Carolina Buddhist Vihara

This page has just begun construction, with this initial draft posted December 31, 2009. Please return soon for more information.

Dear Venerables, Supporters, Friends, Students, Opponents, and anyone who is merely curious,

Thank you for opening this page on bhikkhuni ordination, a subject dear to my heart. We intend to flesh out this page more in future, but for now I can give some information that may help answer some questions frequently raised about bhikkhuni ordination in Theravada tradition.

(Please keep in mind that most of these materials regarding current circumstances refer only to Theravada Buddhists, hence statements regarding the “re-establishing of bhikkhunis” should not be taken as dismissing the uninterrupted lineage of Mahayana bhiksunis.)

BHIKKHUNI HISTORY

First, an explanation for newcomers: The Buddha lived in India nearly 2600 years ago. He established four categories of disciples: his male ordained disciples or bhikkhus, female ordained disciples or bhikkhunis, laymen disciples and laywomen disciples. (For most purposes, anyone who had undertaken training towards ordination, but not yet fully ordained – whether male or female, adult or underage – were categorized with laypeople.) The bhikkhus and bhikkhunis lived nearly identical lifestyles, with adjustments made for bhikkhunis as needed for safety.

Renunciates are people who have given up hope of finding happiness in sensual pleasures and worldly forms of security, seeking instead the greater security of a heart/mind no longer tied to worldly conditions. The Buddha set up a special renunciate lifestyle for his ordained disciples as an ideal vehicle for striving towards liberation from the suffering caused by inner greed, hatred and delusion, trying to help each individual gain his or her best opportunity for attaining enlightenment. The Buddha set down thousands of rules to create and enforce this lifestyle, thus curbing the natural unenlightened behavior of many ordained disciples – for their own well-being and the well-being of the group, as well as to protect the faith of the laity. Of the thousands of rules and protocols shaping the holy life, 227 significant rules for bhikkhus and 311 significant rules for bhikkhunis come up for twice-monthly recitation in the Bhikkhu Patimokkha and Bhikkhuni Patimokkha texts.

The Buddha encouraged lay disciples to strive diligently within the confines of the duties of their ordinary lives, for they too may attain stages of enlightenment, and to support the ordained renunciates attempting full-time spiritual development.

Buddhism became the major religion of India for some time, thrived for centuries, and spread to distant countries throughout the ancient world. Around 300 BC the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Sanghas were introduced to the island of Sri Lanka, off the coast of southern India, where they flourished for many centuries. One ancient record noted that an important ceremony there had drawn 90,000 bhikkhunis! However, in the year 1050, about 900 years ago, the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Sanghas of Sri Lanka were utterly wiped out in devastating social upheavals due to war (invasions from South India).

Such a great loss is not an uncommon thing in the world, unfortunately. Buddhist teachings and the ordained lineage have been established, lost, and later reestablished in various countries. In some countries the lineage died out completely, never to be revived, for example Afghanistan, a country which was once Buddhist. Even in India, the motherland of Buddhism, the religion eventually died out, having become challenged by the rise of Hinduism, attacks by Muslim invaders, and internal problems, apparently disappearing by the end of the 13^th century. When the Buddhist bhikkhus and bhikkhunis were wiped out in Sri Lanka 900 years ago, the male Sangha of bhikkhus was reestablished through bhikkhus brought from another country; centuries later, the Bhikkhu Sangha would have to be reestablished yet again after being lost due to social upheavals. (Currently there are three divisions of Bhikkhu Sangha in Sri Lanka, established by three separate groups of bhikkhus brought to Sri Lanka from Thailand and Burma to restart the Sangha.)

However, the female Sangha was not reestablished in Sri Lanka when lost 900 years ago, nor reestablished in later centuries; nor did the Bhikkhuni Sangha survive to modern times elsewhere. It is generally understood that the Bhikkhuni Sangha never made it to other Theravada countries (though this assumption has recently been challenged; see link below, under Lineage). For whatever reason, by the 20^th century, there seemed to be no Theravada bhikhunis anywhere in the world.

WHY NOT JUST RE-START THE ORDER?

Among the most devout Theravada Buddhist women, there are always some who long to ordain, to leave behind the cares and burdens and dangers of household life, and peacefully live the holy life of bhikkhunis as described by the Buddha. Occasional attempts to restart a Bhikkhuni Order in Theravada countries have met fierce resistance making it impossible.

Opponents take their stand on various grounds. Some argue that there must be a living Bhikkhuni Sangha to convey ordination on women because the male Sangha lacks the authority to do so (despite this authority having been specifically given to bhikkhus by the Buddha, according to the Vinaya code of discipline). Opponents further argue that the living lineages of Mahayana bhiksunis cannot restart the Bhikkhuni Sangha for Theravadans. Why? Because, they say, the Mahayanists are not truly Buddhist (which is just sectarian prejudice), or because the Mahayanists lack the same Vinaya code of discipline (which isn't true), or they lack the same ordination procedures (also untrue), or they have a sketchy history of passing along the lineage (yet it turns out they can prove their unbroken linage back to the Buddha better than any Bhikkhu Sangha can!)  There actually is no scripture-based reason that women cannot be ordained as bhikkhunis.

Unwillingness to ordain women has been fueled by a set of commonly-believed false ideas that created a myth among Theravadans that it is better not to reinstate the Bhikkhuni Sangha.  According to this myth:

• The Buddha did not want bhikkhunis and was unwillingly talked into ordaining women by Ananda (actually, see the “Maha Parinibbana Sutta” where the Buddha stated it was his plan all along to create a 4-fold Sangha (DN 16); and see "Dakkhinavibhanga Sutta" wherein Ananda's similar but more extensive arguments couldn't even talk the Buddha into doing a polite gesture (MN 142));

• The Buddha told Ananda that the new Bhikkhuni Sangha would burden and negatively affect the bhikkhus in various ways, like a blight and so forth, hence it is best to not reinstate the Order (the authenticity of this story in the Cullavagga is debated, but if we accept it, we must accept its conclusion: that the Buddha knew quite clearly the social repercussions and yet considered the womens' cause – for the sake of their enlightenment-- too compelling to turn women away);

• The Buddha made rules to oppress bhikkhunis and ensure their eventual failure (yet with each bhikkhu rule and bhikkhuni rule, he gave the same ten reasons for setting down such a rule, always for the recipients' ultimate welfare; and all but a handful of rules for bhikkhunis came at the request of conscientious bhikkhunis troubled by others' misbehavior);

• Bhikkhunis' existence would shorten the Sasana, so it is better to be without them (superstitious nonsense already disproved by Buddhism's survival beyond the predicted 500 year limit);

• Women are low, dirty, unworthy, and cannot really attain enlightenment (Hindu influence);

• Being born female is bad karma, and because of this bad karma they cannot ordain as men can (circular argument);

• Women can make better progress towards enlightenment if not fully ordained (the Buddha established the Bhikkhuni Order because fully ordained women can best attain stages of enlightenment, even the highest; and if ordination is so useless, why do men ordain?);

• Ordaining women would cause a schism among bhikkhus, and hence helpers of bhikkhunis will go to hell for causing schism – thus successfully frightening compassionate bhikkhus out of lifting up women;

• The Bhikkhu Sangha lacks authority to ordain women; some say, for example, that the Vinaya “lacks a mechanism” by which bhikkhus can ordain women (perhaps the Buddha should have been more clear when he said, “I allow you, O Bhikkhus, to ordain women” (CV.IX); and when he instructed bhikkhus to leave Vassa residence to help if a woman wants to go forth or fully ordain even if not asked for and all the more if invited (MV.III));

• The Buddha discouraged and rejected women (yet he worked tirelessly to help bhikkhunis, and he greeted a bhikkhuni, “Welcome to you, good lady; you are not unwelcome!” (Thig 337));

• Women who seek ordination do so due to bad personal qualities of seeking status and gain (the very opposite is the general norm).

MODERN EFFORTS TO LIVE THE HOLY LIFE

Occasionally, individual women have taken Mahayana Bhiksuni ordination and put on Theravada robes, then returned to their home countries, where they find themselves rejected. In Thailand in the early 20^th century, some young women's effort to ordain and live similarly to bhikkhus met such a brutal end that, perhaps in recoil from the horror of it, a law was passed forbidding ordination of women even as 10-precept novices.

Due to the enforced absence of bhikkhunis in Theravada counties, systems of lesser renunciation have arisen for women. Thai society allows devout women who seek to renounce to become Maechee (Mae ji) nuns, who wear white robes and a shaven head, and keep 8 Precepts. The same is true in Cambodia. The oldest historical reference to any Maechee is found in a 17^th century account by a Christian missionary visitor to Thailand. (Women in Buddhism Questions and Answers by Dr. Chatsumarn Kabilsingh.) In Burma, nuns called Thilashin wear pink robes and keep novice-level 10 precepts. In Sri Lanka, for the past one hundred years or so, there have been Dasa Sil Matas (Ten Precept Mothers) keeping the same 10 precepts as Burmese nuns, having been inspired by their example.

The unequal levels of support given to bhikkhus and these 8- and 10-Precept nuns cannot be overstated. These nuns typically do not receive any of the holy life training given to bhikkhus, and, unlike the bhikkhus who are greatly honored and supported, the nuns do not receive respect and support from the general population. In Sri Lanka, for example, nuns who ordain young lack even a secular elementary education, whereas bhikkhus freely receive higher education. In the past, many 8- and 10-Precept nuns have lived as mere beggars. The situation is improving for nuns in Thailand and Sri Lanka in recent years, in great part due to the influence of Western feminism.

In England about 30 years ago, when the bhikkhu community of Ajahn Chah (a conservative Thai Forest lineage of Buddhism) was first taking root there, some local women sought ordination. The women were accepted initially as 8 Precept Maechee, then compassionately allowed more renunciation as 10 Precept novices, then later allowed to embrace a larger set of rules based on the Bhikkhuni Patimokkha to shape the holy life for them (though the remain technically 10 Precept novices). These well-trained nuns, called Siladhara, behave and dress like bhikkhus, but with their robes a dark brown color. Many people in the community treat the Sildhara similarly to the male bhikkhus, giving them all needed requisites and seeking their guidance as teachers. The Siladhara community has recently experienced sadly deteriorating relations with the Bhikkhu Sangha that gave them their form of practice, culminating in being forced to sign a “Five Point” document that affirms their inferiority to bhikkhus and pledges not to ordain as bhikkhunis. Currently they reportedly are seeking alternative places to live more peacefully.

In the 1980's, with feminist consciousness-raising having touched many places in the world, and particularly with the efforts of Sakyadhita International organization of Buddhist women, efforts by women to fully ordain became more organized. Groups of novice-level nuns of Sri Lanka began to revive the Bhikkhuni Sangha by receiving higher ordination from ceremonies of combined Mahayana Sanghas and Theravada bhikkhus (perhaps the first time in centuries that Mahayana and Theravada bhikkhus have cooperated in traditional religious actions!)

The first new bhikkhunis were so soundly rejected in their home countries that only two from the 1980's ordinations kept their bhikkhuni status, one of them a famous teacher, Ayya Khema of Germany (who passed away in 1997). Later efforts in the mid- and late 1990's enjoyed more success, and these new bhikkhunis, together with Theravada bhikkhus, ordained many more bhikkhunis. As of December 2009, we have approximately 600 Theravada bhikkhunis residing in Sri Lanka, with a small number of bhikkhunis living scattered among several countries, with ten residing in the USA. All but a handful of today's Theravada bhikkhunis ordained in Sri Lanka; several ordained in the USA and a few ordained secretly in Thailand.

CURRENT CONTROVERSY

On October 22, 2009, four 10-Precept nuns (one a former Siladhara) who trained in the highly conservative Ajahn Chah lineage received higher ordination in Australia. Within days, the new bhikkhunis' teacher, the highly esteemed and learned bhikkhu Ajahn Brahm, was summoned to Thailand to explain himself to his fellow bhikkhus. In that meeting, he was forced to resign from his lineage. It is possible that he may lose certain privileges related to Thai law that controls bhikkhus (including his special title akin to being a Bishop, and his authority to ordain men), and that everyone associated with the ordination will be cut off from the entire conservative lineage.

A well-known elder Vinaya expert examined the ordination script and drafted an argument based on Vinaya code of monastic discipline that would undermine not only this ordination, but the ordinations of more than 90% of bhikkhunis of all traditions in the world (a position which others have well refuted, however). Most recently, some elders of that conservative tradition further responded to the ordination by calling for state penalties for foreign bhikkhus who do not closely follow Thai laws for bhikkhus, and declaring that bhikkhuni ordination will never be accepted in Thailand.

Many Western Buddhists, not having realized the depth of opposition to women's ordination among the conservative Thai (or Thai-trained) elder bhikkhus whom they greatly admired, feel shocked and puzzled by these recent events.  There are strong cultural reasons behind the opposition to Ajahn Brahm's helping his female students obtain full ordination, but for a Westerner steeped in the idea of equality, such cultural concerns do not override the importance of opening the doors of opportunity for women.  It seems unlikely for either side to convince the other any time soon.  Let us hope that in a few years, once the cultural shock of the idea has worn off, the Thai populace will call for ordination to be provided to women who seek it.

Regardless of this current controversy, Theravada bhikkhunis do exist! We seem unlikely to be easily frightened out of this path, and we are growing in numbers. The real question that sincere well-trained bhikkhus who adhere to Vinaya practices may want to consider is not whether there will be bhikkhunis, but whether or not the new bhikkhunis will be Vinaya-observant. By refusing to ordain women, by continuing to incorrectly use Vinaya as a tool to block womens' ordination, and recently generally making a poor example of the holy life in the opinion of observers who favor equal opportunity for women, the conservative bhikkhus greatly reduced the likelihood that new generations of bhikkhunis will feel inspired by or loyal to the Vinaya code of discipline that the conservative bhikkhus say they treasure. Since the Vinaya offers the backbone supporting and defining the holy life, that is a terrible potential loss.

Venerable Bhikkhuni Sudhamma
Abbotess, Carolina Buddhist Vihara