Mettavalokanaya_Buddhist_Magazine_December_2018.

The Bhikkhunis….
“Nowadays
Bhikkhunis
are very
powerful in
the World”….
Most Venerable Bhikkhuni
Shih Jian Yin
The Secretary General of Taiwan
Buddhist Association, Secretary
General of the World Buddhism
Bhikkhuni Association & the Chinese
Buddhism Bhikkhuni Association,
Abbess of Miau Kuang Chan
Monastery, Wan Fa Monastery,
Zhi Cheng Monastery, Tai Ming
Monastery & Zheng Jue Chan
Monastery
The tradition of the ordained
monastic community began with the
Buddha, who established an order of
Bhikkhus. According to the scriptures,
later, after an initial reluctance, he also
established an order of Bhikkhunis.
However, according to the scriptural
account, not only did the Buddha
lay down more rules of discipline for
the Bhikkhunis he also made it more
difficult for them to be ordained, and
made them subordinate to monks. The
Bhikkhuni order was established five
years after the Bhikkhu order of monks
at the request of a group of women
whose spokesperson was Mahapajapati
Gotami, the aunt who raised Gautama
Buddha after his mother died. The
historicity of this account has been
questioned, sometimes to the extent
of regarding nuns as a later invention.
The stories, sayings and deeds of a
substantial number of the preeminent
Bhikkhuni disciples of the Buddha as well
as numerous distinguished Bhikkhunis
of early Buddhism are recorded in
many places in the Pali Canon, most
notably in the Therigatha and Theri
Apadana as well as the Anguttara Nikaya
and Bhikkhuni Samyutta. Additionally
the ancient Bhikkhunis feature in the
Sanskrit Avadana texts and the first Sri
Lankan Buddhist historical chronicle,
the Dipavamsa, itself speculated to be
authored by the Sri Lankan Bhikkhuni
Sangha.
According to Peter Harvey, "The
Buddha's apparent hesitation on this
matter is reminiscent of his hesitation on
whether to teach at all", something he
only does after persuasion from various
devas. Since the special rules for female
monastics were given by the founder
of Buddhism they have been upheld to
this day. Buddhists nowadays are still
concerned with that fact, as shows at
an International Congress on Buddhist
Women's Role. In Buddhism, women
can openly aspire to and practice for
the highest level of spiritual attainment.
Buddhism is unique among Indian
religions in that the Buddha as founder
of a spiritual tradition explicitly states in
canonical literature that a woman is as
capable of nirvana as men and can fully
attain all four stages of enlightenment.
There is no equivalent in other traditions
to the accounts found in the Therigatha
or the Apadanas that speak of high
levels of spiritual attainment by women.
In a similar vein, major
canonical Mahayana sutras such as
the Lotus Sutra, chapter 12, records
6000 Bhikkhuni Arhantis receiving
predictions of Bodhisattvahood and
future Buddhahood by Gautama
Buddha. The tradition flourished for
centuries throughout South and East
Asia, but appears to have lapsed in the
Theravada tradition of Sri Lanka in the
11th century C.E. It survived in Burma
to about the 13th century, but died
out there too. Although it is commonly
said to have never been introduced
to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia or Tibet,
there is substantial historical evidence
to the contrary, especially in Thailand.
However, the Mahayana tradition in
China, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan and Hong
Kong has retained the practice, where
female monastics are full Bhiksunies.
In 13th century Japan, Mugai Nyodai
was ordained the first female abbess
and thus the first female Zen master.
Prajñātārā is the twenty-seventh Indian
Patriarch of Zen and is believed to have
been a woman.
The Chinese Buddhist Bhikkhuni
Association, established already 20
years ago, has not only garnered
success in Taiwan, but has also
received the highest affirmations from
both governments and the Buddhist
community and is broadly known in the
religious world across greater China.
On this basis, the Chinese Buddhist
Bhikkhuni Association declared 2016 the
year of internationalization, recognizing
Bhikkhunis around the world that have
quietly made important contributions to
the Buddhist community, spreading the
Dharma across the world with humility
and gratitude. So it was decided to
bestow the Global Bhikkhuni Award
every three years to Bhikkhuni who
made outstanding contributions to
Buddhism.
The recipients of the first Global
Bhikkhuni Award are: Master Bhikkhuni
Pu Hui Abbess of Taiwan’s Shen Zhai
Tang, Master Cheng Yen of Taiwan’s Jing
Si Abbess, Bhikkhuni Ming Zong Abbess
of Taiwan’s Lingyin Temple, Bhikkhuni Da
Ying Abbess of Taiwan’s Cishan Temple,
Bhikkhuni Hong An Abbess of Taiwan’s
Miao-Chiung Temple, Bhikkhuni Xiao
Jing Chair of Korea’s Eleventh Qing Lin
Council, Bhikkhuni Siou Neng Abbess of
Taiwan’s Ling Shan Temple, Bhikkhuni
Thubten Chodron Abbess of Sravasti
Abbey in the US, Bhikkhuni He Jing
Abbess of Korea’s Mingfa Temple and
Bhikkhuni Xiu Xun Abbess of Taiwan’s
Jinshan Temple. Bhikkhuni Shao Hong
Abbess of Taiwan's Haishan Temple,
Bhikkhuni Sudarshana of Sri Lanka
Abbess of Samadhi Buddhist Meditation
Center in the USA, Bhikkhuni Guang
Zong Abbess of Taiwan's Gushan Temple,
Bhikkhuni Liu Wen Abbess of Korea’s
Baekheung-am Hermitage of Eunhaesa
Temple, Bhikkhuni Wu Yin Dean of
Taiwan’s Luminary Buddhist Institute,
Bhikkhuni Jue Hua Chairperson of the
Tainan Buddhist Association, Bhikkhuni
Ru Yi Dean of China's Sichuan Bhikkhuni
Buddhist Institute, Bhikkhuni Zhen Yu
Abbess of Taiwan's Taichung Buddhist
Assembly Hall, Bhikkhuni Rattanavali
Chairperson of Thailand's International
Women’s Meditation Centre and
Bhikkhuni Hui Zhuang Admiistrator of
Taiwan's Mingshan Temple.Bhikkhuni
Dr. Zhiru Professor of Religious Studies at
California's Pomona College, Bhikkhuni
Jing Ding Abbess of Taiwan's Yuanzhao
Temple, Bhikkhuni Dr.Kuang Seng Head
of Thailand's Kuan - In Bodhisattava’s
Hall, Bhikkhuni Dr. Pannavati Abbess
of Embracing Simplicity Hermitage in
the US, Bhikkhuni Xiu Zhang Abbess of
Taiwan's Xinglong Temple, Bhikkhuni
Xing Yi Abbess of South Korea's
Shinheungsa Temple, Bhikkhuni Xiu Jing
Abbess of Taiwan's Lingshan Temple,
Bhikkhuni Dun Yan Supervisor of China's
Taishan Temple and Bhikkhuni Zhi Shan
Abbess of Taiwan's Ciyin Abode.
Bhikkhuni Kammatthana Abbess
of Cambodia's Maha Panna Vihara,
Bhikkhuni Shang Ding Abbess of
Taiwan's Miao Jue Temple, Bhikkhuni
Pema Chodron Abbess of Gampo
Abbey in the US, Bhikkhuni Ru Dao
Chairwoman of Hai Ming Temple in the
US, Bhikkhuni Ru Jun Abbess of Taiwan's
Fuzhi Temple, Anandabodhi Bhikkhuni
Abbess of Aloka Vihara in the US,
Bhikkhuni Che Zong Abbess of Taiwan's
Xinche Chan Temple, Bhikkhuni Sing Kan
Abbess of Malaysia's Sam Poh Thong
Buddhist Temple, Bhikkhuni Chang
Deng Abbess of Taiwan's Zhengzing
Chan Temple, Bhikkhuni Zi De Abbess
of Taiwan's Bao Shan Chan Temple,
Bhikkhuni Ji Zun Abbess of Malaysia's
Hui Lin Yuan, Bhikkhuni Jing Zhi Abbess
of Taiwan's Ciyuan Chan Temple,
Bhikkhuni Santacitta Abbess of Aloka
Vihara in the US, Bhikkhuni Fa Zhao
Abbess of Taiwan's Xiangyun Temple,
Bhikkhuni Chang Lu Abbess of Taiwan's
Tzu-Lung Temple, Bhikkhuni Hong Yuan
Abbess of China's Guanyin Chan Temple,
Bhikkhuni Wu Ren Director of Taiwan's
Ching Jou Orphanage, Bhikkhuni Xian
Du President of Taiwan's Huayen Lotus
Association, Bhikkhuni Xiu Yi Abbess
of Taiwan's Miao Quan Temple and
Bhikkhuni Ming Yu Abbess of Taiwan's
Fuen Lotus Association.
With the trend toward
globalization, Buddhism must diversify in
the future to remain connected with the
world and attract people from different
walks of life to accept Buddhism and
to progress from their initial faith to
gradually becoming devoted followers
of Buddhism. For this reason the
Association decided to confer this award
to recognize Bhikkhunis who have made
outstanding contributions in the areas
of education, academics, arts, charity,
medicine, etc. Regardless of nationality
or denomination, let the quiet and hardworking
receive recognition for their
work so their courage may continue to
soar without bounds, drawing others to
practice the Buddha dharma. This is the
goal of awarding this honor. The World
Buddhist Bhikkhuni Association was
established on November 22, 2016 by
first forming an organization in Taiwan.
With nearly 100 Bhikkhunis from around
the world signing a memorandum
of understanding regarding the
association’s establishment, this
undertaking was not only a major
event in the Buddhist world; it was an
unprecedented event in the Bhikkhuni
community.
During the meeting, Bhikkhuni
Ru Yi, Dean of the Sichuan Bhikkhuni
Buddhist Institute in China, nominated
the highly respected Venerable Pu Hui,
Chairwoman of the Chinese Buddhist
Bhikkhuni Association, to be the
first president of the World Buddhist
Bhikkhuni Association, which was
unanimously endorsed by masters from
many countries and passed with the
applause of all the masters in attendance,
a moment that could be described as
the light of Taiwan. Venerable Pu Hui
stated that because of the fateful event
of the 1st Global Bhikkhuni Awards of
outstanding Ceremony organized by the
Chinese Buddhist Bhikkuni Association,
Bhikkhunis from twelve countries
around the world had experienced the
rare opportunity of gathering together in
one place. Each of the award recipients,
Dharma masters distinguished as valuing
both doctrine and application and as
great Bhikkhunis for their sacrifices and
contributions to Dharma work, formed a
global organization to unite Bhikkhunis
from around the world into a collective
force. It was an important cause for
cooperation that required no hesitation.
Hence, the main work of the
World Buddhist Bhikkhuni Association in
the future is to take active measures to
invite Bhikkhuni groups or monasteries
like WBBA or that have plans with
similar missions as the WBBA from every
country around the world to join us in
perpetuating the wisdom of the Buddha
and spreading the Dharma to all parts
of the world. The future purpose of the
World Buddhist Bhikkhuni Association
is to unite global Buddhist Bhikkhunis,
promote the Dharma, protect the Triple
Gem, purify people's minds through the
Dharma, carry out charitable works,
Buddhist culture and educational
activities to benefit the whole world.
The headquarters and the main office
will be located in Taiwan.
12 l Mettavalokanaya l December l 2018 l www.mettavalokanaya.com www.mettavalokanaya.com l 2018 l December l Mettavalokanaya l 13