Ordination of women (Buddhism)
In Buddhism, the ordination of women is called the full ordination to a Buddhist nun , Bhikkhuni , who is therefore essentially on an equal footing with a monk , the Bhikkhu . This also includes the ordination of Samaneri that one as novices could call -Ordination. So-called "white-clad nuns" or Mae Chi are not considered ordained women in the strict sense of the word .
history
The ordination of women was still introduced at the time of the Buddha and is a pioneering act both in the history of religions and in contemporary Indian society and repeatedly met with resistance and rejection in all subsequent (patriarchal) societies. It was also either forgotten ( Sri Lanka ) or never existed ( Thailand ) in Theravada countries .
In the 20th century, influences from the West ( education and upbringing or feminism and Buddhism in the West ) led to a resurgence of the ordination of women, primarily in Mahayana countries and regions ( South Korea , Taiwan ), and finally to the call for the restoration of the ordination of women in Sri Lanka and Tibet , as well as increasing pressure to introduce women's ordination in Thailand.
present
In 1983, in the western monasteries based on the Thai forest tradition , a special form, the Siladhara nun, was introduced. In the western environment this was on an equal footing with the monks in many areas, in Thailand it was considered Mai Chi . After the nuns' controversy in autumn 2009, the Siladhara had to acknowledge their inferiority on five points and abandon all efforts towards a bhikkhuni ordination.
Buddhism outside Asia has known the ordination of women since the second half of the 20th century (practically also in Theravada) and has produced outstanding teacher personalities, such as Ayya Khema , Prabhasa Dharma , Pema Chödrön , Tenzin Palmo , Ajahn Sundara .
See also
Web links
- The nuns have been discussing since Wednesday . In: Die Welt , July 17, 2007. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
- International Congress on Equal Rights for Buddhist Nuns and the Role of Women in Buddhism, July 2007
Individual evidence
- ↑ Five Point Agreement ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (engl.).
