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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.
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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.
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.
The Early Spread of Buddhism in India And then to Sri Lanka Sanghamitta’s Contribution www.buddha101.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 Asoka’s queen
Chandragupta’s Empire Kalinga India before Asoka's invasion of Kalinga
Pillar in Lumbini, Nepal, birthplace of the Buddha Marking Ashoka’s visit to Lumbini Wikipedia
One of the many pillars erected by Emperor Asoka • Asoka made Ahimsa (non-violence) a policy. • He was a devotee of: • Love • Truth • Tolerance • Vegetarianism
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.
Bhikkhuni Sanghamitta Clay image made by Ven. Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, Nakhonpathom Thailand
Asoka Sent out Missionaries to Spread Buddhism www.buddha101.com
Princess Annula and the other women first established a Lay-Women’sMonastery
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.
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 LankaBetween the 11th and 14th 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 and 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
FirstThai woman to become a bhikkhuni Bhikkhuni Tao Fa Tzu 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 • Second Western women to receive novice ordination (shramanerika) • Lived in a remote cave in the Himalayas for 12 years • 1973 Received full bhiksuni ordination in Hong Kong • 2000 Established DongyuGatsal 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