The Figure of Nuns
To learn about the way of living and working of Vietnamese nuns, “disciples of the Tathāgata,” in the United States and Canada, Australia, France and Germany, we will examine how they deal with the momentum of developments in science and technology, especially in the diverse culture, as well as through the overly civilized and progressive lifestyle of the current European and American countries. We see how nuns can be integrated into the new life abroad in accordance with the age of the society, the traditions of Buddhism and the position of the nuns in the heart of the sangha. We would like to present what we already know according to our own understanding and information we have collected on the internet written by monks, nuns and lay people.
As a leading elder of the Buddhist Young Association (BYA), I am over seventy years old and I have worn a blue traditional costume for the BYA nearly all my life, I sincerely offer these simple thoughts and understanding of the nun sangha in the United States with the title “The Figure of Nuns.”
Paying homage to all nuns.
Namo Amitābha Buddha
Tâm Tường - Lê Đình Cát
Nuns From the Buddha’s Time
As we know, after the Blessed One attained supreme enlightenment, Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī appealed to the Buddha who mercifully allowed woman to be ordained. From there, the image of nuns began to appear and became one among the seven groups. Following the development of society, Buddhism spread north and south through two main sects. In northern Buddhist countries, the bhikkhunī congregation was formed and developed, existing parallel with the development of the bhikkhu sangha. In Theravāda Buddhist countries, the bhikkhunī image has been eroded and lost by many internal and external factors. For Vietnam, nuns appeared quite early, but officially formed around ten centuries ago and coexisted with the development of Vietnamese Buddhism.
At any stage of society, people receive their education from many different fields, from families to society. Therefore, nuns are an inseparable part of society and even more, inseparable from the sangha. In the process of formation and development of the Vietnamese Buddhist Church, nuns are concerned with all levels of the Church and facilitated the development with many positive contributions in the cause of propagation and converting. The common aspiration of nuns is to seek support for the development of the Dharma and continue to make practical contributions to the Church. Thus, the issue of education cannot be ignored in the current development trend of the Church.
Nuns in the Newly Established Period
The Buddha accepted females to be ordained as members of the congregation, with the observance of the eight conditions (The Eight Respectful Disciplines). Through the process of diligent practice, bhikkhunīs eventually attained enlightenment. The Blessed One praised Venerable Bhikkhunī Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī and named her foremost in wisdom. There were accomplishments of other excellent nuns under her leadership, such as Bhikkhunī Thức Ma – the most supernatural power; Ưu Bát Hoa Sắc – the most ascetic one; Cơ Lợi Xá Kiều Đàm Di – the one with divine vision, Ba Đầu Lan Xà Na – the most disciplined one, and so on . . . 500 nuns all attained arahantship.
The realizations of the Nun Patriarch Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī and 500 other bhikkhunīs and nuns are the result of the internal awakening process and the great teacher Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī. She directly instructed her disciples to transform all sufferings and afflictions and achieve nirvāna in the present life. That liberated path is so great and magnificent, the image of the nun patriarch has impressed every generation.
According to narrative in the Sūtras and the Vinaya, the nun sangha was established under the leadership of Venerable Patriarch Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī, following the advice of the Blessed One, along with support of the monks. The first bhikkhuni/nun congregation was founded, which created glorious holiness during the time of the Buddha's life.
The bhikkhunīs were mostly from the royal lineage, and once they had made the determination to become renunciates they were truly sincere and devoted to liberation and the teachings of the Blessed One, the wise teacher. In the process of transforming delusion into enlightenment, transforming the secular into super-secular, almost all of the 500 nuns of the Most Venerable Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī who depended on their various practices—each achieved a different result. This process of transforming the mind, in today's parlance, is called spiritual education.
The royal ladies became bhikkhunīs who practiced the Dharma to overcome the faults of the three karmas (body, speech, and mind) and head towards the ultimate goal, to attain enlightenment in real life. This was also the career of our predecessor , and the nun successor inherited an example to follow. The daily life of the nuns at that time consisted of the practice of chanting, meditation, alms, eating, and listening to the Dharma.
Nuns Overseas
We do not know exactly when Vietnamese Buddhism spread overseas. But in the early 1980s and 2000s, Buddhism in foreign countries and in the United States began to develop strongly and quickly.
According to the thinking of the writer of this essay, Buddhism spread abroad in two ways:
- In the 1980s monks and nuns traveled abroad. They lived in a refugee camp with a number of lay Buddhist people. They combined to establish temples together.
- Around the year 2000 and later, many monasteries in USA completed immigration papers for young monks and nuns from Vietnam.
In the United States, it seems initially most of the nuns gathered in California. Settling and living in the United States is a dream for many people, because it is a golden opportunity for those who want to move forward to change their lives for the better. Because the United States is a prosperous free country with advanced technology and modern education (through various colleges and universities), where government and institutes are willing to provide scholarships, it is a good opportunity for people to learn and hope for a good future. It is also a good opportunity if nuns are willing to learn, apply and adapt. It will be an effective tool in the mission.
Like Vietnam, in the United States the number of nuns following traditional northern Buddhism (Mahāyāna) is large; next are the mendicants (while Theravāda is nearly rare). The congregation of Theravāda bhikkhunīs is gradually being established and constantly growing to this day.
In the Beginning Period
After Buddhism officially spread abroad and especially in the United States, the silhouette of monks and nuns gradually merged with the life of the new society. But at the beginning, the number of monks and nuns, especially nuns, were not many. Later, the pagodas and monasteries completed immigration documents for renunciates to come to the USA from Vietnam. Adding to that, thanks to the belief in religion, temples and monasteries have trained some monks and nuns in order to propagate the Dharma, however the images of the nuns at that time were very few.
As we all know, on the development momentum, Vietnamese Buddhism has always maintained the Vietnamese culture, traditions, and history of our nation, and always grows regardless of other countries and environments. However, due to different customs, cultures and especially the language, Buddhism in the early stages overseas had many difficulties. For example, when contacting the local people, as well as young children in the second or third generations who have been born and raised in the places we live, such as the United States, Britain, France Canada, Australia, and Germany we saw that because most of them are influenced by the culture and language of Europe and America, the children do not speak Vietnamese, while most of monks and nuns were not fluent in foreign languages. That is a huge obstacle to sharing Buddhism.
What Should Young Nuns Abroad Do to Prepare for the Future?
Have you ever wondered, “What is the handbook for young monks and nuns abroad to enter the path of propagation to bring benefits for beings?” Education degrees in the secular world? No, it is not. It is not the ultimate aim of renunciation. Young renunciates in this era must equip themselves with the virtue of solemnity. Yes, solemnity is an undeniable virtue, any place, any time. The virtue of nun is a very worthy thing to be cherished. To have virtue, the precepts must be kept. Once the precepts are solemn, the virtue is bright. Only the precepts can create the virtue of a honorable renunciate, the heavenly and human teacher, a young monastic but active, dynamic and comprehensive.
In this progressive society, young monks and nuns, especially the nuns, have a solid moral and a profound standard of Buddhist studies. At the same time, it is also necessary to cultivate knowledge of the secular world (a solid educational level and especially fluency in a foreign language). Although it is not the destination, it is the necessary means in order that nuns have enough qualifications to serve the path of propagating the Dharma and to meet satisfactorily with all levels of beings. Especially in this period abroad, many young Vietnamese, foreign people and intellectuals would like to search and study Buddhism more and more. But we must always keep in mind that “Knowledge of the world is because not enough, but it does not help us release suffering.” Only when we practice the Tathāgata's teaching, will we open the eyes to re-evaluate which worldly knowledge can be used.
Ethics of Young Nuns in Modern Times
In the present age, monks and nuns equipped with scholarly degrees do not mean to only gather knowledge of Buddhism through scriptures, laws, and treatises (sūtras, ninayas and sāstra), but also to learn many fields of knowledge in the world from professional to basic knowledge. The way of studying is a way of life in which every moment is a valuable time for monks and nuns who can become knowledgeable about the meaning of life. The image of continuous effort and working hard to find a way to learn and serve beings is well expressed in the example of Sudhanakumara in the chapter, “Enter the Dharma World” of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra.
But for monks and nuns, especially the nuns overseas, apart from the traditional practice, they have encountered many obstacles, challenges and thorns in the complex society to survive and rise up as they are now.
In addition to the responsibility of actualizing the Tathāgata’s mission and engaging in the Tathāgata’s activities, every nun, especially our young nuns, has a shared responsibility for the development of Buddhism abroad.
There are many opportunities and a bright future ahead for nuns who take pains to learn (outside school life) and engage, cultivate and harmonize (in the religion) to find ways to survive, as well as developing their own ability to affirm the spirit of “Dharma does not leave the world.” Young nuns must find ways to try and rise up in the new society in which they live by going to work or taking extra classes (that is, the nuns who venture into life) and blend with the real world. One thing that had always surprised people—nowadays, the images of young nuns in a university or involved in social activities have often appeared. Among them, some are excellent students.
This is praiseworthy because the young nuns know how to actively integrate into society, to be concerned about social issues, to create fresh sources of life and a new perspective in the Buddhist educational environment. However, what makes the Most Venerable Bhikkhunīs worry are concerns about the lack of morality and the negative influences nuns may face while involved in the secular world. The virtue of nuns is a result of the traditional values that the Buddhas and the Patriarchs have handed down. So “virtue” is the indispensable thing that nuns have to always uphold so they will have enough conditions to live in a spirit of engaging life, to socialize with the secular world, but still be able to keep the core values of Buddhist conduct. Once life and religion are merged, it will enhance the high value of Shakyamuni’s female disciple.
Some Suggestions
To accomplish the propaganda path, please consider a few recommendations:
- Firstly, skillfully apply the era of the scientific technological development to the teachings of the Buddha so that the events of organizing and promoting the Dharma are harmonized and progressed according to the times.
- Secondly, pay attention to the needs of laypeople to provide for them properly.
- Thirdly, young nuns, when practicing, should rely on examples of venerable nun predecessors to promote their body and mind and cultivate morality so the propagation of Buddhism can bring high value.
- Fourthly, despite any situation, young nuns should strive for themselves, draw the right path of practice and propagation, a method of applying modern science. If nuns need to search for documents on the internet it should be used for the right purpose. It’s important to avoid “abuse,” discussing idle things with a lack of usefulness, or shared images that are not suitable for the virtues of Buddhist nuns, creating an offensive. Take time to practice and avoid negatively affecting the reputation of Buddhism.
Conclusion
Being in a civilized social environment on the rise in technology, as well as modernization in all aspects, sometimes makes us dizzy, with a feeling of not being able to “catch up.” Saying that does not mean that Vietnamese Buddhist nuns sit there to satisfy and improve themselves, regardless of the fluctuations of the surrounding society. The content of enlightenment and liberation is immeasurably high. However, the work of displaying such profound content to transform the roots of each age is the responsibility of the Buddha's disciples, typically Buddhist monks and nuns. To fulfill this great mission, the Vietnamese Buddhist nuns must improve themselves to at least stand at the same level of the era, if not a level ahead. How to improve their ability? It is the knowledge and morality, or wisdom and virtue as mentioned the previous sections.
Liên Hoa Temple, Early Spring of the Rat Year
February 2020
Bowing three times,
Tâm Tường – Lê Đình Cát
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Sources
- Ni Giới và thời đại (Nuns and Time) - Cư Sĩ Minh Mẫn (trang nhà phatgiao.org.vn)
- Ni Giới trong thời kỳ mới thành lập (Nuns in the Early Period) - Ni Sư Thích Nữ Như Nguyện (trang nhà Giác Ngộ Online)
- Người Tăng sĩ với Phật giáo Việt Nam tại hải ngoại (Monastics and Vietnam Buddhism in overseas) - Thượng Tọa Thích Tâm Hòa
giảng tại chùa Bát Nhã Santa Ana, California.
- Ni Giới và xã hội mới ở hải ngoại (Nins and New society in Abroad)- Ni Sư Thích Nữ Giới Hương (giảng tại chùa Điều Ngự, Wesminster, California)
http://www.huongsentemple.com/index.php/ung-dung/ni-gioi/3890-vai-tro-ni-gioi-2
