Online course on bhikkhuni/bhikshuni ordination

[Jessie Fong]

Now you can get an online course on Bhikkuni ordination, with the help of modern technology. But will it suffice, in the absence of a Guru?


Extracted from  http://shambhalasun.com/news/

Hearkening back to Monday’s guest post about the milestone achieved by the bhikshunis (fully ordained nuns) at Washington’s Sravasti Abbey, we note that the University of Hamburg will be accepting applications from February 1 to March 15 for an online course on bhikkhuni/bhikshuni ordination (the two spellings are Pali and Sanskrit, respectively, reflecting the different lineages from which these ordinations derive).

According to the course material, “Parti­ci­pants in the class will gain know­led­ge of the th­ree Vina­ya schools in re­gards to bhikk­hu­ni or­di­na­ti­on, and, ta­king an aca­de­mic ap­proach, de­ve­lop the abi­li­ty to ana­ly­ze the com­ple­xi­ties in­vol­ved in ap­p­lying the Buddha’s ideal of the Four­fold Sangha in the con­ven­tio­nal world. Fi­nal­ly, stu­dents will learn about the st­ra­te­gies wo­men ha­ve ad­op­ted in or­der to pur­sue their re­nun­ci­ant aspi­ra­ti­ons, in the con­text of chal­len­ges they ha­ve faced due to gen­der bias.”

The course, which consists of 13 weekly English-language lectures with an online discussion platform, will run from April 17 to July 10. It’s being offered as part of the university’s Women in Buddhism Study Initiative, cosponsored by the Numata Center for Buddhist Translation.

Visit here for full details about the course (registration materials will be placed online February 1).
Posted on: January 30, 2014 – 10:25 pm

[kris]

I felt that to learn Buddhism on an intellectual level, such online course is sufficient, just like other online courses. However, if we need to learn Buddhism to gain ultimate happiness, then it is best that we have a Guru. We are talking about transforming the mind, and I won't simply mess with my mind alone without a qualified guru. I am not saying we will definitely fail without a guru, but it is much safer and faster.

[Q]

I think it's perfectly fine if the online course is to teach these aspiring monks and nuns on the practimoksha vows. After all, one cannot be a fully ordained monk/nun suddenly, taking a course online will give them the time to practice and slowly adapt the lifestyle of an ordained person. I suppose once they have completed this course, then they would be asked to join the monastic community that offered the course to them.

Of course there are many positive and negative points to everything in life... perhaps this online course may seem new, strange and not traditional... but people of this era is also new, strange and not traditional... people have more commitments and more materialistic... dropping everything and going to the monastery immediately is just not something everyone have the courage to do. So perhaps an online course first, would be helpful for these people.

[Big Uncle]

I think the online course is wonderful as a refresher for those isolated members of the Sangha on the Vinaya and those seriously seeking ordination. I don't think it is intended to replace formal ordination and so those who graduated from the course would still need to be ordained formally. I think in this day and age, it is really necessary for people intending to be ordained need to know what a life of ordination entails. I think this would necessarily reduce incidences of being disrobed and disgraced. No matter how technology advances, it would not replace the original intent of the Buddha and the transformative quality of the lineage and of ordination.

[Tenzin K]

The technology is getting more and more available and reaching so many out there. As long as u have a computer or phone that able to online you are connected to the mass communication and information. Even courses on bhikkhuni/bhikshuni available online now.

So for the sake of intellectual understanding I think it’s still ok but for complete teaching and training to become bhikkhuni/bhikshunni way so much to learn and practice. Personally for me the very first thing to do after reading online is to look for a guru and in fact if you already have a Guru you don’t even need to learn online.  The Guru is important as he will train you personally and also show u a great example of how a Sangha supposed to be. It’s a very important training for your spiritual journey and only a real teacher can able to teach and of course you can ask as well.

[Freyr Aesiragnorak]

I agree with most other fellow forum participants. The use of technology for this is a wonderful idea, since the internet is so often linked with many negative connotations. Is is a very good use of the internet to share the Dharma and knowledge about the Bhikshuni ordination. But coming from my own background, it is only truly beneficial if one knows how to apply it in daily life and are given real life examples of how to keep the vows and commitments in a contemporary setting.... for that one needs a Guru and a special relationship with him or her.