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Bhikkuni Order in the 20th century

The strength of Buddhist women started to be involved in Buddhism and expressed itself to the world with their eminent understanding of Buddhism with an utmost commitment for the cause of Buddhism. Many of these women come with academic backgrounds. With the wonderful examples of Bhikkhunis as recorded in the Theri Gathas they had a vision to serve Buddhism like the Bhikkhunis of old. Among the women Buddhist scholars of the 20th century the pride of place goes to I. B. Horner, an English lady scholar who authored ‘Women in Primitive Buddhism’. This work manifests the positive role women played in early times in the arduous task of propagation of Buddhism.


Ven. Sanghamitta Theri introduced the Bhikkhuni Order.

The Western women were a step ahead of other Buddhist sisters around the world, especially in Asian countries. The 1970s was an important decade for the expression of spiritual search of Buddhist women. In 1970s, Western women gained ordination. In this group of nuns we have English nun, Ven. Tenzon Palmo, her life is recorded in “Cave in the Snow” by Vickie McKenzie, Ven. Mao Kwang Sudhamma, an American nun from Arkansas, living in Sri Lanka, Ven. Karma Leksha Tsomo, lecturer in San Diego University, in America, and Ven. Tsedron in Germany, and Ven. Voramai Kablisingh who started her monastic journey in 1956 and fully ordained in 1971.

The Buddhist women have always been the backbone of the Sangha in supporting them at all levels. This is true in respect of all Buddhist countries. However, their role and contribution to fuller participation dawned in the 20th century. Buddhist women for the first time came together in 1987, in Buddha Gaya, India, where Gautama Buddha attained Enlightenment 2559 years ago. This conference progressively enlarged into the International Buddhist Women’s Association. The three co-founders of this international organization were Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo, an American lady, Ayya Khema of Germany, who was ordained as a bhikkuni in 1988 at Heilai Temple in Los Angeles, USA and passed away in Germany in 1997 and a very close associate of this writer being his guest in his residence in Kandy, Associate Professor Chatusmarn Kabilsingh of Thailand still on the academic staff of Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Still another Buddhist women’s organization, Sakyadhita, commenced with great difficulty, but it kept progressing, organizing international Buddhist Women’s Conferences in Thailand (1991), Sri Lanka (1993), India (1995), then in Cambodia, Lumbini (Nepal), Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia and the latest one in 2008 in Mongolia. Sakyadhita is registered as a non-profit organization in USA.

These conferences have inspired Buddhist women in each country where conferences are held. This gave the lead to women to organize locally Buddhist Women’s organizations widely and effectively in their own countries. The Sakhyadhita in Sri Lanka is the finest example which commenced training of Dasasil mathas for full ordination as bhikkunis. The International Network of Engaged Buddhists based in Bangkok in Thailand.

These organizations though not directly involved with women, are supportive and works cooperatively to uplift women and their role to make their own contributions for the propagation of Buddhism. There are many more organizations to promote and provide space for Buddhist women to engage themselves in the propagation of Buddhism worldwide effectively. In this age of Information Technology, those Buddhist women interested in these organizations can easily browse the Internet.

In Theravada Buddhism especially full ordination for women as Bhikkunis is the greatest contribution in the 20th century. The lineage of Bhikkuni Sasana went to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century under Theri Sanghamitta, the daughter of King Asoka and sister of Arhath Mahinda who introduced Buddhism to Sri Lanka.

Both of them lived and died in Sri Lanka, Arhath Mahinda for 48 years and Theri Sanghamitta for 49 years. It was from Sri Lanka that the Bhikkhuni Sasana went to China. In 426 C.E. Sri Lanka Sinhala Bhikkuni Devasara along with eight Bhikkunis went abroad the Chinese Silk Trading ships to China and reached the city of Nanking. In 429 C.E. three more Bhikkunis went from Sri Lanka to form a chapter to conduct ordination and higher ordination ceremonies for Chinese women. Thus in 434 C.E. for the first time Bhikkhuni Sangha was established by these Sri Lankan Bhikkunis.

This propagation of the Bhikkhuni Sangha overseas became possible as one of the nine Buddhist missions despatched in the wake of the Third Great Buddhist Council held under the chairmanship of Ven. Upagupta (Maha Moggaliputta Tissa Maha Thera) under the royal patronage of King Asoka, at Pataliputra (Modern Patna capital of Bihar State, India) was to Sri Lanka led by Arhath Mahinda, son of King Asoka, and five other monks, during the reign of Devanampiyatissa of Sri Lanka (250-210 BC), 218 years after the Great Demise of the Buddha at Kusinara, India.

Arhath Mahinda having arrived in Sri Lanka, at Anuradhapura, then capital of Sri Lanka introduced Buddhism to Sri Lanka. During this time the sub-queen of King Devampiyatissa, Anula and her court companions expressed a desire to join the Order of Bhikkhunis and, on Arhath Mahinda’s suggestion King Devampiyatissa despatched to the court of Emperor Asoka in India and embassy to bring Arhath Mahinda’s sister Theri Sanghamitta with the Southern branch of the sacred Bodhi tree at Buddha Gaya.

Sub-queen Anula’s companions awaited Sanghamitta’s arrival observing dasa sil (ten precepts) in a nunnery known as the Upasika-vohara which had been built for them on one side of the city. When Sanghamitta arrived with the branch of the Bodhi tree, Anula and her women entered the Order of Bhikkhunis. The former Upasika - vohara was improved and enlarged with several additions and it was called Hatthalska - vohara or Bhikkhuni - passaya.

Theri Sanghamitta too lived in the same nunnery. (Ibid xix - 69-71 and xix 65). The oldest Sri Lankan chronicle Dipavamsa (passages 54-56), record that thereafter from India came 12,000 Bhikkhunis well versed in the vinaya and they taught the vinaya both in Anuradhapura and Magama (modern Hambantota district) and arranged women to enter the Bhikkhuni Order.

In one of eight other missions dispatched, except in Sri Lanka, there was plating of a branch of the Bodhi tree, establishment of a Bhikkhuni Order or converting the Mahameghauyana, donated to Arahant Mahinda by King Devanampiyatissa, to be a holy city, with locations for the erection of Buddhist places of worship. Uniquely, it was in Sri Lanka for the first time that the Bhikkhuni Order was established overseas.

While the Chines lineage has been kept alive, India and Sri Lanka lost their lineage for ordination to women in more or less the same in the 11th century C.E. In each of the Buddhist countries in South East Asia there were internal disturbances which prevented any serious study of Buddhism.

Thailand, the only country in the region that was not occupied by foreign powers, but the Ayudha period (1350-176 A.C.) of Thailand saw a long period of national conflicts, with invasions from neighbouring countries, and from within. Sri Lanka and Burma (Myanmar) received its independence from England only in 1948, whereas Cambodia, a Buddhist country went through a period of great turmoil and massacre during the Polpot regime 1975-1979 A.C. It was only in the late 1970s that we see cases of Buddhist women here and there who walked the path laid by the Buddha in the 6th century B.C.

Towards the very end of the 20th century there was a great shift. In 1988 Hsi Lai Monastery, Hacienda Heights California, USA, with the main temple Go Guang Shan, Kao Hsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China, organized an international ordination ceremony for women and more than 200 women from all traditions participated at this ordination.

The women who received full ordination were from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and many from Western countries.

The five Sri Lankan bhikkhunis reverted to the former lifestyle of dasasilmathas.

They dispersed to their former residences, did not stay together, an important requirement of the Vinaya Pitaka. They brought back with them the Patimokkha, which was in English, which they were not able to read. Thus they could not recite the Patimokkha together as a chapter of Bhikkhunis (minimum five), nor did they have Bhikkhus who came forward to teach them as required by the Vinaya.

In Thailand the two Thai women who obtained full ordination on their return home, failed to follow the lifestyle of monasticism as expected by Thai standards and they led a quiet life without being recognized by the Buddhist society.

The women who came from Nepal, did much better, as their teacher Ven. Bhikkhuni Dhammavati was a teacher and was already the incumbent of a temple. On her return to Nepal she continued her Dhamma work with her group but could not wear the proper robe as required by Bhikkhunis for the fear of senior monks of Nepal.

The very same fate was in Myanmar too. She went to study in Burma at a young age of only 13, a very committed Bhikkhuni that Nepal should be proud of. She founded the Bhikkhuni Vihara in the Lumbini International Complex in Nepal, where Buddha was born. Sakhyadhita held one international conference there in 2000 under guidance.

In 1998, there was yet another international ordination for women organized in Buddha Gaya, India. This was organized by Go Guang Shan of Taiwan. Here there were more than 200 candidates seeking both Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni ordination from more than 26 countries. Sri Lanka had the experience of previous ordination for women in 1988, and the candidates were selected on their own merit. Sri Lankan monks invited applications from prospective dasasilmatas in the whole island.

At the time there were about 2500 dasasilmatas who were observing the 10 precepts, wearing saffron robe but the robe was not stitched in the same way as the civara of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis. Of the applicants the best 20 were selected and they were sent to Buddha Gaya. There were also 10 most senior Sri Lankan monks attending the ordination ceremony as preceptors and acharyas.

The ordination was first given by the Bhikkhuni chapter, as was done by Theri Sanghamitta at Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka in the 3rd century B.C. Followed by a Bhikkhu chapter as laid down in the Vinaya. This is a requirement of Sangha in all Theravada countries.

The 20 Bhikkhunis of Sri Lanka were not acceptable to the some sections of the Maha Sangha of Sri Lanka on the grounds they had been ordained by Chinese Bhikkhunis. It is to be stated that this ordination was the tradition that was established by Sri Lanka Bhikkhunis in 429 C.E., as well as the Siamese Sect of Sri Lanka established Sri Lanka in 1754 by Siamese (Thai) monks was the same tradition that was introduced by Sri Lanka Sangha in Thailand, as well as the two sects Amarapura and Ramanna of Sri Lanka too were established by taking ordination in Myanmar, from the two cities of Amarapura and Ramanna in Myanmar, in 1803 and 1862 respectively is the same tradition of Sinhala Maha Sangha established in Myanmar. Some senior monks of Sri Lanka gave them yet another ordination by Theravada monks as per Cullavagga in Vinaya Pitaka. This was done as per the permission granted by the Buddha “I allow you, O monks to give ordination to women.”

In view of the many hundreds of applications by dasasilmathas, the Most Venerable Inamaluwe Sri Sumangala Maha Thera, the chief incumbent of Rangiri Dambulu Maha Vihara of Dambulla, invited more than one hundred monks and appointed two preceptors from the newly ordained Bhikkhunis and commenced the Sangha ordination for women in Sri Lanka. This ordination is now held annually under the Dambulla Sect of Siyamnikaya.

Fo Guang Shan arranged another international ordination for Bhikkhunis at Kao Hsiung Shana (Vihara) in Taiwan in 2000, where samaraneris and dasasilmatas from Indonesia and Sri Lanka received ordination. This ordination resulted in the establishment of the Indonesia Bhikkhuni order. Venerable Master Hsing Yun of Go Guang Shan, Taiwan, brought awareness of the imbalance with the absence of Bhikkhunis order, in 1988 international ordination for bhikkhunis organized in Hsi Lsi Temple, in California, USA.

Among the South East Asian Buddhist countries Thailand is the most advanced as regards the progress with Bhikkhuni ordination. In Thailand, Songdhammakalyani monastery, only monastery for Bhikkhunis organized 48 years ago is also an international teaching centre for Bhikkhunis. There is a large community of Bhikkhunis in Chiangmai in Thailand. In Indonesia, the majority of the population are Muslims. Buddhists are only one percent.

All in all discarding the formalities, Sri Lanka should now take the lead in establishment of the Bhikkhuni order in all Theravada Buddhist countries, in view of the 2600 Buddha Jayanthi (After the Enlightenment of the Buddha) in 2011.


Beauty of discipline

Buddhist discipline is not extraordinary, but extraordinarily beautiful. It is streamlined with proper background: reasons and good / bad consequences. Discipline, on the other hand, has a wide-sensed definition. It needs narrowing down before explication.


People occupied with meditative discipline. AFP

In some instances the follower may find it difficult to follow discipline, but still adhere to it. Some followers may not know the background or reason as to why they should follow some kinds of discipline. Many religions instruct the layperson not to do certain things, failing to convince the followers why they should not do so.

Discipline is important in any religion, philosophy and faith. Buddhism is no exception. But still there may be a difference between Buddhist discipline and other religions.

The Pali canons dedicate one whole section for monastic discipline. This may lead to the misunderstanding that the Buddhist is forced to follow a set of dos and don’ts.

The Buddhist mode of discipline is categorized into three: mind, speech and body. It is somewhat easy to be disciplined in both body and speech, more than mind. But the teachings train the Buddhist to be disciplined in all these three sections.

As for Vinaya (discipline) section in Pali canons, it is preached in separate events. The monks are expected to follow this set of rules. The lay discipline is laid out in several known Suttas such as Maha Mangala and Sigalovada.

Then again the discipline should be meaningful. During the Buddha’s time there were priests of other religions who had their own set of rules. Some slept in a doggy posture. Some ate human feces. Their asceticism was centred upon nakedness, rejection of conventions, licking hands and so on.

They had various reasons for this kind of discipline. One major reason was to exhaust any bad Kamma. The Buddha laughed off this kind stating that those who carry out these should have been all sinners in the previous existence.

Before taking up the Buddhist discipline you should be familiar with its reasons and consequences. There lies the difference of discipline in Buddhism. Five precepts existed long time before the Buddha in a different form.

But the Buddha made it meaningful. For example, the first precept, abstaining from slaughter of animals, has reasons to be complete. One good consequence of abstaining from slaughter is long life.

On the other hand there are bad consequences of not following the precept too. When you are aware of this background you will be ashamed and scared to carry out any kind of sinful things.

When it comes to the Buddha and the monk order, the discipline rank is far higher. Some things the Buddha carried out are too difficult even to think of.

When he walks, he steps out with the right foot first. He does not extend his foot too far or put it down too near. When he receives rice, he does not raise or lower the bowl or tip it forwards or backwards.

He takes his food experiencing the taste without experiencing greed for the taste.

He washes the bowl without making a splashing noise. Even when taking food he had restrictions: the food was consumed not for intoxication, smartening, decorating body, but only for the maintenance of the body and ending of discomfort, which will support the holy life.

Since the Buddha had eliminated all roots of evil, it was easy for him to eat without greed or attachment. So was for any enlightened being. But it will be difficult thing for the common layperson to do. Discipline came naturally for the Buddha, because he is fully awakened.

The disciplined Buddhist is happy, as he knows he is above average. Meritorious deeds like Dhamma discussion inspire a disciplined life. Then he starts contemplating on his discipline, almost all the time, hence no one cannot prevent him from being happy.

That is what the basic Buddhism is: abstaining from all evil, carrying out every kind of virtue and have a virtuous mind. Even when this world is full of grief, these qualities are enough for a Buddhist to be happy.

Happiness, after all, is what is expected of any religion.


Two cousins and a wounded swan


One bright morning
Two cousins were walking
Along a jungle path
The cousins were Siddhartha and
Devadatta
Devadatta had a bow and arrows.
Suddenly a flock of swans
Flew into the sky.
Devadatta shot an arrow at the swans.


The arrow brought a swan doom.
Both boys ran to get the swan.
Siddhartha ran fast and got the bird.
The swan was wounded but still alive.
He pulled the arrow out carefully
From the wounded swan’s body
And applied some herbal juice
Extracted from a wild plant
On its wound and stroked its body
Gently with compassion.


The swan regained its normal form
In Siddhartha’s kind hands.
Devadatta was furious and claimed the swan
Saying that he shot the swan down.
Siddhartha did not agree and said
It was he who saved the swan’s life
And it belongs to the person
Who saved the life and not to the person
That tried to extinguish its life.


Devadatta did not agree.
Siddhartha suggested
That they go to the court of wise men
To solve the problem.


So the two cousins took the matter
Before the court of wise men.
The court of wise men
Agreed with Siddhartha and decided
The life should belong to the party
That saved it and not to the
Party who tried to destroy it.
So the swan was the property of Siddhartha.

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