Anukampa Project mission to Establish
Bhikkuni presence in Europe
Daily Mirror 2016-11-03 Kalani
Kumarasinghe
There
appears to be an increased interest in the status and changeability
of social roles of both men and women across cultures. By and
large, research indicates that traditional patterns of social
behaviour persist where gender specific roles are concerned. There
is also evidence that despite certain shifts in public perception
in society, the establishment of conventional roles in Asian
cultures begins almost from infancy and continues into old age. So
why would this norm be an exception in the orders of Buddhism?
A modest
monk with a large but unsurprising base of followers is attempting
to challenge this norm, for the second time. Venerable Ajahn
Brahmvanso, fondly known as Ven. Ajahn Brahm is better known for
his unpretentious ways, friendly demeanour and his ability to
simplify the depths of Dhamma to lay persons across the globe.
Most Sri
Lankans recognise Ven. Ajahn Brahm as the charismatic meditation
teacher from Australia. Born Peter Betts in London, United Kingdom
in August 7, 1951 he won a scholarship to study Theoretical Physics
at Cambridge University in the late 1960s. He joined the
university’s Buddhist Society where he developed an interest in the
teachings of the Buddha. After graduating from Cambridge he taught
in a school for one year before travelling to Thailand to become a
monk where he spent the next nine years studying and training under
Venerable Ajahn Chah.
His teacher
belonged to the Kammaṭṭhāna Forest Tradition of Thailand commonly known in the West as
the Thai Forest Tradition; a lineage of Theravada Buddhist
monasticism. The tradition is distinguished from other Buddhist
traditions by its doctrinal emphasis of the notion that the mind
precedes the world. Its description of the Buddhist path as a
training regimen for the mind, proficiency in a diverse range of
both meditative techniques and aspects of conduct that will
eradicate keles — in order to attain awakening, has grabbed the
attention of those seeking solace in an increasingly competitive
world.
Ordained as
a Buddhist monk more than thirty years ago, Ven. Ajahn Brahm’s
roots in a more mindful approach to Buddhism has resulted in his
active engagement in teaching Buddhism here and around the world.
He is also the author of many well-known Buddhist titles. Today he
attempts to use Buddhism to challenge precedents in the religion
and to advance the social justice issue of gender equality and the
empowerment of women.
Bhikkuni ordination thus
far
The Buddha, following numerous requests from Maha Prajapati Gotami,
allowed the formation of a Bhikkuni order with five hundred women,
perhaps in the first monastic order for women. In the 3rd century
BC Arahant Sangamitta, daughter of Indian Emperor Asoka arrives in
Sri Lanka with the sacred Bo sapling, one of the most revered
Buddhist relics of the country. History narrates that 11 Bhikkunis
arrived in the island along with Arahant Sangamitta, who pioneered
the Bhikkuni ordination in Sri Lanka. A number of invasions however
saw the decline in the Bhikkuni order. At present, with no
ordination sanctioned, women voluntarily take limited vows to live
as renunciants and are not as privileged to receive higher
ordination as Bhikkus.
Groups such
as the Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women,
attempted to revive the Theravada Bhikkuni order, when 11 Sri
Lankan women received full ordination in Saranath, India, presided
by Dodangoda Revata Mahāthera and the late Mapalagama Vipulasāra
Mahāthera of the Maha Bodhi Society of India.
In 2001 a
Thai scholar now known as Dhammananda Bhikkuni, took Bhikkuni
ordination in Sri Lanka and returned to Thailand, where Bhikkuni
ordination is forbidden and warrants arrest, to spearhead a growing
movement of Bhikkuni ‘rebels.’
There is no
consensus in the wider tradition that bhikkuni ordinations could be
valid, having last been performed in Theravada communities over
1,000 years ago, though the matter has been under active discussion
for some time. Amidst the debate that continues to argue the
opportunities and obstacles of establishing a Bhikkuni order, Ven.
Ajahn Brahm, on October 22, 2009 along with Ven. Bhante Sujato
facilitated an ordination ceremony for bhikkhunis where four female
Buddhists, Ven. Ajahn Vayama, and Venerables Nirodha, Seri and
Hasapanna, were ordained into the Western Theravada Bhikkuni
Sangha. The ordination ceremony took place at Ven. Ajahn Brahm’s
Bodhinyana Monastery in Perth, Australia. He claims that there is
no valid historical basis for denying ordination to bhikkunis.
“I thought
too when I was a young monk in Thailand that the problem was a
legal problem, that the bhikkuni order couldn’t be revived. But
having investigated and studied, I’ve found out that many of the
obstacles we thought were there aren’t there at all. Someone like
Bhikku Bodhi [a respected Theravada scholar-monk] has researched
the Pali Vinaya and his paper is one of the most eloquent I’ve seen
– fair, balanced, comes out on the side of “It’s possible, why
don’t we do this?” questions Ven. Ajahn Brahm.
A Bhikkuni presence in the
UK
Seven years since the first Western Theravada Bhikkuni Oridination,
Ven. Ajahn Brahm is now engaged in a Dhamma tour delivering talks
and guiding meditation retreats in and around London. The objective
of this Dhamma tour is to support the establishment of a Bhikkuni
presence in the United Kingdom. The mission titled the Anukampa
Bhikkuni project arises from Ven. Brahm’s sense of gratitude to his
birthplace where he first learned of Buddhism.
One of the
notable participants of this movement, Venerable Bhikkuni Visuddhi
is a fully ordained bhikkhunī, a rarity in Europe as only three or
four ordained bhikkunīs live there. Bhikkunī Visuddhi lives
according to tradition of relying only on offerings (dāna) from her
lay followers and she provides her teaching in the form of
dhammadāna. Meanwhile Venerable Bhikkuni Canda, born Lucie Stephens
in England, came into contact with the Buddha’s teachings in India
in 1996 at the age of twenty, through the Vipassana tradition.
During her first retreat she decided to devote the rest of her life
to ending suffering through practising the Buddha’s teachings.
In October
2015 Ven. Ajahn Brahm requested Bhikkuni Canda to consider the
formulation of a programme to establish a monastery in UK, in order
to increase equality in practice and ordination opportunities for
women. He believes the availability of Theravadi Buddhism is
important as Buddhist nuns are far more capable of teaching and
inspiring people.
“I support
the equity of full ordination to Bhikkunis so that they can walk
with their heads held high, so that Theravadi Buddhist women in
England can realise that their religion gives equality to people of
all genders and races. I think as Buddhists we should show the way
and take leadership in this” Ven. Brahm opines.
The group’s
aspiration is to develop a monastery with a harmonious and
meditative atmosphere, for women who wish to train towards full
ordination. At present, there are many Bhikku monasteries
worldwide, but very few for Bhikkunis and even fewer for those who
wish undertake training towards Bhikkuni ordination. Thus the need
arises to encourage equality in terms of practice and ordination
opportunities for women, for Buddhism to thrive and remain relevant
in the 21st century. As Bhikkhuni Canda relates; “I had been a
novice nun in Burma for four years, when Ajahn Brahm told me about
bhikkunis practicing in Perth. A wave of inspired joy swept through
me and I knew instantly in my heart: if I had the chance for full
ordination I’d take it!”
The
Buddha’s initial reluctance in ordaining Bhikkunis that is still
upheld in Vinaya rules among the local Theravada traditions may
have resulted from precaution. Nevertheless women were not barred
from ordination and the establishment of an order for women was
only sanctioned with the subsequent ‘garudhammas’ imposed on the
Bhikkunis. Today, even with general acceptance about the emerging
importance of the matriarchal role of women in society, this
mission is evidence that there remains one last bastion forbidden
to women in religion. Nonetheless as Ven. Ajahn Brahm opines it is
far more fruitful to light a candle than curse the darkness.