3 years ago
After the breakage of ordained nun lineage for centuries in the Buddhist of Nepal Mandala, Nepal Traditional Buddhist Association has taken the initiation to reestablish this tradition.
Association ordained five nun’s in its Nepal Vajrayana Mahavihar aka monastery, Lumbini. The monastery is under construction physically as well as spiritually.
Physically, the monastery complex is undergoing minor details. Spiritually, the monastery has been establishing a monastic and lay sangha.
Sangha in Buddhist monastic order is composed of four groups: monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. The sangha is a part—together with the Buddha and the dharma where Buddhists go for Refuge.
Both the ordained and lay sangha follows the five precepts of basic ethics and this is a foundation of religious life. In addition, ordained sangha follows a more extensive code of monastic rules, the Pratimoksha.
The monastic and lay communities are interdependent. The laity receives teachings and guidance from monastics, while the monastics receive food, clothing, shelter, and in some cases all of their material requirements from the laity. In general, Those who followed the Buddha came to be called the Sangha.
In Vinaya, it is stated that the order of bhikkhunis was first created by the Buddha at the request of his aunt Mahapajapati Gotami. Therigatha, from Pāli Canon, mentions about lives and events of nun’s back then.
The only women's ordination lineage that remains is the Dharmaguptaka, however from conservative perspectives, none of the contemporary bhikkhuni ordinations might look valid.
Due to hardship, historical bhikkhuni lineage is missing or has died out. Similarly, the temporary monk ordination tradition still thrives in the Kathmandu valley.
Lacking the female ordination tradition that had existed in the history of the valley is now being revived by Nepal Vajrayana Mahavihar, Lumbini. Among 53 Sangh members from Lalitpur, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Bhairahawa eleven new members entered the sangha.
Five nuns were first given a robe by Ven. Bhikkhuni Dhammavati. Then they were ordained by Dr.Bajracharya according to Vajrayana tradition.
Hierarchical Tradition of giving monk ordination only to Vajracharya and Shakya was surpassed by Late Pt.Badri Ratna Bajracharya. Badri Ratna Bajracharya ordained non-bajracharya and non-shakya’s along with non-newars practitioners.
This historic event also took place in Gardenof Lumbini, birth place of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Pushpakirti Buddha Vihar, Bhairahawa offered alms and food to monks and nuns of Lumbini Nepal Bajrayan Mahavihar in Bhairahawa town. The honorary title of a Sthavir was bestowed to Prof.
Dr. Vajra Raj Shakya. Prof. Shakya being an education expert by profession has devoted his life for the propagation of Buddhism in Nepal and abroad.
He is a well known Buddhist practitioner, activist and education expert. Nepal’s industrialist Kapil Muni Sthapit also took temporary ordination. This short-term ordination is a revolutionary campaign for Nepal and the world’s Buddhist history.
