Bhikkhuni ~ Full Monastic Ordination or the Higher Ordination

[Sanskrit: bhiksuni, bhikshuni]

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A bhikkhuni is literally an almswoman or female alms mendicant.  Bhikkhuni is the feminine form of bhikkhu. 

In Thailand and Burma, bhikkhunis are known as phra pu-ying or rahan-ma -- female monks, while in Sri Lankan and most places where Christian monasticism has had strong influence, they are known as fully-ordained nuns.  In the case of bhikkhunis, this is a difference of word use only and varies from place to place as the language use has not yet been completely established in our Western context. Bhikkhunis have the same livelihood and all of the duties, rights and responsibilities as bhikkhus in Buddhism. 

After an agreed-upon period of samaneri and/or sikkhamana ordination (at least 1 year or 2 vassas), with the recommendation of her teacher, a novice may request the bhikkhuni upasampada, the full or higher ordination, from the Bhikkhuni Sangha, and then confirmation from the Bhikkhu Sangha.  If she is still legally married,  the novice must have the permission of their husband to be fully ordained. 

The novice's full ordination begins with her request to her bhikkhuni teacher/preceptor - pavattini or a bhikkhu preceptor - upajjhaya, followed by her preceptor's proposal to the Sangha. The candidate also has an additional four supporting teachers from the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Sanghas to guide her through the ordination process.  She is accepted as a full member of the Buddhist Monastic Sangha by the Sangha itself, not by any individual, thus at least five members of both the men's and women's monastic community must be present to grant acceptance (4=Sangha, 4+1 teacher=5, 5 bhikkhus + 5 bhikkhunis = 10). More Sangha members may participate in the ordination as witnessing masters, however, only 10 are required for ordinations performed in most of the world. The one exception is in India's heartland, the Madhyadesa, where the Buddha lived and taught.  There at least 10 members of the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Sanghas must come together = 20 (Mahasangha) to give the ordination. When there are no bhikkhunis available, the Vinaya allows the Bhikkhu Sangha alone to give the ordination.

Theravada bhikkhunis, once fully ordained, train themselves with the 311 precepts of the Bhikkhuni Patimokkha; Theravada bhikkhus with the 227 precepts of the Bhikkhu Patimokkha.  More than 60% of men's and women's monastic discipline of the Patimokkha is held in common, and nearly 90% of the greater body of Vinaya discipline is shared. The differing numbers do not relate to any greater or lesser merit, as the Vinaya affirms the two disciplines are the same in essence.  Rather, the bhikkhunis in the Buddha's lifetime, due to their own sense of what was best for the discipline and protection of their monastic communities, called for most of their own unique precepts as circumstances arose for them. Additionally, some of the precepts are combined or separated differently - for example, several bhikkhuni precepts of a common theme being combined into one precept in the bhikkhus' discipline.

Valid full ordination, the upasamada, is good for one's entire life, unless one renounces the ordination and disrobes, or commits a parajika offence which nullifies the ordination. Bhikkhus who honorably disrobe may later request re-ordination. Bhikkhus or bhikkhunis who commit parajika offenses while in robes are not able to reordain in this lifetime.

The Bhikkhuni Sangha has existed since the Buddha's lifetime and continued into the present in China, Korea and Vietnam.  Modern South and South-east Asian Buddhism is currently seeing a revival of this ancient women's monastic tradition, initially in the West and in Sri Lanka, now followed by Thailand.  Sri Lanka currently has more Theravada bhikkhunis than any other country in the world.