Ordination of women in Buddhism

Ordination of women in Buddhism is called the full ordination for Buddhist nun, Bhikkhuni who is thus equivalent to a monk, Bhikkhu substantially. This also includes the ordination Samaneri, which could be described as novices - ordination. Not as ordained women in the strict sense are so-called " white-robed nuns ", or Mae Chi.

History

The ordination of women has been introduced at the time of Buddha and provides both in the history of religions, as well as in contemporary Indian society is a pioneering and pushed in all the following ( patriarchal ) societies repeatedly resistance and rejection. They also got into the countries of Theravada either forgotten (Sri Lanka), or was never existent (Thailand).

In the 20th century it was particularly due to influences from the West ( education and feminism and Buddhism in the West ) to a resurgence of the ordination of women especially in countries and regions of the Mahayana (South Korea, Taiwan), and finally to call for the restoration of women's ordination in Sri Lanka and Tibet, as well as increasing pressure for the introduction of women's ordination in Thailand.

Presence

In the outgoing of the Thai forest tradition western monasteries came in 1983 to a special form, the Siladhara nun. This was in the western environment the monks in many areas treated, in Thailand it was when in May Chi. After the Nuns from controversy autumn 2009 Siladhara had to recognize and drop all efforts for a bhikkhuni ordination their inferiority in five points.

Buddhism outside Asia knows the ordination of women since the second half of the 20th century (practically in Theravada ) and has produced outstanding teachers personalities, such as, among others, Ayya Khema, Houn Jiyu - Kennett, Prabhasa Dharma, Charlotte Joko Beck, Pema Chodron Tenzin Palmo Ajahn Sundara, Sylvia Wetzel.