Role of the Buddha's Female Disciples
in the United States
The disciples of the Buddha consist of four groups of renunciates and laypeople: Bhikkhu, Bhikkhunī, Upāsaka (masculine) and Upāsikā (feminine). Each of them has a certain important role in maintaining and developing the Dharma house of the human world.
The missionaries migrating to foreign lands are mostly monks, however, many nuns and lay women have also contributed greatly. Bhikkhunī Sanghamitta in the third century B.C. brought Buddhism from India to Sri Lanka.[1] Two laywomen, Bhrikuti Devi Princess (Nepal) and Wencheng Princess (China) in the seventh century brought Buddhism from Nepal and China to Tibet.[2]
Nowadays, there are many venerable nuns following the wishes of Bhikkhunī Sanghamitta to go overseas for the transmission, such as the late Venerable Bhikkhunī Thích Nữ Đàm Lựu, Venerable Bhikkhunī Thích Nữ Nguyên Thanh and Venerable Bhikkhunī Thích Nữ Giác Hương. Many other respectful nuns are following this conduct, bringing Buddhism from Vietnam to the United States. However, there are many opportunities and challenges for Buddhist nuns in the United States to face.
Opportunities
Learn many new and interesting things:
The United States is a multicultural country. People living in this country have the opportunity to learn many new and interesting things. A researcher on the United States shared that “American culture is known as a colorful picture.” [3]
Gender equality:
The policy of gender equality in a civilized country like the United States has caught up with the “equality” philosophy of Buddhism. The women here in the US are not disregarded as in Asian countries. Nuns and women alike have the opportunity to promote and develop their abilities, contributing to the common good of Buddhism, society and humanity.
Inheriting the predecessor’s experiences:
Vietnamese Buddhism spread to the United States in the middle and late twentieth century, thanks to the monks and nuns from Vietnam. They used many means, including studying abroad and seeking asylum. These monks and nuns include:
Most Venerable Thích Thiên Ân
Most Venerable Thích Tâm Châu
Most Venerable Thích Hộ Giác
Most Venerable Thích Giác Đức
Most Venerable Thích Chánh Lạc
Most Venerable Thích Chơn Trí
Most Venerable Thích Viên Lý
Most Venerable Thích Chơn Thành
Venerable Bhikkhunī Thích Nữ Đàm Lựu
Venerable Bhikkhunī Thích Nữ Nguyên Thanh,
Venerable Bhikkhunī Thích Nữ Giác Hương
Venerable Bhikkhunī Thích Nữ Diệu Từ and others. [4]
They brought Buddhism to the United States and were the founders of Vietnamese Buddhism here. In addition to difficulties in the early days of evangelization, they have overcome many challenges to create temples and monasteries, so the next generation of Buddhist followers, nuns and monks will have a place to reside and study.
Thanks to the virtues of the predecessors who have gone before and paved the way, the younger generation of monks and nuns now have a foundation and accommodations, so it is more convenient to study and develop Dharma in the United States of America.
The Challenges
Cultural and linguistic differences:
The United States is a multiethnic country. Cultural and linguistic differences are major obstacles for Buddhism and the nuns in particular to share Dharma there.
Shortage of nun residences:
The number of nuns is increasing every day but the accommodations are limited. Currently, throughout the United States, there are official nun temples, such as Phổ Hiền Pagoda and Huê Lâm Temple (Massachusetts), Viên Thông Pagoda (Texas), Vạn Hạnh Pagoda (Seattle, Washington), Đức Viên Pagoda, An Lạc Pagoda and Huyền Không (northern California), Dược Sư Pagoda, Diệu Quang Pagoda, Hương Sen Temple (southern California) and a few other nunneries.[5] Nuns have a shortage of accommodations and many nuns have to create their own places or rent rooms. Their lives are always busy as they earn to pay monthly bills, debts and mortgages. Because nuns have to struggle for a life, they do not have time to practice, study or learn the language. This makes it difficult to share Dharma with others.
Lack of unity in the Sangha:
Nuns in the United States are very crowded, but usually each person has their own private, small retreat place as a separate “shelter.” As a result of lack of support and unity in the Sangha, they feel helpless and this gradually erodes the internal strength and aspiration.
Nuns in the next generation:
Currently, nuns are very crowded in their living situations. Mmost of them come from Vietnam or abroad to study so they try to harmonize. It is difficult to integrate naturally into the life of indigenous people to inspire and evangelize them. Meanwhile, the young generation born in the US is very superficial in Buddhism or going to the temple. As a result, renunciation in the young generation in US is rare.
Preparing for the Future
Need to prepare internal resources and knowledge:
The nuns currently living in the United States need to cultivate their inner strength, update the culture and language of the indigenous people to maintain and develop Buddhism in this country.
More nunneries are needed:
Buddhism in the US needs more nunneries to help nuns who are still short of accommodation. The nunneries should also receive with tolerance foreign nuns from other countries like Sri Lanka, Tibet and the United States – without discrimination. Thus, the nun community can gain great strength, have Sangha support with a good environment to study, cultivate internal resources and knowledge. With this kind of support, the nuns will be able to support the common Buddhist activities of sharing Dharma.
Nunneries need to open their hearts:
The temples are established with the purpose of supporting nuns. The nuns in every temple should have a basic knowledge of psychology, be open-minded, and with loving care receive the next generation of nuns. The nuns study together, share the Buddha's works and live in harmony. This will bring peace to the nunnery and contribute to the prosperity of the Dharma and benefit of sentient beings.
Lay women should guide their descendants to the temple:
- Lay women should encourage their descendants to go to the temple, take refuge in the Triple Gem, and study Buddhism to maintain the good tradition from their ancestors. Moreover, when they grow up, they do not easily turn to pagan rituals. And in the future, these descendants may be among the renunciates who are monks and nuns, continuing the Buddhist circuit in this country.
- As the Buddha taught, “Life is full of suffering.” In life, there are thousands of miseries. The most disadvantaged and the most miserable are women. The Nun Sangha plays the role of a simple friendly boat to help beings. To accomplish this, every nun practitioner needs to be virtuous, to cultivate internal energy and add more knowledge. Nuns who are living in the United States of America need to update their understanding of culture and language, have a collective spirit, connect the sentiments of the Sangha, embark on life, and bring the Dharma light to Vietnamese fellowships, as well as to the indigenous people. The most important thing is to focus on the “young of the future” to transmit the Dharma torch to them for the sake of society, human life and all species. That is the will of the renunciates. It is also the role and mission of Buddhist practitioners who have had the wish to evangelize in other countries, particularly in this United States.
Diệu Pháp Temple, April 16, 2020
Yours sincerely,
Bhikkhunī Thích Nữ Minh Huệ (Quảng Diệu)
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
[1] Saṅghamittā (Saṅghamitrā in Sanskrit), the eldest daughter of Emperor Ashoka, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanghamitta
https://dhammawiki.com/index.php?title=Sanghamitta
[2]Xích Tôn Princess (Bhrikuti Devi) and Wencheng Princess
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Wencheng
[3] Những điều chưa biết về văn hóa Mỹ (“Unknown Things About American Culture”)
https://dautuquocte.org/van-hoa-my.html
[4] Năm Mươi Năm Phật Giáo Việt Nam Tại Mỹ (Vietnamese Buddhism has been been in the America for fifty years). Huỳnh Kim Quang
https://thuvienhoasen.org/a24612/nam-muoi-nam-phat-giao-viet-nam-tai-my
[5] Chùa Việt Hải Ngoại (Vietnamese Temples Overseas.
https://quangduc.com/a26462/chua-viet-hai-ngoai
1.6._Role_of_Female_Disciples_in_US_-_Bhikkhuni_Minh_Hue.pdf
