'Five point' statement about Bhikkhuni from Western Forest Sangha

After the recent drama during which some even suggested a boycott on certain monasteries, a statement that elucidates the 'five points' on the place of women within the Thai Forest Sangha has appeared on the Forest Sangha website. Further coverage of this issue, is available via the link list on the left.

The five points are:
1. The structural relationship, as indicated by the Vinaya, of the Bhikkhu Sangha to the Siladhara Sangha is one of seniority, such that the most junior bhikkhu is ‘senior’ to the most senior siladhara. As this relationship of seniority is defined by the Vinaya, it is not considered something we can change. It is not meant to be taken personally, but relates in a ceremonial way to the choreography of who bows and who leads.
2. In line with this, leadership in ritual situations where there are both bhikkhus and siladhara – such as giving the anumodana or Precepts, leading the chanting or giving a talk – is presumed to rest with the senior bhikkhu present. He may invite a siladhara to lead; if this becomes a regular invitation it does not necessarily imply a new standard of shared leadership.
3. The Bhikkhu Sangha is responsible for the siladhara pabbajja, in the way Luang Por Sumedho was in the past. The siladhara should look to the Bhikkhu Sangha for ordination and guidance rather than exclusively to Luang Por. A candidate for siladhara pabbajja should receive acceptance from the Siladhara Sangha, and should then receive approval by the Bhikkhu Sangha as represented by those bhikkhus who sit on the Elders' Council.
4. The formal ritual of the giving of pavarana by the Siladhara Sangha to the Bhikkhu Sangha should take place at the end of the Vassa as it has in our communities traditionally, in keeping with the structure of the Vinaya.
5. The siladhara training is considered to be a vehicle fully suitable for the realization of liberation, and is respected as such within our tradition. It is offered as a complete training as it stands, and not as a step in the evolution towards a different form such as bhikkhuni ordination.

Despite the seemingly benign statement on the first point that the restrictions are for ritual and ceremonial purposes, it should be noted that almost every facet of monastic life is regulated by tradition and/or ritual. Moreover, it was also stated that these rules 'should not be taken personally', when the very act of differentiating according to sex singles one out in a personal way. These rules place almost every part of nun life under the advisement of the monks, even if it is a senior nun and the monk freshly ordained, and outlines the fact that any leadership duties performed by a nun is done on the sufferance of the monks. The open-ended statement that even a community that gives women exceptional priveleges can rescind them at any time finalizes any hopes the siladharas may have of being fully ordained. 

Seperate monasteries are being considered so that they may practice "without having their conventional relationship to the bhikkhu community constantly highlighted." Historically, segregation has never worked, and it is unlikely that it will fare differently in this case. The point was made again and again these were merely 'conventions'- in which case the entire matter should not have had so much emphasis, considering public support. But it comes back each time to the Vinaya and its preservation in the face of 'changing social standards'. This outlines another strong disparity- that the equal rights of women is not social progress, but merely change.

To add insult to injury, it states elsewhere that "in their own monasteries the nuns will not have to play second fiddle to the monks..." thereby confirming the inhospitable conditions these nuns are likely to endure. The nuns were not a part of the formal discussions and were not notified of developments, and in the meantime were denied any new ordinations. The nuns were shut out of the process, increasing their suffering.

Everything is impermanent, and the condition of being female is a part of Samsara and can change even in a lifetime. Which characteristics make a woman? The existence of glands on the chest that express milk seems superficial, and is certainly a temporary phenomenon for those who have experienced it. This is not a permanent condition. If it is the presence of a set of ovaries or the complete reproductive organ, then women who have had hysterectomies should be fully ordained. If it involves a functional set of ovaries, then post-menopausal women and infertile women should be ordained. If the definition is that of being able to carry a child within the body, then only presently pregnant women can be denied ordination by this logic. In short, every female (or male) characteristic can be reduced to demonstrate the validity of men and women being intrinsically similar, particularly in regard to the state of being human, and all other factors are conditional and conventional labels that are open to interpretation according to situational degree.

Finally, the issue of women's rights is not one of cultural but of human significance. The cultural imperatives mentioned by both parties which are implied to be 'mere conventions' either support or deny the fact that women and men are deserving of equal rights and status due to their mutual humanity. Any other way of seeing it increases suffering in the world, raises walls instead of tearing them down, enhances labels instead of removing conceptual handles, and in every other way denies the intent of the Dhamma.

The entire statement smacks of fundamentalism and the attachment to rules and traditions. The Vinaya itself is incomplete without wisdom. It is not an absolute, just as the Abhidhamma is not an absolute. If it were, it would exist outside of the conventional sphere- a place where conventional definitions such as sex have no meaning. Fundamentalism gives birth to cognative dissonance in this way.

The Buddha called the Middle Path 'the finger pointing at the moon'. The various teachings of the Dhamma are meant to ultimately be abandoned to achieve enlightenment, and that can only happen with non-attachment to views and concepts, including non-attachment to rules and rituals. A plea has been made by Ajahn Brahm to forgive and move forward, but it is unlikely that thre will be long term support for this on either side. Everyone wants to come to an agreement about this, but it won't until the Thai authorities accept the fact that in the West, sexual discrimination is unacceptable and will remain that way indefinitely.

The Thai Forest tradition's authority has been materially damaged by this debaucle- but hopefully, not irreparably. Their teachings remain a profound part of Buddhism, and for my part I intend to continue reading the Dhamma books written by Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Sumedho- all the while, with the hope that their Sangha can join us in the 21st century.  

Please take a moment to sign the Bhikkhuni Ordination Petition!

Special thanks to Bhante Sujato for keeping the sangha informed.

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