What is the current situation of Bhikkhuni ordination?

[Wizard in the Forest]

What is the status of women in the Sangha in various countries and lineages, and in which are going forth or ordination permitted and to what degree is it permitted?

In which lineages and countries is it available for a woman to become a Samaṇerī, a Sikkhamānā, and a Bhikkhunī or their equivalent?

I also heard it is a crime in some countries for a woman to go forth too, is this true?

[Monkey Mind]

I am not knowledgeable to answer your questions, but I offer this website as one reference.
http://awakeningtruth.org/about/topics- ... of-support

[David N. Snyder]

It is much, much better now than in previous years / decades.

There seems to be a fairly open and acceptance of bhikkhuni ordinations in the U.S., Australia, and Sri Lanka and it is improving in other countries too.

http://www.dhammawiki.com/index.php?tit ... ordination
http://www.theravadabuddhism.org/
http://www.bhikkhuni.net/

[retrofuturist]

Greetings WITF,

If you search around the forum (most likely this Ordination section and the Theravada For The Modern World section) you'll find some lengthy discussions which arose out of the hullabaloo surrounding bhikkhuni ordinations performed by Ajahn Brahm.

These might give you some indication of the key issues and the breadth of opinion on them.

Metta,
Retro.

[Khalil Bodhi]

Hi WITF,

I happen to be an admin for the bhikkhuni hermitage and monastery in CA. You may ant to check out the page in my signature or visit their site here: http://www.dhammadharini.net/. I'm certainly no expert on the vinaya and tend to rely on Thanissaro bhikkhu (rightly or wrongly I suppose) for opinions on those tomes but I fully support anyone who wants to pursue the path to Nibbbana. Mettaya!

Best wishes,

Mike

[clw_uk]

In the UK there is Bhikkhuni ordination at Amaravati and its associated monasteries


http://www.amaravati.org/abmnew/index.php


http://www.cittaviveka.org/index2.htm

[Vepacitta]

I though the Ven Sumedho viharas only offered the lesser Siladhara ordination for women - hence the whole controversy ...

V.

[Wizard in the Forest]

Yeah, I remember the 5 points of becoming a Siladhara. I remember being particularly offended because I respect Ajahn Sumedho. I then thought about it, and realized that he did that to reconcile the perceptions of Westerners with the Thai Forest Tradition, and Ajahn Chah's group. I am planning to make a world map marking the status of Buddhist women and particularly their ability to have a role in the Sangha so I asked. I know Sri Lanka, the US, and Australia offers ordainment, but I know much less about the rest of the world.

[kirana]

What is the status of women in the Sangha in various countries and lineages, and in which are going forth or ordination permitted and to what degree is it permitted?

In which lineages and countries is it available for a woman to become a Samaṇerī, a Sikkhamānā, and a Bhikkhunī or their equivalent?

I also heard it is a crime in some countries for a woman to go forth too, is this true?

hi Wizard,
for the bold one, i knew it.
one of my friend, now she already disrobe and married with american man.
before she is bhikkhuni from myanmar for more than 20 yrs, her government arrested her and put in the prison till 72 days when her father died. after she make an acknoledgement letter that "she is not bhikkhuni" then her government release her in same day brought her to airport and depart her to srilanka. she cannot comeback her country again. but now she is as lay woman i think she can visit her country again.

im really missed her so much, i hope she is happy in USA now. i dont know where her living place now.

mettacittena,

[Wizard in the Forest]

Oh bless that courageous woman. I hope she is okay, and happy. I know it's got to be difficult to face that kind of horrid persecution. I only hope that her time as a Bhikkhunī was enough to hold to the doctrine and discipline in her heart for the next life.

[kirana]

Oh bless that courageous woman. I hope she is okay, and happy. I know it's got to be difficult to face that kind of horrid persecution. I only hope that her time as a Bhikkhunī was enough to hold to the doctrine and discipline in her heart for the next life.

i believe on her, she is really quite good to hold the doctrine as her study in Buddhism until PhD at Srilanka.
btw her younger sister [her own sister] also as a nun [now her nun life more than 23 yrs], i think she also got the effect, as her hearing cannot hear clearly for 5 years, before i met her hasn't problem with hearing, but recently i met her, suddenly she cannot hear me clearly, especially left-ear, i have to speak near her right-ear. when i asked her, she only smile and said slowly "this is a life witness" and she wouldn't explain it further, though i tried. im really so curious with her life, but she is so introvert especially about this matter. so i dont know why she lost her hearing for her left-ear.

mettacittena,

[octathlon]

Very depressing to hear how women are still treated by the powers that be.

[Wizard in the Forest]

I think there are no powers that be that can keep women away from the Buddha Dhamma forever. We'll see won't we? Maybe when I have no more debt and less responsibilities I will reach for ordination as well (^_^)

[kirana]

Very depressing to hear how women are still treated by the powers that be.

thanks for your symphaty, unfortunately already took victims.
unbearable in modern time.

mettacittena,

[kirana]

I think there are no powers that be that can keep women away from the Buddha Dhamma forever. We'll see won't we? Maybe when I have no more debt and less responsibilities I will reach for ordination as well (^_^)

i love to hear forward.
may your dream come true.

mettacittena,