[650] The Blessed One heard it. Having risen at the time of dawn toward the end of the night and having heard the sound of children, he addressed the Venerable Ānanda: "Ānanda, what is that sound of children?" Then the Venerable Ānanda informed the Blessed One of that matter.
Then the Blessed One, on that occasion, in that connection, having had the Saṅgha of bhikkhus convened, questioned the bhikkhus: "Is it true, as is said, bhikkhus, that bhikkhus knowingly confer the full ordination (upasampadā) upon a person less than twenty years of age?"
"It is true, Blessed One."
The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked them: "How, bhikkhus, can those foolish men knowingly confer the full ordination upon a person less than twenty years of age? Bhikkhus, a person less than twenty years of age is unable to endure cold, heat, hunger, and thirst; the touch of gadflies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and creeping creatures; ill-spoken, unwelcome ways of speech; and arisen bodily feelings (vedanā) that are painful, racking, sharp, piercing, disagreeable, displeasing, and menacing to life — he is not one of a nature to bear them. But a person of twenty years, bhikkhus, is able to endure cold, heat, hunger, and thirst; the touch of gadflies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and creeping creatures; ill-spoken, unwelcome ways of speech; and arisen bodily feelings that are painful, racking, sharp, piercing, disagreeable, displeasing, and menacing to life — he is one of a nature to bear them. This, bhikkhus, is not for the confidence of those without confidence, nor for the increase of those who have confidence. … And thus, bhikkhus, you should recite this training rule:
"Should any bhikkhu knowingly confer the full ordination upon a person less than twenty years of age, that person is not ordained, and those bhikkhus are blameworthy; this, in that case, is a pācittiya."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.