BANNER OF THE ARAHANTS

Chapter VII - 

BHIKKHUNIS AND BUDDHIST NUNS NOW 4

 

One of the dangers of nun’s life, a feature unlikely to appeal to westerners, has been mentioned already - ‘holy domesticity’. Having given up household life, shaved the head and put on robes, yet a large part of life can still be household chores. Bhikkhus are precluded from such involvement by their rules but nuns have their own food to buy and prepare (in some vihāras), gardening to do - they raise some of their own vegetables and provide flowers for the temple and sweeping work - all of which can distract the mind far from Dhamma. The bhikkhunis of olden times were glad to be rid of their household burden. Here is the venerable Arahant Muttā Theri’s verse:

 

            „O free indeed! O gloriously free

            am I in freedom from three crooked things:

            from mortar and pestle, from my crooked lord.

            Free am I from birth and death!

            What leads to becoming is destroyed!

                                    (Elder Nuns’ Verses 11)

 

It is easy to go from one sort of bondage to another but hard to go from bondage to real Liberation, to ownership of nothing at all, even of mind and body.

 

After all these difficulties it will be good to present the positive developments, which have taken, place recently amongst the nuns in Thailand. The position in other Buddhist countries will be dealt with later. The following information is a summary made by Upāsikā Cirañānī of the aims and projects so far of The Foundation of Thai Nuns.

 

„Founded 28th of August, 1969. Number of members at present: 5,000 (coming from 500 nunneries). Number of nuns in Thailand: 70,000. (Although only 5,000 of the 70,000 nuns are members, they are an excellent nucleus. My own opinion is that the Foundation is worthy of support. Without it there is dissipation of energies leading to a lowering of Vinaya and standards generally).

 

The Annual General Meeting is held in Bangkok, till now in the convocation hall of Mahamakut Buddhist College (where a number of nuns study). H.M. the Queen of Thailand has opened the proceedings. The President and Secretary are both nuns and the Committee which includes laywomen is elected for a three year period.

 

The Aims of the Foundation are:

• (a)    To promote the activities of the Foundation.

• (b)   To improve the status of nuns.

• (c)    To assist nuns and others who need assistance.

• (d)   To build a school and university for nuns to enable them to study Dhamma, Pali and other allied subjects so that they can teach others and be useful to society generally.

 

Achievements so far:

• (a)    Increasing numbers of nuns are now studying Dhamma and Pali.

• (b)   Nuns are currently helping in schools and hospitals in country districts with the co-operation, of the Ministry for the Development of Rural Areas.

• (c)    Nuns who have reached an acceptable level of education are now teaching Pali to other nuns while there are some who have reached degree level and are at present doing their theses for doctorate in India.

 

Plans for the achievement of the aims:

• (a)    One lady has donated a piece of land about 100 rai (40 acres) at Rajburi for the establishment of a study centre to include a school and university. Though the land is available money is needed to commence building.

• (b)   Another piece of land has been given in another locality about four hours drive from Bangkok where a few nuns are already living permanently, others going there on a rota basis. The object in this village is to be as useful as possible in helping to overcome delinquency problems among teenage girls. The nuns educate small children who come to the nunnery every day. Some older girls come along to the nunnery where they are gradually learning useful things from the nuns. The nuns are establishing a good name for themselves in the locality among the villagers.

• (c)    The Foundation puts out their well-produced magazines four times a year. This is quite a big undertaking as the standard is high. This publication, called simply „Mae Chee Sara“ (‘The Nuns’ Epitome’) costs 20 baht (1$) a year. There is a mailing list and many hundreds of copies are rolled and sent off.

 

The magazine is the main medium for the nuns to let others know of the success or otherwise of their various works. It is also the way in which interest may be aroused to give financial support for realising the educational programme. Since its inception six years ago, the Foundation has been instrumental in giving nuns the incentive to co-ordinate their activities. During this period the people generally have increased in their respect for nuns recognising their seriousness and devotion“.

 

In Upāsikā Cirañāni’s nunnery, a quiet compound within one of the larger vihāras in Bangkok, all the nuns go to study in one of two other vihāras where there are special classes for them in Abhidhamma and the Pali language. This is on all days of the week except Holy days (Full and New Moon days and two quarter moon days). Also in the nunnery there is a rota of nuns who help to teach under five year old children in the Vihāra School. The children come from the very poor people living around the vihāra. They make up two large classes, which are taught by Bhikkhus and nuns.

 

There is morning and evening chanting in Pali with Thai translations, phrase by phrase. This is helpful for nuns who have not learnt Pali (also found in some forest vihāras where Bhikkhus chant in this way) but is slow and rather tiresome if the meaning is known.

 

The nunneries in Bangkok emphasise study rather than meditation, reflecting the atmosphere of the vihāras and many nuns come from the countryside to study and then return to their own provinces when they have finished their education. They are then in charge of instructing other nuns there.

 

Among nuns in the country there are some who teach meditation, such teachers having their own independent nunneries, which are also centres where laywomen can go to practise meditation. Those centres, which are in the countryside, will have conditions and a way of life resembling those of forest Bhikkhus.

 

As a contrast with Thailand where nuns live mostly in special sections of the wats, in Burma most nuns have their own institutions. Nuns there (Mae Thila or Thila-shin) live in independent nunneries called Thila-shin-kyaung which are quite often of large size. Their present well-established place in Burma is a result of royal patronage by the queens of the Alompra dynasty, as well of course, of their learning and good practice. Originally, as in Thailand, nuns wore white robes but in course of time these have changed to the pinkish-brown ones worn now, together with a brown ‘shoulder-cloth’. Quite a number of these nuns can be found in Rangoon, and a large nunnery these will soon be described, but their real centre is in the Sagaing Hills where there are many famous nun-teachers both of learning and practice.

 

Hanthawady Thila-shin-kyaung is one of the best nunneries around Rangoon. When one sees the considerable area covered by the buildings, pleasantly shaded by many flowering trees and bushes, it is not hard to understand that this nunnery is very well supported. Many nuns living in smaller institutions have a much harder time, some being really very poor. Those in this nunnery are well provided for and well educated. The main building with classrooms and two large halls, the one downstairs for ordinary gatherings, the upstairs one for a shrine-temple, would have been a substantial structure in any educational institution, if one excepts the shrine. Separate buildings are the dormitories, kitchen and dining-hall. Nuns, or ladies who help them, maintain the grounds and see to the preparation of food.

 

A nun’s day begins with the rising gong at 4 a.m., with morning chanting half an hour later. Early breakfast is served as soon as it is dawn, about half past five. During the morning the nuns study Buddhist subjects until half past ten when the main meal is served. On some days this is provided by lay donors who supply enough food for all the nuns in residence, one hundred and fifty during the period of Rains-residence and a hundred or so at other times. More study follows in the afternoon with evening chanting at six o’clock. The nuns at Hanthawady practise no formal meditation since those who wish to practise can easily go to a meditation centre. The shrine-hall where their chanting was done is very beautiful and evidence of their great devotion.

 

Apart from donations to the foundation supporting this nunnery and meals supplied by donors, nuns here, as elsewhere in Burma, go out to collect food two days each week, that is, the two days before each phase of the moon. They carry a flat bamboo basket on their heads balanced or a roll of pinkish cloth. They also have a small bowl to receive the offerings of uncooked rice and money, which are made to them. While receiving the offering they chant good wishes, („May you be happy! May you attain Nibbāna!“). Nuns in Burma never use a bowl like that of Bhikkhus, nor do they go on alms round to receive cooked food. In Hanthawady nunnery it is only necessary for the younger nuns to go out to collect alms.

 

Nuns often receive invitations to chant the discourses of protection in the houses of laypeople. It is customary to offer them a meal, like Bhikkhus, on this occasion. This contrasts with Thailand where no such invitations are given to nuns.

 

The teaching of Dhamma by nuns is usually restricted to the instruction of other nuns and the laywomen who stay in the nunneries. Although they have among them many learned teachers, they do not teach laypeople, as a whole. This is also true of meditation.

 

Social works are limited to the invitations that nuns may receive from schools, hospitals, prisons and so on. Nuns do go to help when they are invited in this way but there are no permanent arrangements for work of this kind.

 

At the Hanthawady nunnery, ordinations, that is, the Eight Precepts, are given by a Sayadaw (a learned senior Bhikkhu). Any girl or woman can get ordination after a probation period of fifteen days. During this time, the applicant’s character is assessed to see whether they will be suitable for the nun’s life. An applicant need not bring any monetary contribution but robes, bowl, tray and bedding, are usually provided by their families or other supporters. In case of great poverty, the Teacher-nuns can supply these things through their lay-supporters. It is the custom for many young girls, before puberty, to be ordained temporarily for a few weeks. As ordination involves shaving the head, if women are ordained it will usually be for longer periods and sometimes for life.

 

In Sri Lanka,[23] sometime after the disappearance of the Bhikkhuni-Sangha there came into existence a band of female disciples of the Buddha who left their households and led a celibate life. One of the first few nunneries, which arose as a result, was Lady Blake Nunnery in Kandy. A few other nunneries of this type, though smaller in size, were founded in places like Galle, Colombo and Ratmalana.

 

These nunneries were and are a source of inspiration for women, which increased as time went by. As a result there are at present about two hundred and fifty nunneries in Sri Lanka today. Anuradhapura, Biyagama, Colombo, Kelaniya, Kurunegala, Galle, Matara, Kalutara, Pitipana, Akuressa, Mellagala and Navgala are some of the areas where nunneries are found today.

 

While in some nunneries we find around twenty to thirty nuns, there are more where only two or three dwell. These nuns are known as „Silmatavaru“ or „Silmanivaru“ (i.e. ‘Mothers, [used as a honorific], observing Sila or Precepts’).

 

Such Buddhist Nuns practise the ten precepts and spend their time in studying Buddhism, practising meditation, attending to Buddhist rites and duties teaching the Dhamma to both adults and children, the latter mostly in Sunday Schools, and conducting classes in meditation. They lead a pure and celibate life having given up entirely the pleasures and wealth usually found in worldly existence, devoting themselves to the practice of the Buddha’s teachings.

 

The Buddhist lay disciples offer alms and other requisites and pay homage to these virtuous beings as they do to Bhikkhus. The nuns (Silmatavo) in return perform the great service of directing these lay disciples to the practice of meritorious deeds.

 

The number of nuns living in Sri Lanka now is estimated at three thousand. Before becoming a nun one has to live in association with an elder nun and at the same time study the Dhamma, practice meditation and observe the usual precepts. After some time the applicant gets the opportunity of becoming a nun herself, thus attaining greater heights in life by the fulfilment of the noble and sacred duties both day and night.

 

There have been various attempts to reintroduce the Bhikkhuni-Sangha into Sri Lanka so that the nuns there should be re-ordained as bhikkhunis. These have not been successful. Although there are great advantages for women in Sangha life, one wonders whether they are not better off without the load of 311 precepts. If these are undertaken as a Bhikkhuni then they should be strictly kept - which involves such difficulties as bhikkhunis travelling together and living together (never one by herself) as well as the ban on living in the forest (they must live in a secluded urban environment). Generally with all precepts it is better to undertake those which one knows can be kept. It is certainly more meritorious - better kamma - to undertake eight or ten and keep them purely rather than burdening oneself with three hundred and eleven, not all of which one can keep.

 

To close this chapter, here are, the verses of the Arahant Rohini Theri who recollects how, before her Enlightenment, she explained to her unbelieving brahmin father the virtues of samanas, meaning Bhikkhus here. Her father was so moved by her praises that he both permitted her to become a Bhikkhuni and became a Buddhist himself, later being accepted as a Bhikkhu and attaining Arahantship.

 

Father:

            „See the samanas, lady, you say,

            you want me to know these samanas,

            only samanas do you praise,

            perhaps a samana you will be?

            On these samanas you bestow

            vary abundant food and drink,

 

            I ask you, Rohini, therefore,

            why are samanas dear to you?

            Lazy and not liking work

            and living off others’ gifts,    

            hopeful, desiring delicacies,

            why are samanas dear to you?“

Rohini:

            „For long indeed, father, yon have asked

            me about these samanas,

            now shall I commend to you

            their wisdom, virtue and energy

            Not lazy they but liking work;

            doers of the noblest work -

            lust and aversion they forsake,

            hence are samanas dear to me

 

            They remove the three Evil Roots

            making all pure within,

            abandoned all their evil,

            hence are samanas dear to me

 

            Pure are their bodily kammas,

            just the same their kammas of speech,

            their mental kammas too are pure,

            hence are samanas dear to me.

 

            Spotless as the mother of pearl,

            purified both within and without,

            full of radiant qualities,

            hence are samanas dear to me.

 

            Deeply learned Dhamma-experts,

            Noble, those who Dhamma live,

            the Goal and Dhamma do they teach,

            hence are samanas dear to me.

 

            Deeply learned Dhamma-experts,

            Noble, those who Dhamma live,

            mindful, with one-pointed minds,

            hence are samanas dear to me.

 

            Journeying far with mindfulness,

            wise their words without conceit,

            the end of dukkha that they know,

            hence are samanas dear to me.

 

            When they walk the village street

            they gaze at nothing longingly,

            wishless, they go walking on,

            hence are samanas dear to me.

 

            Keeping nothing in a storeroom,

            neither in basket nor in jar,

            their quest is for the Final End,

            hence are samanas dear to me.

 

            No silver do they grasp at,

            neither at gold nor yet at coin,

            supporting themselves with present things,

            hence are samanas dear to me.

 

            From various families they Go Forth,

            coming from various countries,

            still each to the other one is dear,

            hence are samanas dear to me“.

                                    (Elder Nuns’ Verses, 271-285)  

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