunis as Venerable).

2. At the age of 40, a bhikkhuni (nun) has 20 years of monastic life and is called a nun.

3. At the age of 60, a bhikkhuni (nun) who has been a nun for 40 years is called a "Sư bà" (now called a "Ni trưởng").

Venerable Thich Tam Luan, a Buddhist lecturer, shared his teachings and provided guidance at a retreat for Buddhist followers at Phuc Lac Pagoda. (Photo: Archival image)

These are official titles based on age and years of monastic life (years of monastic seniority), used in the administration of Buddhist affairs and within the organizational system of the Buddhist Church. They cannot be misused for self-proclamation, self-appointment, or self-promotion. They must be reviewed and approved by a competent council of clergy and conferred with a ordination certificate, usually issued during major Buddhist ceremonies or conventions, ordination ceremonies, or the annual summer retreat.

Therefore, we can understand that: A nun (Sư cô) means a Venerable (Đạo đức) in the nunnery. A senior nun (Ni sư) means a Venerable (Thượng tọa) in the nunnery. A female abbess (or Abbess) means a High-ranking monk (Hòa thượng) in the nunnery. That's why official ceremonies or documents often state: "Respectfully addressing all Venerable High-ranking monks, senior monks, and nuns," which means exactly that.

However, in reality, no place has officially used the titles: Venerable Nun, Senior Nun, or Abbot Nun. If any place has used them, it is only locally, not officially widespread, and may sound unfamiliar, but it is not necessarily wrong.

Venerable Grand Master

For senior monks who hold important positions in the central and local Buddhist Church institutions, or in large monasteries, Buddhist academies, and convents, they are usually over 80 years old and are respectfully addressed as Great Venerable Monks or Elder Venerable Monks.

These members of the clergy are often invited to serve on the councils of elders or the supreme councils of Buddhist churches. However, when signing official documents and correspondence, these venerable monks still simply refer to themselves as Bhikkhu or Samana (meaning: monk).