The oldest lineage of Buddhism, Theravada is known for sharing the earliest recorded teachings of the Buddha. Building on this ancient lineage, Theravada today is innovative and diverse. Derek Pyle reports on the tapestry of communities that make up American Theravada.
Tibetan Nuns Project educates female monastics
Rinchen Khando Choegyal fights the second-class status of female monastics in Tibetan Buddhism.
Who Was Queen Anula?
Bhikkhuni Sudhamma traces the origins of Buddhist ordination for women to Queen Anula, Sri Lanka’s first Buddhist nun.
Petition lodged after bhikkunis blocked from paying respects to Thailand’s late King
A petition has been has lodged after a group of bhikkuni were blocked from paying respects to Thailand’s late King last month.
Hope and joy in photos of the first nuns to earn “doctorates” of Tibetan Buddhism
The geshema degree, equivalent to a doctorate, represents the highest level of training in the Gelugpa school of Buddhism. It was previously only awarded to men.
The Dalai Lama awards historic Geshema degree to 20 Tibetan Buddhist nuns
His Holiness the Dalai Lama awarded the first ever 20 Tibetan Buddhist nuns with Geshema degrees yesterday at a ceremony at Drepung monastery in South India.
Twenty Tibetan Buddhist nuns are first ever to earn Geshema degrees
A Geshema candidate at this year's Geshema examinations in Dharamsala, India. Photo via Tibetan Nuns Project (courtesy of Venerable Delek Yangdron).The Geshema degree is the highest training in the Gelugpa school of Buddhism, previously only available to men. Now, 20 nuns have earned Geshema degrees.
Thai bhikkhuni monastery targeted by arson attack
Photo of the April 3 arson attack, via http://pannavati.org/Thai Buddhist nuns in Rayong, previously targeted by death threats, have now been forced out of their temple due to arson attacks.
Thai female monastics continue push for gender equality
In Thailand, Buddhist nuns and bhikkhunis, fully ordained female monastics, are emerging as a force for reform and challenging conservative views.
Theravada bhikkhunis in Indonesia “bounce back” after 1000 years
Photo: Sutar Soemitro, from Buddhazine.com.“After being asleep for more than 1000 years,” Indonesia’s lineage of fully ordained female Theravada monastics has “bounced back.”