The role of women in the ordained sangha, or community of Buddhist monks and nuns, has evolved over time. Historically, the ordination of women was not always accepted in certain sects of Buddhism. However, there are examples of female leaders and practitioners in the early texts of Buddhism, such as the Therigatha, a collection of poems by female arhats. Shaw says in "Women in Buddhism" "The Therigatha, a collection of poems by female arhats, are early examples of the spiritual attainments and leadership of women in the Buddhist tradition" The Buddhist scholar, Bhikkhuni Dhammananda, writes, "The Buddha's attitude towards women was revolutionary for his time, he acknowledged women's ability to attain spiritual goals and even went so far as to say that they were capable of attaining enlightenment."
Māhapājapatī Gotamī was the first woman to be ordained as a nun in the Buddhist tradition. She was the stepmother and aunt of the Buddha, and she played an important role in the development of the role of women in the ordained sangha. According to N S Salgado "Māhapājapatī Gotamī's role in the establishment of the Bhikkhuni Sangha is a clear indication of the importance of women in the early Buddhist community and their potential for spiritual development." Māhapājapatī Gotamī approached the Buddha asking for ordination for women, which he initially refused. However, after her persistent efforts, the Buddha eventually agreed and established the Bhikkhuni Sangha, the order of ordained nuns. According to the texts, this was only after the Buddha received a prophecy from a goddess, who said that the Bhikkhuni Sangha would be a great source of support for the Bhikkhu Sangha, the order of ordained monks. In the Vinaya Pitaka, Bhikkhuni Vibhanga it says "Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, 'Bhikkhus, I allow bhikkhunis to go forth from the home life into homelessness.' and in the Therigatha, Theri Apadana "And the Lord, having received the petition of the bhikkhuni Māhapājapatī Gotamī, gave her the going forth and the full ordination"
In the Mahayana tradition, the female bodhisattva Tara is often depicted as a spiritual guide and protector. Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen comments in some Mahayana texts, it is said that Tara "manifests in female form to inspire confidence in female practitioners." However, the ordination of women was not widely accepted in certain sects of Buddhism and in some cases, it was even banned. The Theravada tradition, for example, did not ordain women as nuns until the 20th century. References The Dalai Lama has stated in an interview with BBC in 2015, "The opportunity for women to receive a complete education and ordination in the Buddhist tradition is important not only for the individual women but also for the overall development of Buddhism."
The role of women in the ordained sangha continues to evolve as more and more women are ordained and take on leadership roles within the Buddhist community. Today Klein in "Meeting the Great Bliss Queen" says "The role of women in Buddhism has been reinterpreted in modern times, with female practitioners now being seen as equal to men in terms of spiritual potential and ability". Moreover in recent years, there has been a growing movement to revive the bhikkhuni ordination within the Theravada tradition. In Sri Lanka, for example, the Ramanna Nikaya sect began ordaining women as nuns in the late 1990s, and in 2009, the first group of bhikkhunis were ordained in the Theravada tradition in the United States. The Ven. Bhikkhuni Dhammananda, a prominent Theravada nun, writes in her book "The Status of Women in Buddhism" that "the revival of the bhikkhuni sangha (community of nuns) in the Theravada tradition is an important step towards the restoration of the complete Buddhist way of life." The Dalai Lama has also expressed support for the ordination of women in the Theravada tradition, stating in a talk given in 2011 that "the ordination of women is very important. It is necessary to have more women in the sangha."
Bhikkhuni Dhammananda () "The Status of Women in Buddhism"
Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen () "Tara in the Palm of Your Hand"
BBC Interview with Dalai Lama" (2015)
Dr. Sarah Shaw () "Women in Buddhism"
Dr. Anne Carolyn Klein () "Meeting the Great Bliss Queen"
Dalai Lama's Talk (2011) "On the Ordination of Women"
Māhapājapatī Gotamī was the first woman to be ordained as a nun in the Buddhist tradition. She was the stepmother and aunt of the Buddha, and she played an important role in the development of the role of women in the ordained sangha. According to N S Salgado "Māhapājapatī Gotamī's role in the establishment of the Bhikkhuni Sangha is a clear indication of the importance of women in the early Buddhist community and their potential for spiritual development." T Bartholomeusz says "Māhapājapatī Gotamī's ordination as a nun is a significant moment in the history of Buddhism, as it marked the beginning of the full inclusion of women in the monastic community."
Māhapājapatī Gotamī approached the Buddha asking for ordination for women, which he initially refused. However, after her persistent efforts, the Buddha eventually agreed and established the Bhikkhuni Sangha, the order of ordained nuns. According to the texts, this was only after the Buddha received a prophecy from a goddess, who said that the Bhikkhuni Sangha would be a great source of support for the Bhikkhu Sangha, the order of ordained monks. In the Vinaya Pitaka, Bhikkhuni Vibhanga it says "Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, 'Bhikkhus, I allow bhikkhunis to go forth from the home life into homelessness.' and in the Therigatha, Theri Apadana "And the Lord, having received the petition of the bhikkhuni Māhapājapatī Gotamī, gave her the going forth and the full ordination" - The Buddha in the Dhammapada 415 says "The Lord, having given the going forth and the full ordination to the bhikkhuni Māhapājapatī Gotamī, spoke the following verse: 'A woman who has gone forth in such a way, who is accomplished in conduct and mindfulness, will reach the highest goal, the state of a worthy one."- And in the Mahavagga, Bhikkhuni Vinaya it says "Māhapajapatī Gotamī, the great noble lady, approached the Lord with her five hundred companions, and requested the going forth and the full ordination in the presence of the Lord." -
The significance of Māhapājapatī Gotamī lies in her role as a pioneer for women's ordination in Buddhism and her role in the development of the role of women in the ordained sangha. It was through her efforts that women were able to fully participate in the monastic community and receive the same level of spiritual training and support as men. Tessa Bartholomeusz explores the relationship between female world-renunciation in Buddhist Sri Lanka and attitudes about women and the religious vocation today. She describes the Bhikkhuni line as "restored" in all but name and that "women needed guidance" which they did not receive from the Theras whose modern "inclusive attitudes" to wmoen result from a "colonial mentality" not orthodox teaching.
References:
Salgado, N. S. (2015). Women in Buddhism: A Select Annotated Bibliography. Routledge.
Bartholomeusz, T. (1994). Women under Primitive Buddhism: Laywomen and Almswomen. Curzon Press.
Bhikkhuni Sangha. (n.d.). The Bhikkhuni Sangha. Retrieved from https://www.bhikkhuni.net/bhikkhuni-sangha/
Bhikkhu Sujato, (2015). A History of Mindfulness: How Insight Wisdom Emerged in the Early Buddhist Movement. Suttas from the Sutta Pitaka
Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi (Translators), (1995). The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya. Wisdom Publications.
The Bhikkhuni Vinaya, (Translated by I.B. Horner, 1951). Luzac & Co.
T. Bartholomeusz, Women under the Bō Tree (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994),