The abhidhamma is most profitably considered, not as a psychology or as a philosophy, but as a mystical cult. –Sujato |
In preparation for the 2007 Congress on Buddhist Women’s Role in the Sangha, the Committee of Western Bhikkhunis asked for a historical presentation from a Theravāda point of view. I prepared the following to show that, while bhikkhunis are absent from the mainstream Theravādin institutions, they are very much present in the texts and history.
The depiction of women in Buddhist texts is deeply ambiguous. We are told that women can become fully awakened; and then in the next breath, that they will destroy Buddhism. This ambiguity is deeply revealing. Even though we traditionally see our texts as the products of pure awakened beings, the reality is far more complex, and hence, far more interesting.
What is a bhikkhuni? Where did the bhikkhuni order come from? What do we know about bhikkhunis in ancient times? Why do we need bhikkhuni ordination? All your questions answered here…
Through careful attention to the earliest Buddhist teachings, preserved in scriptures in Pali, Chinese, Tibetan, and Sanskrit, we can not only come closer to the Buddha’s original message, but can discern the teachings shared among all Buddhist traditions.
Fifteen hundred years ago, Buddhist nuns from Sri Lanka braved the long sea voyage to China in order to introduce the authentic bhikkhuni ordination lineage. Here are their stories, translated from the ancient Chinese histories.
It is often held that a fully ordained Buddhist nun, or bhikkhuni, may not criticize or admonish a monk. The traditional tales tell a different story, one where nuns are cheeky and inventive in the ways they prick the pride of stubborn or foolish monks — all for the sake of teaching them Dhamma, of course.
