pattaya127 Posted August 22, 2003 Report Share Posted August 22, 2003 in sri lanka (where the line has not been broken). ------------------------- No expertise on Sri Lanka, I just read that there were nuns ordained during the B. time, and that "the order of ordained nuns survived until the 11th C in Sri Lanka". Not sure if that means there were none after or what? Can you supply more infos on your knowledge of the nun orders in Sri Lanka as of today? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 22, 2003 Report Share Posted August 22, 2003 >>>Can you supply more infos on your knowledge of the nun orders in Sri Lanka as of today? Thanks. <<< now way - that goes way beyond my level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasmine Posted August 22, 2003 Report Share Posted August 22, 2003 [color:"red"] nevertheless. there is one courageous nun living near nakhorn pathom who has been ordained in sri lanka (where the line has not been broken). the official sangha is endlessly pissed off with her but they can't do fuck all about it. as far as i know there are right now several others in sri lanka waiting for their full ordination. i have once met this nun - a very interesting person who has studied in india in the famous shanti niketan university. [/color] If we are talking about the same woman who was a lecturer in a Univ. before, she is not a nun. It is written some place that it is called "Phiksunee" = "female monk" and at this time ones must be ordained in Sri Lanka. A male monk is called "Phiksu", with doble "e"s in Pali, makes it a female gender. As far as I know, nuns (with white robes and shaped heads) are not ordianed in a Western sense but they must be somewhat "baptized" for lacking of words. The ones who just wear white robes, head unshaven are not exactly nuns and I don't know what they call them. My mother does it every month and statys in a temple a few days at a time. Cheers! :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 22, 2003 Report Share Posted August 22, 2003 >>>It is written some place that it is called "Phiksunee" = "female monk" and at this time ones must be ordained in Sri Lanka.<<< she was ordained in sri lanka, and wears orange robes. have to have a look into my files to find her name. but not now, tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasmine Posted August 26, 2003 Report Share Posted August 26, 2003 [color:"red"] Can someone explain to me why the monks deserve to eat before anybody else? I rather doubt that the Lord Buddha would have accepted this practice himself [/color] Hi KS, I asked this question to my mother once when I was quite little why the monks aet before we did and I got pinched!!! :: Then my father explained that, the monks are respected for continuing the Buddha's pratice and the food to be given to them are supposed to be pure. Then I said, " We are NOT eating exactly the same dish!". The explaination was that we are not exactly equal because we are not praticing the 277 (or wahtever the number) rules that the monks pratice. The explaination did not satisfy me and I saw the pratice in India, Cambodia and Loas. My thinking is, besides that the monks are supposed to be purer than normal people, it is more tradition like honor guests. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted August 26, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2003 Hi, "I got pinched!!! " Why do you think I asked in cyberspace? "My thinking is, besides that the monks are supposed to be purer than normal people, it is more tradition like honor guests." Thanks. Sounds like a decent explanation, even though I do not agree with the practice. To me it seems yet another way to put the populace in its place (same crap happens with every religion, btw). Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted August 28, 2003 Report Share Posted August 28, 2003 and I don't know what they call them. ---------------------- mae chii. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted August 28, 2003 Report Share Posted August 28, 2003 There is one woman called VORAMAI KABILSINGH, who has been ordained in Taiwan, as a bhikkuni according to the Mahayana tradition. My notes say she heads a woman-focused temple on the outskirts of BKK. Also, this book gives many temples with well-supported "nunneries" in Thailand: in Thonburi, in BKK (Mae chii institute), Ratchaburi, and Petburi. The advantage to monks (damned chauvinist pigs! : is that mae chii can serve them and do all kind of domestic tasks for them, if ordained the rules would not allow them anymore to be used as servants to the monks. This rule was set down by the B. itself, out of compassion for the Bhikkuni who were used by the monks as domestics and could not further their spiritual advancement. The big difference between a monk and a non-ordained mae chii, a nun if you will, is that , and i cite my book: they are not considered fields of merit for the laity.... Previously, much prejudice has been heaped on them for being supposedly unknowledgeable about Buddhism, and behaving unproperly (sleeping during services, begging etc...). I think this attitude is changing, and again, no auhtoritative buddhist texts say that ONLY monks are fields of merit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasmine Posted August 28, 2003 Report Share Posted August 28, 2003 [color:"red"] mae chii. [/color] The ones with shaven head are called "mae chii", but the ones who just wear white robes are not. Called my mother last weekend, she said they are called "Mae Khow" which my mother is, 2 days per week and adheres to 8 basic rules. Cheers! :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted August 28, 2003 Report Share Posted August 28, 2003 To me it seems yet another way to put the populace in its place ------------------- In that case, i'd say not really. The "populace" wants it that way. I explain: you see it as a gathering of religious and laic people for a nice day at the temple. But you have to take into account that for thai people, this also a ritual of merit-making. By giving food to the monks, they do acquire merit for this life or another. So, when the monks are eating, something is happening, both informal but ceremonial as well (thais are great at mixing the 2), and done with due respect, just eating and chatting with the monks would nullify/soil the special and respectful act of acquiring merit . Ask your wife! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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