The First Monk Ordained by the Buddha: Kondanna : หน้า 37/105

The first monk ordained by the Buddha personally, was Kondanna. He was the first of Lord Buddha's disciples, and Buddhism's first monk. He was ordained following Lord Buddha's first Sermon entitled the Dhammacakkapavatana Sutta given in a deer forest known as Isipatana. The Buddha's sermon brought upon Kondanna a revelation, and allowed him to see the light of the Dhamma, thus allowing him to become a Stream-enterer, or holy one. Later on, Lord Buddha gave permission to monks' ordination using "Taking Refuge," which is based on the same ceremony for novices-the difference being the number of precepts that Monks must abide by. In time, this process became known as ‘ordination by chanting of a motion’, which is used to this present day. **Ordination Procedures for Novices and Bhikkhus** There are two types of ordination, the first is those who are ordained while not yet twenty years of age, the second being the beginning stages of those who take higher ordination. Higher ordination is the act of ordaining monks in Buddhism. This process involves ten steps. 1. The individual must first be ordained as a novice. 2. The individual must request dependence from the Preceptor. 3. Paying respects to the Preceptor. 4. The Preceptor tells him his own name and the novices in Pali. 5. The Preceptor presents the novice with his alms bowl and saffron robes. 6. The Preceptor then requests the novice to retire to a point outside the assembly hall. **36** **The Ordination**