I thought i'd share this article with people who might be interested in the history of Buddhist nuns. i was also intrigued by this sentiment
Nepal is the birthplace of Buddha, India is the land of preaching and China is the land of Supreme fulfillment of Buddhism. I also liked that this article highlights the influence of the Chinese in the spread of Buddhism which may not be known to many. This is exactly why it is important for Tibetan Buddhism in China to flourish and the entire tango between China, Dorje Shugden and the Dalai Lama. With Chinese influence, Dorje Shugden's practice will reach many and in doing so - benefit many.
Nepal: Chinese Contribution in Restoration of Bhikshuni Orderhttp://www.telegraphnepal.com/commentary/2013-06-06/nepal:-chinese-contribution-in-restoration-of-bhikshuni-order.htmlFirst Bhikshuni in Buddhist history was Mahaprajapati Gautami, Buddha’s foster mother from Kapilvastu, Nepal. She was ordained as Bhikshuni along with other 500 nuns 25 century ago only after 5 years of establishment of Bhikshu Sangha. The first nunnery was built in Kapilvastu.
According to Buddhist scriptures, the Bhikshuni order was first created by Lord Buddha at the specific request of his foster mother Mahaprajapati Gautami, and in response of strong recommendation of Ven. Ananda, the principal disciple of the Buddha, the Bhikshuni order spread to many countries. But in course of turns of history, Bhikshuni order in Nepal and other South Asian countries vanished. In Nepal it was restored in 1990s through Chinese facilitations.
The first Chinese Bhiksuni was Chen Chien who was ordained as novice (Sramaneri) by her all male groups of monks, then there were no fully ordained Bhiksunis to give her higher ordination. It was only in 429 A.D. upon the entreaty or the Chinese Emperor that King Meghavarna of Srilanka dispatched eight senior nuns to China. These courageous women even mastered the Chinese language within a few years of their arrivals. They followed in 433 A.D. by a further group of eleven nuns who landed in Nanjing, making full ordination completely possible. Fa-chien was the first Chinese nun to receive it. Although the order died out in Sri Lanka following the Chola attacks on Anuradhapura in 1017, the Chinese order has persisted in an unbroken chain up to the present day and they helped others to resume Bhikshuni order in different South Asian Countries.
Nun Ven. Devi Gautami (Sangha Name of Mahaprajapati Gautami) was leader of Bhikshuni Sangha leading five hundred Sakya ladies converted into Buddhism. Later wife of Siddhartha Gautam, princess Yasodhara was also ordained as Bhikshuni. Her Sangha name was Bhadra Katyayani.
As Emperor Ashoka’s daughter Sanghamitra founded Bhikshuni order in Sri Lanka, his another daughter Charumati built Charumati Vihar in Kathmandu. She was ordained as Bhikshuni and spend second past of her life in Charumati Vihar. There are several other historical evidences which confirms the existence of Buddhist nunneries in Kathmandu valley in ancient period.
Tibetan language Buddhism is practiced by ethnic people of Nepal. Sherpas, Tamang, Gurung, Lepchas and other ethnic people are followers of Tibetan Buddhism. They have their own monasteries. Among a few popular nunneries, Nagi Gompa Nunnery in Shivapuri, Bigu Gompa in Dolakkha district, Khachre Ghakyi Ling Nunnery in Kopan, Nunneries in Pharping, Mustang are well known.
In 1930s a few Newar widows walked down from Kathmandu to Kushinagar where they were ordained as Anagarika by U Chandramani Dharmanachari, Dhammpali, Ratnapali and Sanghapali were the pioneers and Kindol Vihar became the centre of nuns’ activities.
Dhammavati received a religious education in Myanmar. She has also been conferred with the title of “Aggamaha Grantha Bachaka Pandita”. She established Dharmakriti (nunnery) Vihar in Thanhiti, Kathmandu. Numbers of Anagarikas in Nepal increased after 1950. But there are no higher ordination practices of Bhikshunis in Nepal.
In 1988 three Nepali Theravadi Anagarikas went to Los Angeles to receive full ordination as Bhikshunis according to Chinese rites from Fo Kuang Shan sect. Dhammavati, Dhammdinna and Dhamma Vijaya were ordained as Bhikshunis there. Pannyavati, Indravati and Jayavati were ordained as Bhikshuni in Taiwan.
The Buddhist Association of China arranged the passing of commandments for two groups of novice nuns of Nepal, which enabled Nepal to restore the Bhikshuni order. In the first batch five nuns, Anoja, Yanavati, Sujata, Kusum and Viryavati were ordained as Bhikshunis in Dharma platform of Wu Zhuo nunnery at Guang Zhou in 1997. In the second batch another 5 nuns Indravati, Sumedhavati, Rammavati, Surammmavati and Suvavati were ordained as Bhikshuni in Nan Hus Monastry in China in April 2002.
A dozen nuns from Nepal were ordained as Bhikshuni in Bodhgaya international full ordination ceremony in 1998. Nepalese nuns Utara, Anoja, Sujata, Khemanandi, Chittavati, Kusum, Viryavati, Karunavati, Chandra Sila, Sunandi, Rupashila and churuyani received ordination in accordance with both original Therevadi tradition and Chinese Mahayana tradition. The master mind behind this twofold higher ordination ceremony is Ven. Master H. Sing Yun, the founder president of Buddha’s Light International Association and founder of the Foguangshan Buddhist order.
In 1998, Nepali nuns Sradavi, Mudita, Khameshi, Virya Parami, Keshawati, Vishuddyani, Ambika and Suchita were ordained as Bhikshuni in Foguangshan international full ordination ceremony held in 2000 in Taiwan.
Lumbini is birthplace of Siddhartha Gautam, Kapilvastu is the capital of the Sakya Principality, where Siddhartha Gautam was brought up. Buddha attained enlightenment, delivered his preaching and attained his Mahanirvana in India. However, credit goes to the Chinese for introducing Buddhism in China in the first century via Central Asia, translating Buddhist scriptures constructing of Buddhist monasteries, temples and pagodas. They also helped to evolve the school of Buddhism with Chinese characteristics and contributed to its expansion to East Asia. Similarly, the Chinese Diaspora contributed in globalization of Buddhism by spreading it to South-East Asia, Europe, America, Oceania and other parts of the world constructing Buddhist temples wherever they reached.
Nepal is the birthplace of Buddha, India is the land of preaching and China is the land of Supreme fulfillment of Buddhism. This relationship, therefore, can be exemplified by a tree whose roots have in Nepal, its trunk in India and its branches extend far into China and the world. Overseas Chinese have played a great role in providing world religion status to Buddhism. Special credit goes to Chinese Buddhist inside and outside China who continued Bhikshuni order and helped a lot to revive it in Nepal and in other South Asian Countries.
