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Abhassara, Melanie

• Recollection of the Foremost Arahant Bhikkhunis (Pali) 4:14, 1 mb
• Recollection of the Foremost Arahant Bhikkhunis with harmonium (Pali) 7:05, 1.7 mb
• Read the words to this chant (Pali and English) - PDF

Adhimutta, Samaneri

• My Going Forth A samaneri discusses the current monastic landscape and the experience of going forth into homelessness.

Anālayo, Bhikkhu

• Mahāpajāpatī's Going Forth in the Madhyama-āgama We are grateful to the Journal of Buddhist Ethics for kindly and graciously allowing us to reprint Ven. Analayo's article.
• 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.
• The Bahudhaatuka-sutta and its Parallels on Women's Inabilities The present article offers a comparative study of the Bahudhātuka-sutta, based on a translation of one of its parallels found in the Madhyama-āgama preserved in Chinese translation. The study focuses in particular on the dictum that a woman cannot be a Buddha, which is absent from the Madhyama-āgama version.
• Bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā Proves Her Wisdom
• Mahāpajāpatī's Going Forth in the Madhyama-āgama

Andrews, Karen

• Women In Theravada Buddhism The author discusses the future of American Buddhist practice.

Bhikkhuni-samyutta Suttas

• Bhikkhuni-Samyutta Suttas In these suttas, Mara, the personification of doubt and evil, tries in vain to lure bhikkhunis away from their meditation spots in the forest by asking them provocative questions. Without exception, these wise women conquer Mara decisively. Translated by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi.

Bianchi, June

• The Feminine Spirit in Buddhism An intelligent overview of the feminine in a generally patriarchal system.

Bodhi, Bhikkhu

• The Challenge of the Future How Will the Sangha Fare in North American Buddhism? (PDF version)
• 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 (PDF 1.24mb).
• Bhikkhuni Education Today: Seeing Challenges as Opportunities Bhikkhu Bodhi speaks in the subject of bhikkhuni eduation (audio).

Boucher, Sandy

• Standing Outside the Door An intimate look at the impact of denying full ordination to Tibetan nuns.

Culavedalla Sutta, MN44

• Culavedalla Sutta (MN 44), in which Bhikkhuni Dhammadinna instructs her former husband in the Dhamma.

Dewaraja, Dr. L.S.

• The Position of Women in Buddhism A fascinating research paper on how womenenjoyed more equality with men in many Buddhist countries until the arrival of the British Empire.

de Silva, Swarna

• The Place of Women in Buddhism An early (first published in 1988, and updated 1994) ground-breaking exposition on reviving the Bhikkhuni Order.

Ekachai, Sanitsuda

• Who Says We Never Had Bhikkhuni Clergy by Sanitsuda Ekachai, Bangkok Post.

Gross, Rita M.

• How American Women are Changing Buddhism American women are taking Buddhism away from its patriarchal past, participating confidently as practitioners, teachers, and leaders. The job is not finished, says Rita M. Gross, one of Buddhism's leading feminist thinkers, but the role of American Buddhist women is unprecedented and may change Buddhism forever.

Gunasari, Ven. Bhikkhuni

• Ven. Sariputta's Life dhamma talk Part 1, July 18, 2011
• Ven. Sariputta's Life dhamma talk Part 2, July 18, 2011

Hecker, Dr. Hellmuth

• Buddhist Women at the Time of the Buddha An exploration of the Therigatha (Verses of the Elder Nuns) from the most prominent German writer on Theravada Buddhism, chronicler of the history of Buddhim in Germany, and leading translator of the Pali Canon.

Horayangura, Nissara

• 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.
• On the Bhikkuni Question: An Interview with Ajahn Brahm The abbreviated interview.
• Old Pillar, New Possibilities What the revival of the Bhikkhuni Sangha contributes to Thai women and society.
• A Sacred Lotus: Spiritual activist Susan Pembroke nurtures the development of Theravada bhikkhuni communities around the world Bangkok Post article about the Alliance for Bhikkhunis, by Nissara Horayangura.
• The quest for parity English-born Buddhist nun leads women on the path of spiritual enlightenment.

Horner, I.B.

• Women in Early Buddhist Literature The author examines how early women were the main upholders and supporters of Buddhism.

Jootla, Susan Elbaum

• Inspiration From Enlightened Nuns Exploring poems composed by the ancient arahant bhikkhunis (Therigatha), and viewing these poems as springs of inspiration for contemporary Buddhists.

Kramer, Jacqueline

• Bhikkhuni Community Building An edited interview with Ajahn Chandako by Jacqueline Kramer.
• A Garland for the Bhikkhunis of Perth The author ponders how might it change a culture to have both female and male expressions of enlightenment, equal in respect and power, as physical embodiements of the Dhamma.

   

Kusuma, Ven. Bhikkhuni

• Inaccuracies in Buddhist Women's History Inaccuracies about bhikkhunis recorded in the Canon, particularly in the text known as the Cullavagga.

Lottermoser, Dr. Friedgard

• Buddhist Nuns in Burma Historical background on the history of ordained women in Burma.

Lee, Yu Ban

• A Lotus at Dawn:  Opening the Doors to the Theravada Bhikkhuni Sangha After an absence of more than 900 years, the Theravada Bhikkhuni Sangha was revived in Sarnath, India.

Mrozik, Susanne

• In the Company of Spiritual Friends: Sri Lanka’s Buddhist Nuns The current situation in Sri Lanka for ordained women.
• Sinhala translation In the Company of Spiritual Friends: Sri Lanka’s Buddhist Nuns

Pembroke, Susan

• Where are the Women Monastics? This article appeared in the Spring 2008 issue of Present.
• Mahapajapati Tells her Story
• Vietnamese Bhikkhuni Dhammananda: Transforming War and Violence to Peace and Respect One woman’s journey to becoming a bhikkhuni.
• NI SƯ PHÁP HỶ: CHUYỂN CHIẾN TRANH VÀ BẠO ĐỘNG THÀNH HOÀ BÌNH VÀ ÁI KÍNH Vietnamese translation by Nhu Quang (Thuc Cong) Download Vietnamese version as PDF.

Sobhana, Ven. Bhikkhuni

• Contemporary Bhikkuni Ordination in Sri Lanka An overview of the bhikkhuni ordination situation in Sri Lanka.
• Introduction to Metta meditation at Insight Meditation Ventura, 3/19/2011. Audio talk on Metta. File size: 37.07MB
• "The problem with Consciousness" conclusion of Pancupadanakkhandha talks at ABS Temple Sacramento, 4/23/2011. Audio talk on Suffering and Pure Awareness. File size: 10.04 MB
• "Pancupadanakkhandha is Dukkha" at ABS Temple Sacramento, 4/23/2011. Audio talk on Dukkha. File size: 7.8 MB

Sujata, Sabrina

• Restraint in Accordance with Patimokkha An elegant exploration of living life within the Dhamma-Vinaya.

Sudhamma, Ven. Bhikkhuni

• Longing to Ordain Tracing the origin of contemporary Buddhist ordination of women to Queen Anula, Sri Lanka's first bhikkhuni, trhe author recounts her experiences when visiting the Queen's stupa.
• Personal Perspective on Vinaya An exploration of Vinaya shows that it contains many hidden treasures waiting to be found by those with the patience and faith to give them a try.
• Smoothing the Way is her personal journey to ordination.

Sujato, Ven. Bhikkhu

• 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.
• Bhikkhuni Vinaya Studies Exploration of issues confronting fully ordained nuns (bhikkhunis) in modern Buddhism. Includes detailed textual analysis based on comparison of the original Vinaya texts (PDF 1.3mb).
• 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 (PDF 36kb).
• 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.
• Who Trains for Two Years? It is often assumed that all women must spend two years training as a sikkhamānā (trainee) before ordaining as a bhikkhuni. This article looks at what this really means.
• 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.

Tathaaloka, Ven. Bhikkhuni Theri

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Dipavamsa Bhikkhuni Highlights Selected exerpts with summeries and comments from The Dipavamsa: An Ancient Buddhist Historical Record, translated by Hermann Oldenberg and compiled by Ayya Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni.
• The Amazing Transformations of Arahant Theri Uppalavanna

Thanasanti, Bhikkhuni

• Extraordinary Women
• Bhikkhuni Today: The Joys and Challenges of a Pioneer

Tsomo, Bhikshuni Karma Lekshe

• The History of Buddhist Monasticism and Its Western Adaptation An examination of the role of women in the transmission of Bhuddhist monasticism and its adaptation in Western Cultures.

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.

• 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).

Present | The Voices and Activities of Theravada Buddhist Women

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