How to disrobe?

To cease being bound by the rules of discipline of the vinaya, the bhikkhu wishing to abdicate so as to return to lay life must declare this verbally. If, after this, he commits an action entailing a pārājika, as he is no longer a bhikkhu, he does not commit – by definition – the pārājika. A bhikkhu who has committed a pārājika, loses automatically his status of bhikkhu. Thus, la question of disrobing does not apply to him. For the abdication to be valid, six factors must necessarily be met:

the bhikkhu really wishes to abdicate; the words of the declaration are correct; the declaration is pronounced at the time of abdication; the declaration is pronounced verbally and clearly (the abdication cannot be acknowledged if done by gestures or in writing, unless the bhikkhu is mute); the person to whom the declaration is addressed is a human being; the person to whom the declaration is addressed is capable of understanding it.

There are numerous ways to declare one's abdication from the saṃgha. Here are some examples: I reject the dhamma); I reject the discipline of the bhikkhus; I no longer want the pātimokkha; I no longer want a preceptor; I no longer want to live with bhikkhus; take note that I have become a lay person; take note that I have become a kappiya; I wish to become a sāmaṇera; I wish to become a disciple of another school; take note that I am no longer a bhikkhu; the teaching of the Buddha does not bring me any benefit, I have had enough; I no longer need the dhamma, I free myself.

In order to disrobe, he must then recite a declaration expressing his wish to abdicate from the saṃgha, whether in Pali, or any other language. In all cases, the person to whom the declaration is addressed, must understand the language spoken and the meaning of the declaration. The declaration can only be done at the time of disrobing. If it is announced beforehand or after the time of disrobing, the abdication is invalid. This declaration can be announced to a man or to a woman, but under no circumstances to a deity, an animal, a tree or a statue. The person listening to this declaration must understand its significance at the time. If he / she only understands later (after reflection, or after someone else's explanation), the abdication is invalid.

For this reason, the abdication of the saṃgha must be declared to a person who understands the vinaya. Otherwise, it is necessary to provide the necessary explanations before making this declaration.

The temporary bhikkhus must take care to disrobe correctly. Otherwise, they could unknowingly commit a pārājika when wearing the clothes of a lay person, when they have taken care not to commit such offences during their monastic life. Thus, they could risk being pārājika when entering the saṃgha again. It is extremely negative to wear the robes being in pārājika, even unknowingly; in the same way that it would be dangerous to rejoin the crowds if one suffers from a serious contagious illness, whether one knows it or not.A bhikkhu pārājika is nothing but a lay person with a shaven head wearing a robe, he could make the bhikkhus living with him commit innumerable faults.