The 1st Annual International Bhikkhunī Day happened on September 17, 2011 and was dedicated to the memory and legacy of Mahāpajāpatī Therī. It was the idea of founder and former president of Alliance for Bhikkhunīs, Susan Pembroke. Susan wanted to create an annual event to honor the essential role played by the Bhikkhunī Sangha in preserving and propagating the Dhamma. She suggested we do this by holding an International Bhikkhunī Day (IBD). Susan chose a date around the full moon in September, when Mahāpajāpatī—the first Bhikkhunī—was ordained, thus marking the emergence of the Bhikkhunī Sangha. (Check out our archives to see the themes of all the past IBDs.)
The 13th Annual International Bhikkhunī Day was observed on September 29, 30, or any convenient date close to the September 2023 full moon.
A significant step in the revival of full Theravāda Bhikkhunī ordination occurred with the 1998 Bodhgayā ordination: “It was one of the first major steps to re-establish the bhikshuni (full ordination for women) ordination in countries such as Sri Lanka where it had died out centuries ago and to introduce this precious ordination in countries and traditions where it has not previously existed.” Alliance for Bhikkhunīs has been deeply inspired to see the Bhikkhunī Sangha thriving in so many places, from Asia where the Bhikkhunī Sangha is nourished by deep historical roots, to the flourishing communities in Oceania, Europe, and North America, to the beginnings of new growth in Latin America.
Thanks to the generous support of our donors, Alliance for Bhikkhunīs was able to provide support to Bhikkhunīs across the world last year.
The mission of the Alliance for Bhikkhunīs–to support and protect the international Bhikkhunī Sangha–is especially crucial now, as the world struggles with global political and economic crises. Although the Bhikkhunī Sangha is often uniquely vulnerable in these situations, as they depend entirely on the goodwill and support of laypeople, we are inspired and heartened by the grace and resilience Bhikkhunīs have shown in walking the path of the Dhamma despite adversity.
If you’re interested in helping the Alliance for Bhikkhunīs in nurturing the growth and development of the global Bhikkhunī Sangha, please take a moment to explore the ongoing projects we support.
If you would like to hold an event to observe International Bhikkhunī Day, here are some tools you can use to create an informative and inspiring IBD celebration, as well as a Power Point presentation of the history of the Bhikkhunī order from the Buddha to the present day. AfB’s Facebook page lists a number of 2023 IBD events. In addition, here are AfB’s 13th Annual IBD activities and reports:
AfB IBD Conference Report
Alliance for Bhikkhuni’s wonderful Board Member Pooja Bhatia recently attended this year’s International Bhikkhuni Day Conference in Mumbai, India and shared her experiences at the event:
“About 80-90 Bhikkhunis and and a few Bhikkhus attended the event on Friday. Different panels discussed various ancient to current issues regarding the Buddha and Bhikkhunis: Bhikkhuni history, the current oppression faced by Bhikkhunis as well as practices that the Buddha agreed were allowed for both women and men. There was an emphasis on the value of equality that the Buddha preached. This emphasis helped reduce or abolish the barriers between men (monks) and women (nuns) as monastics donned the same clothing. This also helped reduce the barriers between men and men and women and women too as their caste and creed and their initial backgrounds did not matter.
Historical evidence was presented to show that Maha Prajapati belonged to a clan in the western Maharashtra region. Her lineage is a point of pride for the region, reflected in the fact that some communities still follow a matriarchal system.”
13th Annual International Bhikkhuni Day
The 1st Annual International Bhikkhunī Day happened on September 17, 2011 and was dedicated to the memory and legacy of Mahāpajāpatī Therī. It was the idea of founder and former president of Alliance for Bhikkhunīs, Susan Pembroke. Susan wanted to create an annual event to honor the essential role played by the Bhikkhunī Sangha in preserving and propagating the Dhamma. She suggested we do this by holding an International Bhikkhunī Day (IBD). Susan chose a date around the full moon in September, when Mahāpajāpatī—the first Bhikkhunī—was ordained, thus marking the emergence of the Bhikkhunī Sangha. (Check out our archives to see the themes of all the past IBDs.)
The 13th Annual International Bhikkhunī Day was observed on September 29, 30, or any convenient date close to the September 2023 full moon.
A significant step in the revival of full Theravāda Bhikkhunī ordination occurred with the 1998 Bodhgayā ordination: “It was one of the first major steps to re-establish the bhikshuni (full ordination for women) ordination in countries such as Sri Lanka where it had died out centuries ago and to introduce this precious ordination in countries and traditions where it has not previously existed.” Alliance for Bhikkhunīs has been deeply inspired to see the Bhikkhunī Sangha thriving in so many places, from Asia where the Bhikkhunī Sangha is nourished by deep historical roots, to the flourishing communities in Oceania, Europe, and North America, to the beginnings of new growth in Latin America.
Thanks to the generous support of our donors, Alliance for Bhikkhunīs was able to provide support to Bhikkhunīs across the world last year.
The mission of the Alliance for Bhikkhunīs–to support and protect the international Bhikkhunī Sangha–is especially crucial now, as the world struggles with global political and economic crises. Although the Bhikkhunī Sangha is often uniquely vulnerable in these situations, as they depend entirely on the goodwill and support of laypeople, we are inspired and heartened by the grace and resilience Bhikkhunīs have shown in walking the path of the Dhamma despite adversity.
If you’re interested in helping the Alliance for Bhikkhunīs in nurturing the growth and development of the global Bhikkhunī Sangha, please take a moment to explore the ongoing projects we support.
If you would like to hold an event to observe International Bhikkhunī Day, here are some tools you can use to create an informative and inspiring IBD celebration, as well as a Power Point presentation of the history of the Bhikkhunī order from the Buddha to the present day. AfB’s Facebook page lists a number of 2023 IBD events. In addition, here are AfB’s 13th Annual IBD activities and reports:
AfB 13th Annual IBD Video
AfB IBD Conference Report
“About 80-90 Bhikkhunis and and a few Bhikkhus attended the event on Friday. Different panels discussed various ancient to current issues regarding the Buddha and Bhikkhunis: Bhikkhuni history, the current oppression faced by Bhikkhunis as well as practices that the Buddha agreed were allowed for both women and men. There was an emphasis on the value of equality that the Buddha preached. This emphasis helped reduce or abolish the barriers between men (monks) and women (nuns) as monastics donned the same clothing. This also helped reduce the barriers between men and men and women and women too as their caste and creed and their initial backgrounds did not matter.
Top image provided by Wren Withers. Bottom image provided by Pooja Bhatia and originally posted to the Alliance for Bhikkhunis Facebook page.