Monk's expulsion may lead to new era for Buddhist women (video)

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On October 22nd, Ajahn Brahmavamso (or Ajahn Brahm) ordained four women at his monastery in Perth, Western Australia. They are the first women that have been ordained into the Thai Forest (Theravadan) tradition. Women monks are called Bhikkhunis. The ceremony was planned and purposely kept quiet so that it could proceed without interference.

Despite the fact that the Australian Sangha supported this act, the Thai monastery who ordained him after instruction by famed monk Ajahn Chah did not and called him to Thailand to answer for his actions at the Wat Pah Nanachat Forest Monastery.

He refused to declare the ordination is invalid before the council, and as a result he and his monastery have been expelled from the parent sangha. Details on the meeting are here.

Predictably, the modern world is backing his decision to rebel. Even Western Theravadan monks from other branches of the Theravadan tradition, such as New York-born Bhikkhu Bodhi who has translated masses of texts into English, have come out to support his action. Theravadan bhikkhunis have previously attempted set up orders in 2007, at the "1st International Congress on Buddhist Women’s Role in the Sangha: Bhikshuni Vinaya and Ordination Lineages”. in Sri Lanka. Women find it difficult to gain acceptance in these traditions.

Human nature being what it is, however, with the support of the public outside of Thailand it is likely that more Theravadan Bhikkhunis will be ordained in the future. Theravadan Buddhism is enjoying tremendous popularity. There is even a Theravadan forest monastery in West Virginia, Bhavana Society. The Buddha originally did not want to have women ordained as monks because he anticipated that they would not be safe in the social climate of the world at that time, though he eventually relented. The original order of Bhikkhunis in the forest tradition died out more than a thousand years ago.

Times have changed for women since then, thankfully. The actions of Ajahn Brahm in Australia have ushered in a new kind of Western Theravadan Buddhism- the co-ed kind.

Update on Ajahn Brahm and women's ordination

Additional information: Shambala Sun, Buddhist Channel

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