"Of course you are uncertain, Kalamas. Of course you are in doubt. When there are reasons for doubt, uncertainty is born. So in this case, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering' — then you should abandon them. AN 3.65
- Adhimutta Samaneri My Going Forth
- Analayo Bhikkhu Gender Discrimination in the Pali Canon In approaching the scriptures of the Pāli canon for guidance and orientation, we need to be aware of the fact that this material is the final product of a prolonged period of oral transmission and thus may not always fully reflect the original.
- Bhikkhu Bodhi The Revival of Bhikkhuni Ordination in the Theravada Tradition In this monograph, originally presented at a 2007 conference in Hamburg on “Buddhist Women’s Role in the Sangha,” Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi takes up the arguments used to oppose reviving the Bhikkhunī Sangha, and closely examines the three main areas of contention - novice ordination, the probationary training, and full ordination - offering a positive approach to each. (AfB also has six print copies of Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi's book The Revival of Bhikkhuni Ordination in the Theravada Tradition, available for free w/free shipping. Please email Marcia with your snail mail address, while the supply lasts. updated Dec. 19, 2009).
- Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni Beyond Ambiguity: Going Beyond Gender Ambiguity in Theravada Forest Tradition In modern times, with open public access via the World Wide Web to the Buddha's teaching, in ways that may have only had parallel in the Buddha's lifetime - if ever at all in Buddhist history - the seeming ambiguity of the Buddhist Sutta and Vinaya texts related to gender has become a phenomena of which there is a global awareness. And with the ambiguity, in our modern cultural context, there arises doubt and a substantial amount of suffering, along with waves of attempts at clarification and reconciliation.
Entering Monastic Life and Ordaining as a Bhikkhuni in Theravada Buddhism Dear friend interested in Theravadan Buddhist monastic life.... this page is written with deep appreciation for your aspiration, and the goodness that can come in its fulfilment.
Saffron and Green in the Clear Forest Pool The Buddhist monastic community is founded upon, and well endowed with, effective practices of honest self-reflection and introspection, an eye for the inter-relatedness of conditions that lead to either our harm or welfare, and a heart of great and compassionate caring sensitivity for humanity and all living beings.
- Ajahn Chandako Bhikkhuni Community Building An edited interview with Ajahn Chandako by Jacqueline Kramer.
- Nissara Horayangura Uninhibited Monastic Life for Nuns An article about the community at Dhammasara Nuns Monastery in Perth, Australia.
On the Bhikkuni Question: An Interview with Ajahn Brahm The full-length interview.
Old Pillar, New Possibilities What the revival of the Bhikkhuni Sangha contributes to Thai women and society.
- Susan Pembroke Where are the Women Monastics?
- Sudhamma Bhikkhuni Longing to Ordain Bhikkhuni Sudhamma traces the origin of contemporary Buddhist ordination of women to Queen Anula, Sri Lanka's first bhikkhuni and recounts her own experience in visiting the queen's stupa.
- Ajahn Sujato A Painful Ambiguity An essay on the construction of bhikkhunis as embodied in the early scriptures. The life of the Buddha is designed as a hero myth, and this frames the the origin story of bhikkhunis in mythic, rather than historical, terms.
Bhikkhuni FAQ Facts about bhikkhunis and bhikkhuni ordination.
Bhikkhunis in Theravada A submission to the ongoing dialogue on bhikkhuni ordination in the three main traditions, prepared for the Tibetan Committee of Western Bhikkhunis.
Dark Matter A special investigation look at the slow progress of bhikkhuni ordination.
Full Acceptance The participation of women in the renunciate life.
Now is the Time Paper presented at the discussion panel with HH Dalai Lama on the final day of the First International Congress on Buddhist Women's Role in the Sangha.
Vutthapana and Upasampada A technical discussion of Vinaya terminology regarding bhikkhuni ordination, suggesting that certain aspects of the bhikkhuni Vinaya texts were preserved in the oral tradition of the bhikkhunis themselves, separate from the main redaction tradition of the bhikkhus.
On 22 October 2009, several sincerely practicing nuns received full ordination into the Australian Thai Forest Sangha, in Perth. As a result of this historically significant ceremony, four fully ordained Theravadan Bhikkhunis joined the worldwide Bhikkhuni order.
May the new Bhikkhunis soon be joined by many more.
References:
- Reflections from the newly ordained Bhikkhunis (PDF 78.2kb).
- Images from the Bhikkhuni ordination ceremony (on Picasa).
- On Courageous Decision Making Announcement of Bhikkhuni ordinations by Dennis Shephard, President of Buddhist Society of Western Australia, followed by a talk by Ajahn Brahm (18.8Mb mp3).
- Ajahn Chandako's statement on the Perth Bhikkhuni ordination (PDF 129kb).
- Ajahn Brahmali on the Perth Bhikkhuni ordination (PDF 69.6kb).
- The statement from WPP excommunicating Ajahn Brahm and his monastery from the Wat Pah Pong tradition following the ordination (PDF 12.4kb)
- The statement from Ajahn Brahm on why he was excommunicated (PDF 32.9kb).
- Looking Forward with Happiness Introduction by Dennis Shephard, followed by a talk by Ajahn Brahm given after expulsion from Wat Pah Pong (18.32Mb mp3).
- Thanissaro Bhikkhu's Vinaya Refutation of the validity of Bhikkhuni ordination (PDF 121kb).
- Buddhist Scholarly Research Supporting Bhikkhuni Ordination with contributions by Bhikkhu Bodhi, Ajahn Sujato, Ajahn Brahm, Ajahn Brahmali, Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni, Sudhamma Bhikkhuni, and Bhikkhu Analayo (PDF 285kb).
- Tenzin Palmo's public statement on the Bhikkhuni ordination controversy (PDF 85.4kb).
- Ven. Sumangala's statement on bhikkhuni ordination (PDF 72.7kb).
- View the petition created by the international four-fold sangha to register support for Bhikkhuni ordination in the Thai Forest tradition ( PDF 1.02Mb).
- Comments from Published Public Dialogues in support of Bhikkhuni ordination, written by members of the international four-fold sangha (PDF 369kb).
- Public letters Archive of letters written in support of Bhikkhuni ordination.
- The statement from the World Abbot's Meeting in regard to Bhikkhuni ordination in the Thai Forest tradition (PDF 97.1kb).
- The 5 Points for the UK Siladharas (PDF 41.6kb).
- Responses to the 5 Points for the UK Siladharas (PDF 70.3kb).
- The Forest Sangha Elders official response to the 5 Points (PDF 335kb).
External Sites and Blogs:
- Bhante Sujato's Blog Buddhism for a Small World.
- Women and the Forest Sangha An open discussion on Facebook.
- Who Says We Never Had Bhikkhuni Clergy by Sanitsuda Ekachai, Bangkok Post.
- The Bhikkhuni Question Brief interview with Ajahn Brahm by Nissara Horayangura, Bangkok Post.
- Fourfold Sangha Worldwide Theravadan community requesting four-fold sangha.
- Bhikkhuni Ordination Timeline On The Dhamma Encyclopedia.
- Support Bhikkhunis Petition The petition is now closed.
- Support Bhikkhunis Letters Read letters in support of Bhikkhuni ordination, written by members of the worldwide Buddhist community.
To add articles to the Alliance for Bhikkhunis library, please email the article with permission to archive here.