In the Maha-parinibbana sutta ( https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... html#chap6 ), the Lord stated:
"And, Ananda, whereas now the bhikkhus address one another as 'friend,' let it not be so when I am gone. The senior bhikkhus, Ananda, may address the junior ones by their name, their family name, or as 'friend'; but the junior bhikkhus should address the senior ones as 'venerable sir' or 'your reverence.'"
What is a "senior" and a "junior" bhikkhu? Is it determined by the length of time one is ordained (as I have heard)?
If so, does a newer monk who has attained a high attainment (e.g. he is already an anagami or arahant) still address an older monk as "venerable sir" or "reverence" if the older monk has not attained something comparable?
Order of Precedence
- Dhammanando
- Posts: 6512
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:44 pm
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Re: Order of Precedence
Yes and yes.cookiemonster wrote: ↑Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:58 pm What is a "senior" and a "junior" bhikkhu? Is it determined by the length of time one is ordained (as I have heard)?
If so, does a newer monk who has attained a high attainment (e.g. he is already an anagami or arahant) still address an older monk as "venerable sir" or "reverence" if the older monk has not attained something comparable?
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.
In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.
In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
Re: Order of Precedence
My impression is that hardly any bhkikkhu nowadays follows the Buddha's prescription addressing a junior as avuso. Is it so? Any reasons for that? Did anyone tried to introduce this address?
- Dhammanando
- Posts: 6512
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:44 pm
- Location: Mae Wang Huai Rin, Li District, Lamphun
Re: Order of Precedence
Yes. The common practice nowadays is to address one's juniors by their name, which the Parinibbānasutta also permits.
I've no idea what caused the use of āvuso to decline (assuming it was ever a common practice, for which there seems to be no evidence one way or the other). I do know of a few monks who've taken to using the address in their online interactions, but I'm not one of them. It seems to me that the practice has fallen into such desuetude that resorting to it now would be as ceremonious and affected as trying to revive an archaism like "sirrah".
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.
In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.
In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)