• Set a minimum ordination age, streamline the registration process
• Introduce & legally enforce a probationary period

Concerning the issue of Buddhist child ordination in Sri Lanka, setting a minimum age for ordination, streamlining the registration process, and introducing and legally enforcing a probationary period, all measures so as to protect children's rights while supporting the norms and traditions of the priesthood, have been suggested in order to prevent the abuse and exploitation of samanera (novice) child monks.

These recommendations were made in a case report on ‘Harmonising tradition and child welfare: Ordination of Buddhist child monks in Sri Lanka’ which was authored by A.N. Vadysinghe, G.K. Kumarasinghe, E.M.K.B. Ekanayake, A.A.L.I.S. Amarakoon and D.H.U. Daraniyagala (all five attached to the Peradeniya University's Medical Faculty's Forensic Medicine Department), and published in the Sri Lanka Journal of Forensic Medicine, Science and Law's 15th Volume's First Issue, last month.

Currently, there are approximately 15,000 Theravada Buddhist monks in over 6,000 temples all around Sri Lanka (Lakpura's ‘Buddhism in Sri Lanka’).

Theravada Buddhists have always regarded monks as the preservers of their tradition and its principal exemplars. Before one becomes a monk, one has to become a novice. This is done by the rite of ‘pabbajja’ (the lower ordination), where a lay person is admitted as a novice or samanera under a different name of religious origin, and under the supervision of a senior monk. This ritual consists of shaving the hair and beard, donning robes, and then taking from the selected preceptor the Three Refuges in the ‘Buddha, the Dhamma (the teaching), and the Sangha (the monastic order)’, and the 10 Precepts (Encyclopædia Britannica's ‘Pabbajja’ and A.G.S. Kariyawasam's "Buddhist ceremonies and rituals in Sri Lanka"). The process of ordaining is carried out for children with the consent of both the parents. ‘Upasampada’ (higher ordination) is conducted in a prescribed and duly consecrated chapterhouse when the candidate possesses the necessary qualifications. One must be at least 20-years-old to become eligible for the higher ordination (Encyclopædia Britannica's ‘Upasampada’).

According to the current practice, individuals to be ordained are required to spend a customary probationary period in a temple under the supervision of an ordained monk in order to learn the basic practices of Buddhism, to get to know about the responsibilities that he/she is going to have once he/she is ordained, and to undergo a background check on the suitability of the individual to be ordained as there are certain practised limitations that are considered before one becomes a monk (Dhamma Talks' ‘The Great Khandhaka’, M. Freedman's ‘The characterisation of Ananda in the Pali canon of the Theravada: A hagiographic study’ and the Sutta Central's ‘Mahakhandhaka — Bhikkhu Brahmali’). “For example, blind or deaf people are deemed ineligible to become monks, and so are individuals with tattoos,” Vadysinghe et al. observed. This probationary period is four-months long, especially for followers of other religions, as specified in the ‘Mahavagga’ volume in the ‘Vinaya Pitaka’ (the basket of discipline).

Following ordination, the monk should be registered in a list, which is maintained at the Ministry of Buddhist Affairs, under the relevant Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs. Then, the monk is issued a certificate of ‘pavidi uppannaya (ordination)’. In the case of a monk who is no longer willing to stay in the robes, a disrobing ritual is carried out and the disrobed individual can resume his/her previous identity as a layperson without any residual obligation to the religious authorities. Nevertheless, religious practices prohibit a robed individual from staying in their former household.

Case history 

An eight-year-old male novice monk was presented for clinical forensic examination following an alleged assault with bare hands and sticks by three fellow novice monks. There were healing skin lesions that were five-10-days-old and compatible with the given history of assault as well as several other lesions suggestive of accidental childhood injuries (healing injuries on the back aspect of both the hands due to accidental circumstances and on the right sole, indicative of benign callosities; and the buttock area showed healing abrasions caused by beating with a blunt weapon or blunt weapons, and the right upper area of the buttock indicating healing tramline contusions caused by pliable blunt cylindrical weapons) and benign scars due to infected and healed blisters (the left side of the head showed an area of healing skin infection with dermatitis, a benign dermatological condition). The patterns of non-accidental injuries were compatible with the information divulged by the perpetrators. 

There was no evidence of sexual abuse. 

It was further revealed that his mother had separated from the family and that his father had offered him for ordination due to financial difficulties. He had been ordained three-four weeks before the alleged incident without any probation period and following the ordination he was moved from temple to temple by his father, citing various reasons including poor facilities and safety related concerns. He had been subsequently presented to the temple where the alleged incident took place without any documentation of his ordination. Background checks on the family by the Police revealed that the father had also neglected the other siblings of the monk. The possibility of financial exploitation by demanding compensation from the head priest of the temple where the incident took place by the child’s father was also suspected. The Police investigation further revealed that he had also been kept in his home in his robes for a time in between moving from temple to temple and that his father had collected donations from his neighbours, exploiting the child’s priesthood status. During this time, it was also noted that the continuity of his education was also disrupted.

He was treated for his injuries at a tertiary care centre with referrals to a child psychiatrist, where he was concluded to be mentally stable with no psychological sequelae, and his intelligence quotient was determined as average. A subsequent institutional case conference participated in by the senior officials of the particular Buddhist chapter, the law enforcement officials, and forensic and psychiatric experts decided to derobe the monk and re-ordain him when he is older and if he is willing to. Further, the child has been kept under Probation and Social Services to monitor the child’s welfare and education. The Police had filed a case against the child’s father for child endangerment and exploitation. However, it did not proceed as he was the caretaker of the child.

Discussion 

The World Health Organisation defines anyone under 18-years as a child (the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund's [UNICEF] ‘The Convention on the Rights of the Child [UNCRC]: The children’s version’). The UNCRC states that all individuals below 18 should have certain rights regardless of their background (UNICEF's ‘A simplified version of the UNCRC’). These rights hinge on four principles: non-discrimination, the child' best interest, the right to survival and development, and valuing the child's perspective (the Probation and Child Care Services Department's ‘UNCRC’). Violations can be deemed as child rights infringements or, in severe cases, child abuse. Decisions involving children must always prioritise these rights for the best results.

The minimum age for lower ordination is described in the ‘Mahavagga’ in the ‘Vinaya Pitaka’, as the age where one can shoo crows away, which is, according to separate interpretations (R. Gombrich's ‘Temporary ordination in Sri Lanka’, V.R. Sasson's ‘Little Buddhas: Children and childhoods in Buddhist texts and traditions’ and J.F. Dickson's ‘Ordination in Theravada Buddhism: An early account’), the age of six-eight-years. However, the same has been interpreted as 15 years in G. Obeyesekere's ‘Child ordinations and the rights of children’ and Thanissaro's ‘Buddhist monastic code’. Due to this issue of age, debates have arisen about its compatibility with children's rights. While some question the appropriateness of child ordination (M. De Silva's ‘Child ordination – A different perspective’), Sri Lankan law supports religious freedom for all, regardless of age. This necessitates a societal dialogue to clearly define age related requirements for monkhood, taking into account a child's autonomy and psychological preparedness for the significant lifestyle changes post-ordination.

Child monks may lack the emotional and psychological maturity to fulfil their monastic duties and often yearn for familial love and care. While some may be ordained for spiritual growth, many parents have ulterior motives, viewing ordination as a means to escape poverty and gain privileges, benefiting not just the child but the entire family. There is even a belief that when one family member is ordained, seven generations of their family will benefit from ‘nirvana’ which would prompt families to offer their children for ordination. Thus, a thorough background check before ordination is crucial in order to ascertain the child's suitability for monastic life.

While Buddhism has long-standing norms for converting lay people to monks, many of these traditions have been orally passed down, lacking written documentation. Regrettably, there is no accessible and organised database containing descriptive information about individuals' lay names, the age of ordination, temple-related affiliations, de-robing records, or post-ordination names.

There are evident ambiguities in the ordination practices, leading to variations across temples and high priests. Historically, priests convened ‘Dharma sangaayanas (Buddhist councils)’ to codify and affirm practices. Some of these established norms are documented in the Vinaya pitaka, a guide to which followers and priests are expected to adhere to. Therefore, priests need to adhere to those rituals that have been documented and passed down from generation to generation in order to avoid biases.

Before the ordination, a mandatory training period should be introduced to scrutinise the child's background, ascertain parental motives, and prepare both the child and the parents for the impending lifestyle shift. Instituting a protocol wherein the temple's head priest notifies the regional probation office upon a child's admission for the probationary period, would enable appropriate actions if the child is deemed unsuitable.

There is a clear exigency for a structured, digital database that encapsulates pivotal details of monks, including their secular names, the ordination age, the affiliated temples throughout their tenure, instances of de-robing, and nomenclature post-ordination and de-robing.

The current monk registration and identity document issuance procedure, centralised in Colombo, is unduly laborious and protracted. Establishing regional registration hubs would streamline this process and obviate associated challenges.

Under the legislation, children's welfare and rights fall under the purview of the State, with the Department of Probationary and Child Care Services taking primary responsibility. Analogously, there should be a dedicated Government agency overseeing the well-being of child monks, equipped with a round the clock complaint line, and regional committees composed of the ‘Adikarana sanganayaka (court convenor)’, the ‘Lekakadhikari (registrar)’, and officials from the Probationary Services or new agencies, the Social Services, and the Police for inquiry and decision making.

There is a need for either the current Social Services or a new agency to visit temples upon notification through an online registration platform, ensuring that child monks are informed of their rights and avenues for assistance. Concurrently, establishing a minimum age for ordination is essential to prevent child rights violations and to mitigate societal disputes.

If a child, ordained due to poverty, fails to meet the commitments during this probation, they should be de-robed and reintegrated with their families, who should subsequently receive social support. Families must be educated about alternatives like adoption and Probationary Services to prevent child neglect or rights related deprivation due to poverty. Public awareness campaigns can guide families to appropriate organisations, thus ensuring that children are not relinquished to religious institutions merely as an escape from economic hardships. It should also be noted that these suggestions can be implemented not only within Buddhist societies but also within other religions in which child priests or novices are considered.