In Bangkok this is still a rare and possibly confusing sight, but in some other parts of Thailand there are places in which both the white-robed
mae chee and the brown-robed
samaneri / bhikkhuni have been collecting almsfood regularly on the streets. In northern Thailand, south of Chiang Mai, there is probably the biggest training center for bhikkhunis called Nirotharam.
พีธีบรรพชาสามเณรี นิโรธาราม ที่ ศรีลังกา
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This video shows the Pabbajja ordination in Sri Lanka of a group of Thai samaneris from Wat Nirotharam, Chom Tong, Chiang Mai. At the end of the first part, they first ordain with the Bhikkhuni-sangha. Then in the second part, they go to another monastery to ordain with the Bhikkhu-sangha as well (accompanied by some drummers -- this is almost like a Tibetan oracle ceremony!). The group is led by Bhikkhuni Nandanyani who is a very confident Dhamma teacher in her own right. At the end of the third part, a senior monk from Sri Lanka comes to Thailand to offer a small Bodhi tree sapling to Wat Nirotharam.
About the senior monks in Chiang Mai: Ven Nandanyani is accepted by them as a Theravada bhikkhuni. The district head monk spoke about this explicitly. He mentioned gratitude to Sri Lanka for restoring the bhikkhuni lineage in Thailand, as had been done for the bhikkhu lineage in past. He spoke of how the Mahayana had been replete in borisat-si (4 assemblies) and that it is a blessing for the present and future of Buddhism in Thailand if the borisat-si be replete with bhikkhunis who are replete in sila (which he explained meant patimokkha sila), samadhi (which he said Ajahn Nandayani is very good with) and panna (which he said she is also very good with as a Dhamma teacher). He said that to be replete for the blessing and welfare of the long life of Sasana and to fulfill the Buddha's Teaching, that the Nirotharam bhikkhunis should learn and practice Vinaya well, in addition to their being good in samadhi and panna.
Ven Nanthayani has arranged for her community to be having an intensive study course for the sake of further Vinaya learning of the whole community. She very much hopes and aspires that some bhikkhus who are knowledgeable and well discipled in Vinaya and well disciplined Thai monastic customs will come to visit Nirotharam, or some educational/training arrangement can be made such that they can learn, so that she can be sure that their training and practice is replete and that they are fully living as an blessing to the Sasana. See
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พิธียกฉัตร อัญเชิญพระบรมสารีริกธาตุ @ นิโรธาราม (ceremony presided by LP Thong Sirimangalo)
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