Nuns' stories from around the world

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/wisdom-from-the-female-faces-of-zen/story-e6frg6so-1227544252211

Nuns' stories from around the world

Reports from the Sakyadhita International Conference Yogyakarta, Indonesia

http://americanbuddhistwomen.com/?utm_source=SUMMER+2015+Issue+7%2C+American+Buddhist+Women&utm_campaign=Summer+2015+Issue+ABW&utm_medium=email

Reports from the Sakyadhita International Conference Yogyakarta, Indonesia

June 23-30, 2015

Theravada Bhikkhuni and the Buddha's Four-fold Assembly

http://buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=70,12420,0,0,1,0#.VccHJ61ywg4

Theravada Bhikkhuni and the Buddha's Four-fold Assembly

by Dr Dion Peoples, The Buddhist Channel, Aug 8, 2015

A properly functioning Sangha has four aspects: bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, lay women and lay men. All are equally required to uphold and support the Buddha's doctrinal tradition and practices.
Bangkok, Thailand -- When I was in the US Air Force, stationed in Germany, I was given a set of books - the writings of Nicherin, by an older woman co-worker.  I also came into contact with a Taiwanese Buddhist woman who owned and operated a Chinese Restaurant, near the base where I was stationed.  

Alliance for Bhikkhunis Summer 2015 Newsletter

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=d081c03c356665756e3a8ac94&id=a00ad51a29&e=bd165d4899

Alliance for Bhikkhunis Summer 2015 Newsletter

http://enews.buddhistdoor.com/en/news/d/58639

Theravada Bhikkhuni Order Revived in West Java, Indonesia

Buddhistdoor International Karluk Halgal 
2015-06-30

History of Women in Buddhism - Indonesia

History of Women in Buddhism - Indonesia

1. http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia.html
2. http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia-2.html
3. http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia_6.html
4. http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia_13.html
5. http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia.html
6. http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia_27.html
7. http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia-7.html
8. http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia.html
9. http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia.html
10. http://awakeningbuddhistwomen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/history-of-women-in-buddhism-indonesia_29.html

Contents:

Monday, February 9, 2015

History of Women in Buddhism - Indonesia: Introduction

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

History of Women in Buddhism - Indonesia: 2

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

History of Women in Buddhism - Indonesia: Part 3

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]

Monday, April 13, 2015

History of Women in Buddhism - Indonesia: Part 4

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

History of Women in Buddhism - Indonesia: Part 5

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.

Monday, April 27, 2015

History of Women in Buddhism - Indonesia: Part 6

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

History of Women in Buddhism - Indonesia: Part 7

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.

Monday, May 25, 2015

History of Women in Buddhism - Indonesia: Part 8

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

History of Women in Buddhism - Indonesia: Part 9

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. 

Monday, June 29, 2015

History of Women in Buddhism - Indonesia: Part 10

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.

Thai TV anchor turned monk fights for women's right to be ordained

http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1789268/thai-tv-anchor-turned-monk-fights-womens-right-be-ordained

Thai TV anchor turned monk fights for women's right to be ordained

In Thailand, where women are forbidden from being ordained, a former TV anchor turned 'bhikkhuni' is shaking up the old guard. Carol Isoux reports. Pictures by Dario Pignatelli

AfB Spring Newsletter

-----Original Message----- 
From: Alliance for Bhikkhunis
Sent: Sunday, May 10, 2015 7:07 PM

Subject: AfB Spring Newsletter

------------------------------------------------------------
http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=d081c03c356665756e3a8ac94&id=18db371850&e=bd165d4899
Both exciting and difficult times in the life of bhikkhunis across the globe Since our newsletter last autumn, a lot has been happening with us here at AfB.
* We are moving forward with a comprehensive listing of bhikkhunis and bhikkhuni monasteries with volunteers from our wonderful supporters offering to help.
* We are continuing to support bhikkhunis and monasteries with financial support.
* Thanks to you! - Our fund raising activity continues to be strong, especially toward the latest disaster in Nepal by distributing funds to DhammaMoli.

Dhamma Moli (http://www.dhammamoli.org/index.htm) is a Buddhist project 
based in Nepal that provides shelter and education to young Nepalese girls 
at risk of falling victim to human traffickers who will sell them to 
brothels in India. We were asked by supporters of AfB to help channel monies 
for their assistance after the terrible earthquake there. As of this 
writing, events continue to unfold there. We hope to bring you more about 
this in our next newsletter.

The following is our annual fiscal year financial report, prepared by our 
treasurer, Donna McCarthy.

------------------------------------------------------------
Financial Report - Fiscal Year April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015
As this fiscal year came to a close, we looked back with much gratitude for 
the very generous support Alliance for Bhikkhunis has received during the 
past year.

This has been an unusual and exciting year for us. We received an 
unprecedented $27,724 in donations! Of that, a very special anonymous 
donation of $15,000 came from a very generous woman who was about to ‘take 
robes’. Another large donation of $4700 was from a woman who wanted to add 
to the medical fund for North American monastics. Once again, for the third 
year, we received a donation of $1542 (£1000) from an anonymous donor 
through the Camellia Foundation in the UK. Another generous donor gave $1000 
for the Vibhanga Translation Project. Two others each donated $500, and 
there were many other generous donations. While our donations come mainly 
from the US, we receive many generous donations from all over the world. 
This year we received donations from the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Sweden, 
Canada, Germany and Sri Lanka.

With these funds are very pleased to have been able to support numerous 
projects at monasteries and viharas, as well as the needs of individual 
bhikkhunis. To see where your donations have gone please see our 
website:http://www.bhikkhuni.net/projects-funded-2014/ and 
http://www.bhikkhuni.net/projects-funded-2015/.

AfB is an all-volunteer organization. Only 2% of funds go to administrative 
costs; 98% of the funds raised go directly to support of the bhikkhunis. A 
pretty good record for a charity! (Administrative costs are items like PO 
Box rental, website charges, printing Thank You cards and a number of wire 
transfer fees.)

Where did our expenditures go?
* 43.4% went to North American monasteries, viharas or bhikkhunis
* 27.2% supported healthcare premiums for North American bhikkhunis (NABA)
* 27.4% to Overseas monasteries or bhikkhunis
* 2% for administrative costs

As the Four-fold Sangha grows worldwide, we have been expanding our 
donations to these emerging sanghas. This year our overseas donations went 
to monasteries or bhikkhunis in: Australia (4), Sri Lanka (2), Thailand (1), 
Czech Republic (1), and Bangladesh (3 nuns.) .

Two of our fundraising efforts had been especially successful: 1) meeting 
Pavarana requests (http://www.bhikkhuni.net/project-2/) posted on our 
website and 2) International Bhikkhuni Day 
(http://www.bhikkhuni.net/4th-international-bhikkhuni-day/) .

Through the efforts of our former Pavarana Coordinator, Mindy Zlotnick, and 
our current Coordinator, Gwen Jones, we have offered a ‘Pavarana’ to 
bhikkhunis, an invitation to make it possible for them to let us know of 
their needs. Thanks to the talents of our web designer, Helen Geld, we have 
posted those requests on our website 
http://www.bhikkhuni.net/projects-2/project-requests/. This has resulted in 
raising $6242 for specified needs!! (Excluding the $15K donation, this was 
62% of our total $10,064 donations.) The Pavarana concept has been a great 
success! Your continued support of this concept will be much appreciated! 
Please check out the link above for current needs.

Another source of funding has been our annual International Bhikkhuni Day, 
started by our founder, Susan Pembroke and an original board member, 
Jacqueline Kramer, and held every fall. This year we raised a little over 
$500 from events around the world and related donations.

We are extremely grateful for your continued donations. With your support 
and donations (http://www.bhikkhuni.net/dana-offerings/) , the bhikkhuni 
sangha around the world is growing!

Anumodana!

------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, we invite you to take a look at some of our most recent articles on 
our web page:
* Interview with AfB President Michael Bratton by Brenna Artinger 
(http://www.bhikkhuni.net/a-path-to-mindful-service/)
* Interview With Venerable Bhikkhuni Thanasanti by Brenna Artinger 
(http://www.bhikkhuni.net/we-are-in-this-together/)
* You Just Need To Be Hungry: 
(http://www.bhikkhuni.net/2014/12/31/ayya-jayati/) An article and interview 
of recently ordained Ayya Jayati Bikkhuni by Margo Mallar

Thank you for your support of the bhikkhuni sangha. Together we are making a 
diference!

Michael Bratton
President, Alliance for Bhikkhunis

Photo by Michael Bratton

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