| Yes, there are Buddhist nuns. They are called | | | | Buddhism on to South East Asia and into the rest of |
| bhikkhunis. Nuns were an important part of the early | | | | the world. There are now active communities of nuns, |
| Buddhist community. The monastic practice of women | | | | particularly in China, but the traditional practice of |
| continues to be significant in the Buddhist community | | | | Buddhist nuns has died out now in South East Asia, |
| today. We may have some problems with the story | | | | although there are in some places attempts to |
| about the origin of this community of nuns because of | | | | reestablish that lineage. |
| our presuppositions, but let's look at it anyway with an | | | | If you want to be active communities of nuns today, |
| open mind. | | | | you should look in China, Taiwan or Tibet. |
| The Buddha's aunt, Mahapajapati, asked him if he will | | | | What should we think about these additional |
| be willing to ordain her as a nun. Until this time, only men | | | | stipulations that the Buddha imposed on this early |
| were accepted into his monastic organization. The | | | | community of nuns? |
| Buddha refused. She pressed him again and again. He | | | | It is important not to characterize the early Buddhist |
| finally agreed to do it, but with a couple of restrictive | | | | tradition as diminishing the ability of women to achieve |
| stipulations. | | | | awakening. The possibility of monasticism for women |
| One was that the nuns would have to abide by an | | | | has been an important part of the Buddhist community, |
| additional series of regulations, over and above the | | | | and it represents the commitment to the possibility of |
| regulations that applied to the monks. One of the most | | | | Nirvana for women within the community. |
| important and controversial for us is that even the | | | | It is true that there had been these additional |
| most senior nun would be junior to the most junior | | | | restrictions on the status nuns can acquire in the |
| monk. | | | | Buddhist community. They reflect, I suspect, the |
| This tradition of nuns thrived in this early community | | | | restrictions on the behavior and the status of women |
| and was an important part of the expansion of | | | | in the context of the time. |