Second International Bhikkhuni Day September 29 2012 This

Second International Bhikkhuni Day September 29, 2012

This Year Honoring: Bhikkhuni Sanghamitta Theri Sanghamitta means “Friend of the Sangha”

What. is a Bhikkhuni/Bhikshuni? A bhikkhuni (Pali) or bhikshuni (Sanskrit) is a fully-ordained female Buddhist monastic. A bhikkhu/bhikshu is a fully-ordained male monastic. Both bhikkhus & bhikkhunis are ordained by receiving the precepts of the Vinaya (monastic discipline).

Sites associated with the life of The Buddha “Buddhism”, Kevin Trainor, Ed.

Beginnings of the Bhikkhuni Order

Many Enlightened Bhikkhunis The Thirteen Great Arahant Bhikkhuni Disciples, mural in Wat Pho, Bangkok, Thailand

The Fourfold Sangha The Buddha said: “I will not pass away…until I have bhikkhu disciples. . . bhikkhuni disciples. . . layman disciples… laywoman disciples who are accomplished, disciplined, skilled, learned, expert in the Dhamma. ” From the Mahaparinibbana Sutta.

Mural of Fourfold Assembly at Wat Pho, Bangkok, Thailand

The Early Spread of Buddhism in India And then to Sri Lanka Sanghamitta’s Contribution www. buddha 101. com

Emperor Asoka, Bhikkhuni Sanghamitta’s Father • By the time of Emperor Asoka (304 -232 BC), Buddhism was well established in India. • Asoka had most likely been exposed to Buddhist thought, but later said that he hadn’t understood it.

From War to Peace • About 150 years after the Buddha’s death, Alexander the Great of Macedonia rose to power and was expanding his empire.

The Indian Army on elephants tried to repel Alexander the Great’s Invasion

Chandragupta’s Empire Patna Kalinga Ujian

Bhikkhuni Sanghamitta’s Parents King Asoka’s queen

Chandragupta’s Empire Kalinga India before Asoka's invasion of Kalinga

Battle of Kalinga

http: //indiansaga. com/history

The Bollywood version is available on Netflix

Pillar in Lumbini, Nepal, birthplace of the Buddha Marking Ashoka’s visit to Lumbini Wikipedia

• Asoka made Ahimsa (nonviolence) a policy. • He was a devotee of: – Love – Truth – Tolerance – Vegetarianism One of the many pillars erected by Emperor Asoka

Accomplishments of Asoka • Built universities • Built water transit systems and irrigation systems • Built roads

After her father’s conversion, Sanghamitta was raised according to Buddhist teachings.

Sanghamitta Marries Agribrahmi

Bhikkhuni Sanghamitta Clay image made by Ven. Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, Nakhonpathom Thailand

Asoka Sent out Missionaries to Spread Buddhism www. buddha 101. com

Princess Annula and the other women first established a Lay-Women’s Monastery

A ‘Liberated’ Woman! She is recorded to have said to her father, “My brother’s word has importance to me, King, together with the request of the great Queen and the thousand women. Further, I suppose, this is not just my brother’s word and many are waiting for the going-forth, which I also desire to give, Great King, and so now I must go. ”

Bhikkhuni Sanghamitta sails to Sri Lanka with a cutting from the Bodhi tree.

Wikipedia Many–headed Naga serpent/dragon

Sanghamitta took the form of a Garuda to chase away the Nagas Wikipedia

Bhikkhuni Sanghamitta, with the Bodhi-Tree sapling, lands in Sri Lanka, greeted by King Tissa.

Sanghamitta & the Bodhi Tree are Escorted to Anuradhapura

The Bodhi Tree in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka is said to be the oldest living tree in the world.

Sanghamitta’s Stupa As it was found After being restored

Bhikkhuni Sangha Spreads to China In 429 CE, Sri Lankan Bhikkhuni Devasara traveled to China with a group of bhikkhunis to establish a bhikkhuni sangha there.

Sri Lankan Bhikkhunis Establish Unbroken Bhikkhuni Lineage China’s bhikkhuni lineage has continued to the present day in an unbroken upasampada (ordination) lineage. This lineage eventually spread to Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam.

Disappearance of the Bhikkhuni Sangha in India and Sri Lanka Between the 11 th and 14 th centuries CE both the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Sanghas died out in India and Sri Lanka due to invasions, war, and famine. Sanghamitta Shrine, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka

Ayutthaya Historic Park, the ancient Thai Capital • The Bhikkhu Sangha revived multiple times. • The Bhikkhuni Sangha was not revived. • In 1928, the Thai Bhikkhu Sangha decreed that the bhikkhuni lineage had died out and could not be revived.

One Major Thing Prevented the Spread of the Bhiksuni Order to Tibet

Bhikkhunis Worldwide! Today there are now bhikkhunis & bhiksunis in the U. S. , India, Italy, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Thailand Vietnam.

Mahayana Bhikshunis Helped Revive the Bhikkhuni/Bhiksuni Sanghas in the Theravada & Tibetan Traditions Unmoonsa Bhikkhuni Monastery & Sangha University, South Korea

Mahayana ordination almost identical to Thai ordination ceremony “In all the Mahayana schools whether in Tibet, China, Korea, or Vietnam, they follow mostly a Dharmagupta Vinaya. Dharmagupta is one of the Theravada sects. ” Ajahn Brahm

Bhikkhuni Tao Fa Tzu First Thai woman to become a bhikkhuni 1908 Born Voramai Kabilsingh Shatsena 1955 Ordained as a samaneri (10 precepts) 1971 Lacking full ordination in Thailand, she traveled to Taiwan for bhikkhuni ordination Established Sondhammakalyani Temple outside of Bangkok

Bhiksuni Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo 1963 Left London for India to study Buddhism 1964 Second Western women to receive novice ordination (shramanerika) 1965 Lived in a remote cave in the Himalayas for 12 years 1973 Received full bhiksuni ordination in Hong Kong 2000 Established Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in the Himalayas

Bhiksuni Pema Chodron -Born in NYC in 1936 -Graduated form UC Berkeley -Elementary school teacher for many years -In her mid-thirties traveled to the French Alps where she met Lama Chime Rinpoche -Ordained as a novice in 1974 -1981 fully ordained in Chinese lineage in Hong Kong -Currently abbess of Gampo Abbey in rural Cape Breton, Nova Scotia -Author of many books on Buddhism

Bhiksuni Karma Lekshe Tsomo, Ph. D. - 1982 Fully ordained in South Korea 1986 Established Jamyang Foundation for the education of Himalayan nuns 1987 Co-founded Sakyadhita (Daughter of the Buddha) International Association of Buddhist Women 2000 -present Associate Professor, Theology & Religious Studies, USD

Bhiksuni Thubten Chodron 1971 B. A. History, UCLA 1977 Ordained as a nun in Dharamsala, India 1987 Full ordination in Taiwan 2003 Established Sravastri Abbey in Washington State

1998 International Full Ordination Ceremony in Bodhgaya, India Bhikshunis-to-be pay respects to their preceptors, Bhiksunis Thubten Chodron & Karma Lekshe Tsomo

1988 –Five Sri Lankan ten-precept nuns (including Ayya Khema) were ordained at Hsi Lai Monastery in Los Angeles by Taiwanese bhikkhus and bhikkhunis.

Ayya Khema (b. Berlin 1923 – d. Buddhahaus, 1997) -1979 first Western woman to ordain as a Theravada samaneri. -1987 co-organized the first international conference of Buddhist nuns, resulting in the founding of Sakyadhita. -First Buddhist nun to address the U. N. in N. Y. in 1987. -1988 fully ordained in the Los Angeles Chinese temple Hsi Lai (Taiwanese). The inspiration for the creation of the Alliance for Bhikkhunis

Theravada Bhikkhuni reestablished in Sri Lanka. • 1996 – The Korean Bhikkhu Sangha and Sri Lankan monks sponsored another bhikkhuni ordination for 10 Sri Lankan dasasilmatas in Sarnath, India.

Bhikkhuni Kusuma was one of 10 Sri Lankan women ordained in 1996 in Sarnath, India. Now there now almost 1000 bhikkhunis in Sri Lanka.

First Modern Bhikkhuni Ordination in Sri Lanka • 2003 - First bhikkhuni higher ordinations in modern times on Sri Lankan soil. (American Bhikkhuni Ayya Sudhamma, Thailand’s Ven. Dhammananda, and Burmese born Ayya Gunasari & Ayya Saccavadi were ordained at this time. )

Bhikkhuni Dhammananda, Ph. D. 1945 Born Chatsumarn Kabilsingh in Thailand (daugher of Bhikkhuni Tao Fa Tzu) 1975 -2000 Professor of Buddhist philosophy at Thammasat University 2001 Received samaneri ordination 2003 Received full bhikkhuni ordination in Sri Lanka Now abbess of one of the few bhikkhuni temples in Thailand. In June 2011 she had five bhikkhunis living with her.

In 2006, in a secret ceremony in the ancient ruins at Ayutthaya in Thailand, three more Thai women ordained as bhikkhunis − Bhikkhunis Rattanavali, Dhammamitta, and Silananda.

Ayya Tathaaloka 1968 Born in Washington, DC 1987 Ordained as an anagarika, traveled & studied in India, South Korea & Thailand 1997 Ordained as a bhikkhuni in Los Angeles at 2005 Founded Dhammadharini Vihara in Fremont, CA and Aranya Bodhi Hermitage in N. CA.

Ayya Sobhana Bhikkhuni Trained by Bhante Gunaratana of Bhavana Society 2006 Higher ordination in Dambulla, Sri Lanka Abbess of Aranya Bodhi Hermitage in Northern CA

Hamburg Congress, 2007 Bhikkhunis and bhikshunis ordained earlier help to mentor and ordain new bhikkhunis.

Rocking the Boat • 2009 − With Ayya Tathaaloka as preceptor and Ajahn Brahm as certifying acariya, four samaneris were ordained as bhikkhunis at Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine, Australia. • Ajahn Brahm was then “delisted” from the Ajahn Chah lineage. Ajahn Brahm and other monks

Bhikshuni Tenzin Palmo hugs a Thai maechee while teaching at Wat Suan Mokh, Thailand, 2007 “Every now and then, when she senses anguish or a need for solace, Tenzin Palmo approaches one of the women she's chatting with and gives them a bear hug. This motherly embrace is the manifestation of kalayanamitta (true friendship). ” "That's why you need a female monk, " she says after hugging a woman in tears. "Because [male] monks can't do that. "

August 2010 Bhikkhuni Ordination of four bhikkhunis at Aranya Bodhi Hermitage, Northern California October 2010 Bhikkhuni Ordinations at Dharma Vijaya in Los Angeles

Three More North American Bhikkhunis Spirit Rock Meditation Hall – Oct. 17, 2011 L-R: Ayya Nimmala, Sate Saraniya Hermitage, Ontario, Canada; Ayya Santacitta and Ayya Anandabodhi, Aloka Vihara, San Francisco, California

A Sima of Flowers

Alliance for Bhikkhunis (AFB) was founded in 2007 to support the creation of a Bhikkhuni Sangha in the U. S. and its revival overseas. Bhikkhunis near Joshua Tree National Park, Mohave Desert, Southern California, USA

What Do We Do? • AFB educates lay practitioners about the essential role bhikkhunis play in preserving the Dhamma. • AFB offers financial assistance to provide monastics with their four requisites: food, clothing, shelter and medicine/health care

Af. B Raises Funds for Financial Assistance for Monastics Contributed to the construction of living quarters. Contributed to a “new used” kitchen trailer for Aranya Bodhi Monastery in Northern California.