History of Women in Buddhism - Indonesia
- http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia.html
- http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia-2.html
- http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia_6.html
- http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia_13.html
- http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia.html
- http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia_27.html
- http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia-7.html
- http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia.html
- http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia.html
- http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia_29.html
Contents:
Monday,
February 9, 2015
Twelve Javanese Sites Worthy of Interest: Monuments
& Sites Related to Women in Buddhism & Bhikkhunīs
Historical Site Article Extracts: Tathālokā Bhikkhunī,
Maps: Ānandajoti Bhikkhu,
Introduction: Ādhimuttā Bhikkhunī and all,
Layout: Ānagarikā Michelle
Buddhist monastics and lay community members from around the world are preparing to travel to Indonesia for the 14th Sakyadhita Conference at Yogyakarta. For those interested in Buddhist women's history and the history of the ancient Bhikkhuṇī/Bhikṣuṇī Sangha in Indonesia, we thought to make information available about some of the historical (and her-storical) sites worth visiting.
Monday,
March 23, 2015
Indonesian Bhikkhuṇīs &
Women Ascetics: A Historical Introduction & Survey of Terminology
Article by Tathālokā Bhikkhunī
Intro by Ādhimuttā Bhikkhunī
This second part of History of Women in Buddhism
series, leading up to the 14th Sakyadhita Conference in Borobudur, is an
extract from Ayyā Tathālokā’s paper “Light of the Kilis: Our Indonesian
Bhikkhuni Ancestors.” It provides an overview of the Indonesian terminology and
a brief historical overview. It explores something of what is known of the
ancient Buddhist women monastics and ascetics of the Indonesian archipelago
through the travelogues, local oral traditions, dedicatory inscriptions,
monuments and statuary that remains of them within their cultural and
historical context."
Monday,
April 6, 2015
South Indian Bhikkhunī
Manimekalai Travels to Java
Article author: Āyyā Tathālokā Bhikkhunī
Introduction to this segment: Tathālokā Bhikkhunī and Ādhimuttā Bhikkhunī
This third post in our "History of Women in
Buddhism" series records the dramatic and inspiring life story of a
Buddhist woman saint, Manimekalai, second century South India’s Buddhist Mother
Theresa.[1] It examines marks
of the status and the mobility of ancient South and Southeast Asian Buddhist
women monastics, their environmental and social justice ethics, their rights of
self-determination, relationship with politics, and how Buddhism was
proactively compared with regards gender issues and women’s rights to other
faiths, doctrines and religions of the period.
This post especially coincides with the Sri Lankan
Buddhist observance of Bak Poya on the full moon of April, the commemorative
date of the Buddha’s visit to the Isle of Manipallavam aka Nagadipa, which
figures so prominently in the life story of Manimekalai.
Extracted from Ayyā Tathālokā’s paper “Light of the Kilis: Our Indonesian Bhikkhuni Ancestors,” it is part of the series leading up to the 14th Sakyadhita Conference in Borobudur, Indonesia. [Also: read the worthy historical places to visit and about theancient terminology]
Extracted from Ayyā Tathālokā’s paper “Light of the Kilis: Our Indonesian Bhikkhuni Ancestors,” it is part of the series leading up to the 14th Sakyadhita Conference in Borobudur, Indonesia. [Also: read the worthy historical places to visit and about theancient terminology]
Monday,
April 13, 2015
International Buddhist Networking, Bhikkhunīs and
Women’s Leadership in the 5th-7th Century Indonesian South Seas
Ayyā Tathālokā Bhikkhunī
This fourth post in our "History of Women in Buddhism" series examines the International Buddhist networks that became well established between India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and China.
This post specially coincides with Songkran/Saṃkrānti--the South and Southeast Asian Solar New Year in April, a time in which the sun appears to reach its zenith in the sky and maximum strength. We cover a time period when Buddhism rose in Indonesia, and International Buddhist networks and scholarship rose to a point of fluorescence. Powerful women leaders patronized Buddhist scholarship and the Bhikkhunī Sangha was widespread and well-established.
Extracted from Ayyā Tathālokā’s paper “Light of the Kilis: Our Indonesian Bhikkhuni Ancestors,” it is the fourth part of the series leading up to the 14th Sakyadhita Conference in Borobudur, Indonesia. [Also: read about worthy historical places to visit, the ancient terminology, and the journey of an Indian nun ]
Monday,
April 20, 2015
The Mystery Story of Devi Kili Suci ~ the 11th Century
Vanishing Crown Princess Bhikkhunī Hermit & Her Selomangleng Goa Cave
Ayyā Tathālokā Bhikkhunī
In this fifth post in our “History of Women in
Buddhism - Indonesia” series, we skip over the Borobudur period ahead in time
to the 11th century, to a time when royals’ renunciation of the throne for
monastic life appears almost commonplace, and the Indonesian mountain
hermitages and grottos are frequented by both male and female hermit ascetics
of various faiths. Mantranāya/Vajrayāna Buddhism has been spreading in Java
since at least the end of the seventh century and has grown strong. We explore
the still-popular legendary story of one crown princess turned
kili/wiksuni/bhikkhunī/mahāsiddhā, and visit the cave where she lived,
practiced, and mysteriously vanished from corporeal existence.
Extracted from Ayyā Tathālokā’s paper “Light of the Kilis: Our Indonesian Bhikkhunī Ancestors,” this is the fifth part in our mini-series leading up to the 14th Sakyadhita Conference in Borobudur, Indonesia.
Extracted from Ayyā Tathālokā’s paper “Light of the Kilis: Our Indonesian Bhikkhunī Ancestors,” this is the fifth part in our mini-series leading up to the 14th Sakyadhita Conference in Borobudur, Indonesia.
Monday,
April 27, 2015
Bhrikutī & the Appearance of New Non-Bhikkhunī
Forms of Women’s Asceticism in Buddhism
Ayyā Tathālokā Bhikkhunī
In this sixth post in our “History of Women in
Buddhism - Indonesia” series, we pick up a topic that is only hinted at being
possible in Part 5 - the subject of the appearance of non-bhikkhunī/bhikṣuṇī
forms of women’s (and men’s) ascetic/spiritual ideals (and practices) in
Buddhism. It is a time in history or her-story when both royal blood and
ascetic spiritual power and mastery appear to have become an essential
qualification of the deification of the fe/male rulers of the land, often
united with or balanced by their co-appearance as either awesome likenesses or
living embodiments of the bodhisattvas and buddhas of Mantranāya and Tantrayāna
Buddhism, which has been spreading and developing in Java now for a period of
more than 500 years (from the 7th-13th century). We look at one such example in
the image of Bhrikutī, an apparently royal female ascetic of spiritual power,
who appears very close to the most exemplary Śaivite royal female ascetic and
consort, Parvatī, and yet is a manifestation of both the Buddhist wisdom of the
bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, and the fierce form of compassion of the savioress,
Bhagavātī Aryā Tārā.
This post is
specially dedicated to all those affected by the 25 April 2015 earthquakes
in Nepal and the surrounding areas, to all those in need, and to all those
who are helping.
Extracted from Ayyā Tathālokā’s paper “Light of the
Kilis: Our Indonesian Bhikkhunī Ancestors,” this is the sixth part in our
“Women in Buddhism - Indonesia” mini-series leading up to the 14th Sakyadhita
Conference in Borobudur, Indonesia.
Monday, May
4, 2015
Ardhanārīśvarī Ken Dedes & Gender in Ancient Indonesian Buddhism
Ayyā Tathālokā Bhikkhunī
In this seventh post in our “History of Women in Buddhism - Indonesia” series, we continue to look at a topic about which questions have been raised in Part 6 - the subject of the compassionate manifestations of gender in Buddhism and its harmonious associations with Hinduism, in ancient Indonesian Buddhism. For, in Part 6, we encountered the Amoghapaśa form of the highly popular bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara (अवलोकितेश्वर), commonly known as Kwan Yin, 觀音, 觀世音 or 觀自在 菩薩摩诃萨埵 in Chinese, or Chenrezig, སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་ in Tibetan. This bodhisattva is well known not only in Mahāyāna Buddhism, but amidst the Theravāda Buddhists of Southeast Asia as well.
Originally, in India, Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva is known for having appeared in male form, as also in Indonesia, Tibet, Sri Lanka and Korea, but then for later having appeared in female form as Kwan Yin in China, to many contemporary observers’ wonder and curiosity. How and why did s/he do so? And, was this orthodox and legit? I’ve been asked these questions more than a few times...
In our last post, we saw how, in India, in the Amoghapāśa Sādhana meditation text authored by 12th century Kashmiri monk Sakyaśrībhadra and in the highly popular earlier Hevajra Tantra, Avalokiteśvara appeared with both male and female emanations, the two primary female emanations being Green Tārā who represented the manifestation of karuṇā—the compassion, and Bhrikuti who manifested theprajñā—the wisdom of the bodhisattva. Thus, when His Holiness the Dalai Lama--himself widely thought to be an incarnation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara--speaks about appearing in female incarnation, or when the Gyalwang Karmapa says it would be no problem in Dharma for the Karmapa to appear as a woman, they may not actually be saying anything strange or unorthodox at all. Actually, the very high level of bodhisattva that Avalokiteśvara is, is taught to be basically androgynous, and to be able to appear in any form, as needed--and to have no trouble at all with appearing in either male or female form.
At the end of our last post, we saw Avalokiteśvara popularly partnered with Green Tārā and Bhrikutī in Buddhism, and Śiva (Shiva) popularly partnered with Parvati in the co-contemporary Hinduism, in the context of non-dualism within manifest dualities and pluralities.
In this 7th post, we take one step closer, and look at one 13th century living
woman, Ken Dedes, the daughter of a Buddhist monk, who, in a way, represented
all these, both the unity and the dualities. And how as such, she became the
progenitor and founder of two dynasties and a transcendent legend, remembered
and immortalized now in Indonesian Buddhist culture as the Prajñāpāramitā, the
Perfection of Wisdom and Mother of All Buddhas herself.
I hope that this sharing of history or herstory or an embracing “our-story,” may give some clue as to a part of our Buddhist heritage of compassion--karunā, wisdom--prajñā and skilfull means--upāya, with regards gender, love for the world, and the Buddhist vision of humanity that shares in all these qualities.
I hope that this sharing of history or herstory or an embracing “our-story,” may give some clue as to a part of our Buddhist heritage of compassion--karunā, wisdom--prajñā and skilfull means--upāya, with regards gender, love for the world, and the Buddhist vision of humanity that shares in all these qualities.
Monday, May
25, 2015
Gāyatrī Rājapatni: Queen, Bhikkhunī & the
Prajñāpāramitā
Ayyā Tathālokā Bhikkhunī[1]
In this eighth post in our “History of Women in Buddhism - Indonesia” series leading up to the Sakyadhita International Buddhist Women’s Conference in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, we explore the life of one of Indonesia’s most interesting historical Buddhist women. Earlier prominent women leaders and women ascetics/monastics/nuns that we’ve portrayed in this series such as Ken Dedes,Bhrikuti, Devi Kilisuci, Ratu Shima and Manimekhalai have been interesting in enigma--they are fascinating in that we catch such brief glimpses of their lives, leaving so much to be filled in by imagination, as we find in the many Indonesian, Indian and Tibetan legends, operas and ballets through which their lives are popularly remembered. In this post however, we have the benefit of a lengthy and highly-descriptive historical documentary poem written by a co-contemporary Buddhist monastic poet/biographer/documenteur passed down to us intact, and at least one very well-preserved mortuary portrait image, the Prajñāpāramitā. Of further interest in addendum is the role that this image has come to play in the contemporary re-nascence of the Theravada Bhikkhunī Sangha on the other side of the world, in North America.
Extracted from Ayyā Tathālokā’s paper “Light of the Kilis: Our Indonesian Bhikkhuni Ancestors,” this article is part of the series leading up to the 14th Sakyadhita Conference in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This post coincides with the release of the first English-language edition of Earl Drake’s Gayatri Rajapatni: The Woman Behind the Glory of Majapahit by Areca Books.
Monday,
June 1, 2015
Tomé Pires Witness & the Beguines,
change comes to the roles of women in religion in
Indonesia
Ayyā Tathālokā Bhikkhunī
In this ninth post in our “History of Women in Buddhism - Indonesia” series leading up to the Sakyadhita International Buddhist Women’s Conference in Indonesia, we come to the last of the ancient and premodern records of Buddhist women leaders, kilis and bhikkhunīs in Indonesian Buddhism, with one final and telling glimpse from a surprising Western source, before sweeping social changes overtook Java, Sumatra and much of the archipelago. We touch on some of the changes brought by Islam and by Colonialism, and the impact they had on women in Indonesian religion and spirituality, and women in Buddhism.
Extracted from Ayyā Tathālokā’s paper “Light of the Kilis: Our Indonesian Bhikkhuni Ancestors,” this article is part of the series leading up to the 14th Sakyadhita Conference in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This article is dedicated to the first Theravada bhikkhunī ordination in contemporary times in Indonesia which is planned to precede the Sakyadhita Conference in June 2015.
Shedding Light on the Bhikkhunīs & the Great
Founding Women of Borobudur
Ayyā Tathālokā Bhikkhunī
This paper is the tenth and
final post in a series of extracts from the larger article
titled “Light of the Kilis: Our Indonesian Bhikkhunī Ancestors” which explores
what is known of the ancient Buddhist women monastics and ascetics of the
Indonesian archipelago.
Chronologically, this post falls between part 4 and part 5 in this Awakening Buddhist Women blog series. Prepared especially for the 14th Sakyadhita International Conference in Yogyakarta, this previously unpublished extract was presented live at the Sakyadhita Conference.
An audio recording, read by Ayyā Tathālokā, is available here on Youtube.
“Light of the Kilis” is based on research materials gathered from travelogues, local oral traditions, dedicatory inscriptions, monuments, and statuary, or what remains of these within their cultural and historical context. The materials span a time period of more than 2000 years, from the 3rd century BCE up to modern times.
Here we focus on the 8th and 9th centuries and materials that are of direct relevance to the Sakyadhita Conference locale and of special interest and value to women in Buddhism. I touch on the feminine aspect of Indonesian candis, the appearance and role of both the esoteric Bhagavatī Aryā Tārā, the human queen Devī Tārā, and her daughter (or granddaughter) Śrī Sanjiwana Prāmodhavardhanī, the latter two Buddhist women being key persons involved with the foundation and establishment of the world-famous Borobudur monument. I also highlight images of bhikṣuṇīs and the dual sangha (bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs) that are portrayed on three levels of the wall reliefs of the Borobudur monument. These images are of outstanding historical value, because we can glean from them unparalleled visual knowledge of Buddhist women’s monastic way of life at the time they were created. I review and describe these images in the context of the Dharma teaching stories they illustrate – shining examples of women’s leadership and eminence in the Buddhist sangha, as they were conceived of and understood during this period.
Chronologically, this post falls between part 4 and part 5 in this Awakening Buddhist Women blog series. Prepared especially for the 14th Sakyadhita International Conference in Yogyakarta, this previously unpublished extract was presented live at the Sakyadhita Conference.
An audio recording, read by Ayyā Tathālokā, is available here on Youtube.
“Light of the Kilis” is based on research materials gathered from travelogues, local oral traditions, dedicatory inscriptions, monuments, and statuary, or what remains of these within their cultural and historical context. The materials span a time period of more than 2000 years, from the 3rd century BCE up to modern times.
Here we focus on the 8th and 9th centuries and materials that are of direct relevance to the Sakyadhita Conference locale and of special interest and value to women in Buddhism. I touch on the feminine aspect of Indonesian candis, the appearance and role of both the esoteric Bhagavatī Aryā Tārā, the human queen Devī Tārā, and her daughter (or granddaughter) Śrī Sanjiwana Prāmodhavardhanī, the latter two Buddhist women being key persons involved with the foundation and establishment of the world-famous Borobudur monument. I also highlight images of bhikṣuṇīs and the dual sangha (bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs) that are portrayed on three levels of the wall reliefs of the Borobudur monument. These images are of outstanding historical value, because we can glean from them unparalleled visual knowledge of Buddhist women’s monastic way of life at the time they were created. I review and describe these images in the context of the Dharma teaching stories they illustrate – shining examples of women’s leadership and eminence in the Buddhist sangha, as they were conceived of and understood during this period.
