The Future – Opportunity – Challenge
for the Vietnamese Nuns’ Community Abroad
Dear Venerable Buddhist Monks and Nuns,
Today, June 26, 2018, California is sunny and beautiful. At the Summer Retreat in Điều Ngự Temple, the Sangha and the Most Venerable Nguyên Thanh requested me, Bhikkhunī Gioi Huong, to share some ideas about Vietnamese Nuns in the presentation today. I humbly obey and present the subject: “The Future – Opportunity – Challenge for Vietnamese Nuns Overseas.”
Namo Amitabha Buddha
Nuns in the Summer Retreat at Điều Ngự Temple
In the Past
Looking at the past, 2,600 years ago, the Nun Patriarch Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī led 500 royal women across a long distance to beg the Buddha to accept them to be ordained as his nun disciples.
The strength and the passion for Dharma of the great nun shook the heart of Ananda and he was eager to ask the Buddha to ordain the women.
Based on the steadfastness, bravery and ability of women, the Buddha agreed to allow them to be included in the ranks of the Sangha and receive higher ordination with the necessary condition that they must keep the eight respectful disciplines.[1] These rules are especially dedicated to nuns and protect the pure life for the bhikkhunī. This is a revolution of human history, because the Buddha has promoted the position of women to be equal to men in an Indian society, where females were often referred to as weak and low. The nuns today and forever afterwards, always respectfully and gratefully express their gratitude to the Nun Patriarch Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī, the Most Venerable Ananda and especially deep gratitude to the Lord Buddha who cared for women’s liberation.
After the Bhikkhunī Sangha was established and after the Buddha entered Nibbāna, more than 200 years later, Bhikkhunī Sanghamitta, the daughter of King Aśoka, went to Sri Lanka to convert Queen Anula and 1,500 women to become nuns. They all sequentially attained arahantship. Then over time through the Silk Road, the Nuns’ Sangha was passed down through many countries, such as Asia, China, and then to Vietnam and the United States, until today, when we meet the worldwide Bhikkhunī/Nun community at the Summer Retreat at Điều Ngự Temple.
In the Present
Vietnamese Buddhism in the United States was established forty-five years ago, in 1975. Sanghas of nuns and monks from many sects have also been established. However, it can be said that in recent years with the support of the sangha, the bhikkhunī communities have started to cooperate, develop and flourish. In each nunnery, each temple, the nuns have shown their activities in practice, conduct and service:
- Keeping the female manner in each gesture.
- Observing the Uposatha day to recite the precepts (sila) of bhikkhunīs, śikṣamāṇā or samaneri, according to their ordination.
- Manifesting respect for the Buddha and Sangha.
- Keeping well the eight laws of the bhikkhunīs (garudhammas).
- Chanting, meditation, preaching, Vu Lan festivals, Buddha's birthday, retreats, guiding retreats for the lay Buddhists, reciting the Buddha's name, teaching at the temple, other pagodas and communities.
Thus, the nuns are playing their role in bringing the light of Dharma into society, expressing compassion, wisdom, self-awareness, as well as other-awareness of the daughters of the Lord Buddha. With a strong will, the nuns bravely carry on the tasks, along with the monks, to share the burden of Buddhism and train the next talented monks and nuns. It can be said that the Vietnamese nuns in America are in the process of preserving and helping the virtuous teachings of the Lord Buddha flourish. This is a memorable point recorded in the Vietnamese Buddhism history overseas.
The Advantages
Nuns have many advantages to move ahead:
- Gender between men and women or monks and nuns does not create barriers in the conduct of self-awareness and other-awareness. With female bodies, many venerable nuns still strongly carry the Buddhist works as the great monks in preaching Dharma and converting people for the sake of many.
- Women’s nature is gentle, soft, enduring and persistent, so they can easily approach the Dharma and empower beings.
With a strong will, determination and confidence, nuns can share the burden with the great monks in supporting and mentoring young nuns, as well as preserving the spiritual heritage of the Buddha. There are nuns in foreign countries, such as:
- Most Venerable Đàm Lựu, Đức Viên Pagoda, San Jose, California
- Most Venerable Diệu Từ, Diệu Quang Pagoda, Santa Ana, California
- Most Venerable Nguyên Thanh, An Lạc Temple, San Jose, California
- Most Venerable Diệu Hoà, Dược Sư Pagoda, Santa Ana, California
- Most Venerable Giác Hương, Hương Sen Buddhist Temple, Perris, California
- Venerable Như Ngọc, A Di Đà Temple, San Diego, California
- Venerable Giới Châ Quang Minh Temple, Colorado
- Venerable Nguyên Thiện, An Lạc Pagoda, Indiana
- Venerable Như Phước, Đức Viên Pagoda, San Jose, California
- Venerable Thanh Lương, Viên Thông Temple, Texas
- Venerable Tịnh Quang, Quan Âm Pagoda, Redlands, California
These venerable bhikkhunis and others are the upper ranks of the sergeants, along with the great sangha, in actualizing the Buddhist mission.
For almost-senior venerable nuns, who often advise the young nuns while engaging in Buddhist affairs, they should take quiet time for themselves, in order to strengthen the internal forces to serve sentient beings. This will help them avoid many mistakes and accomplish good results.
- Many nuns have dispelled the ideology that women are somehow inferior. Let’s avoid the negative thoughts of women being inferior to men or the pressure to value men above women as it was in the past. Women should strongly take back ownership!
- Many nuns have transformed the thought of being a recluse. Now with great enthusiasm, many nuns are actively engaged in society, both domestically and abroad to build the Nun Sangha.
The images of the senior nuns are always present in the monastic patterns of the world for the young generation of nuns to emulate. The commitment to practice and bringing the Dharma into society is like the yellow sandalwood spreading its fragrance. The Dharma spreads the fragrance of wisdom, talent and compassion.
[1] The Eight Respectful Books of the Discipline (S. Guradharmā; P. Aṭṭha Garudhammā), Vol V, an English translation of Disciplines, Cullavagga, Chapter X; Sacred Books of the East, XX. pp. 354–355.
(1) A nun who has been ordained even for a hundred years must greet respectfully, rise up from her seat, salute with joined palms and make proper homage to a monk ordained but that day.
(2) A nun must not spend the Rains in a residence where there are no monks.
(3) Every half-month a nun should desire two things from the order of monks: asking as to the date of the Observance [Uposatha] day, and the coming for the exhortation (bhikkhunovada).
(4) After the Rains (the three-months rainy season retreat) a nun must “invite” (pavarana) before both orders in respect of three matters, namely what was seen, what was heard, what was suspected.
A revised version allows bhikkhunis to perform pavarana by themselves.
(5) A nun, offending against an important rule, must undergo manatta discipline for half a month before both orders.
(6) When, as a probationer, she has trained in the six rules (cha dhamma) for two years, she should seek higher ordination from both orders.
(7) A monk must not be abused or reviled in any way by a nun.
(8) From today, admonition of monks by nuns is forbidden. https://encyclopediaofbuddhism.org/wiki/Eight_Garudhammas
(From the left) Three speakers: Reverend Nhật Hạnh,
Venerable Nguyên Thanh and Bhikkhunī Giới Hương
Opportunity – Challenge
In human history, Buddhism is the first religion to mention equality between men and women, while many countries in Asia or the Middle East tend to respect men more than women. The role of women is rather low, often being neglected, not highly valued, less influential, less allowed to hold the higher positions. They often perform housework, give birth and take care children. In the United States, with its cultural pressure to elevate the status of women, the nuns stand up and rise together with the monk sangha to build the Dharma house.
In countries outside of Vietnam, nuns are facing acculturation in countries with diverse cultures. A Vietnamese nunnery can consist of Vietnamese women from Australia, Germany, Canadian and the US – a rich cultural hybrid. To survive and develop Buddhism in those communities, the nuns must be fluent in the English language and harmonize their Buddhist style with the indigenous culture.
Being able to live and study in the United States is a blessing that many people dream of. In terms of improving knowledge, American universities and colleges are willing to provide scholarships if the nuns are ready to study and pursue their aspirations.
The United States is a free prosperous country with modern education and advanced scientific technology. Through the internet, Facebook, and other online resources, not only Buddhism and other religions, but also industries are using the internet to expand globally. If nuns know how to apply and adapt, it will be an effective tool in the mission of sharing Buddhism online.
The nuns living abroad have many challenges and obstacles to overcome but they also have many opportunities and bright futures ahead if they are hardworking, sociable and learn the way to survive and develop. The nuns will do this to fully realize their role, because women possess many characteristics: gentleness, kindness, determination, a strong work ethic, and patience. As the folk saying says, “hard feet to soft rock” or “grinding an iron slab for a needle.”
We not only associate with the nuns who are present at this retreat temple for maintaining the precept-meditation-wisdom (sīla-dhyāna-prajñā) of the Nun Sangha, but we also have the duty to associate with the Vietnamese-American nuns who were born abroad, who are fluent in English but speak less speak Vietnamese. The Dharma preachers must use the English language to communicate with the young Vietnamese-American generation and the local American people who come to the temple to study the religion. To accomplish this mission, in addition to the language (a new tool), the nuns need to have the internal strength and serious practice in order that the sermons are conveyed with true experience and energy. Thus, the necessary point of the preacher is the energy of experience, the energy of practice, the public speaking art and the language of communication.
Sakyadhita
Sakyadhita is the International Association of Buddhist Women. “Sakyadhita” means “daughters of the Buddha.” It is a multicultural association where skin color, social status, educational level or country of origin are not considered. This association has been known to the world under the leadership of Venerable Bhikkhunī Karma Lekshe Tsomo in San Diego, California. The number of Buddhist women in the world is about 300 to 600 million.[1]
The Sakyadhita Association is also a link between the many Buddhist nuns with the views to improve the position and role of nuns, promote harmony in the international Nun Sangha, encourage learning the Tripiṭaka (Sūtra-vinaya-abhidharma), practice precept-meditation-wisdom (sīla-dhyāna-prajñā), engage in social charity and support research, publishing topics related to the Nun Sangha. This is a model of the development of Buddhist nuns around the world from many different cultures.
Returning to the overseas Vietnamese nuns, the scope of our nuns is smaller than Sakyadhita. In this first period, the demand for us will be great, however, there are many challenges as presented above and we would like to provide some temporary proposes in building the present and future Nun Sangha:
Future Recommendations
- Observance of the Eight Respectful Disciplines (Garudhammas) because this is a great way to increase the value of a virtuous nun. The humble manner of a nun generates more respect.
- The spirit of "respect of master and Buddhism" should be raised in the ranks of the nuns.
- Strictly proceed to study, preserve the postures and rules of the temple.
- Spend half a month reciting the precepts (observance Uposatha Day) in each temple.
- Organize intensive courses on the sūtras, retreats and read the Buddha’s name.
- Open Vinaya training classes for nuns
- The leading senior nuns with deep knowledge and profound virtue should call and promote nuns who should stand up, enthusiastically engaging, giving up any negative thoughts of inferiority and self-contained ways to get along with the great sangha, along with the venerable monks, to build a Vietnamese Buddhist house overseas, to contribute to Buddhism or specifically the sangha, who gain many historical golden points.
- The sangha and the nuns need to have a timely response in the proper use of talents, so that all nuns can realize their responsibility for the Buddha-Dharma. The nuns should implement their aspirations, promote their roles and duties in areas of the United States. The Vietnamese-American community is eager to receive the contributions of nuns.
- Encourage inspiration for nuns who can study, compose and write about the Buddha's teaching for the nuns, the merit of the monks and nuns to society and monastic life so that the world will know about the role, existence and contribution of nuns.
- There are many perspectives to manifest the nuns’ functions because many websites (such as: huongsentemple.com of Hương Sen Temple, Perris, California) are ready to post and wait for the nuns' compositions. The General Department of the Nun Sangha should create a website for the Vietnamese-American Nuns to post the nun’s activities.
- Create a social network that links nuns together, especially young nuns who have the passion to engage. Then we can visit, give mutual support, respect and share Buddhist activities among temples with one another. Enhance online interaction between nuns and Buddhist followers. This helps the level of Buddhist studies and the application of Dharma in society be enhanced in the world.
- There should be chanting and courses in English with an online library of books, instructions, retreats and transmission of information. Constantly innovate and modernize the method of sharing Dharma to harmonize with the cultural style in the United States.
- Participate in world-class knowledge in culture, technology, computers, health, social, law – improve both internally and externally.
- Train the energetic nuns to practice – nuns experienced in practice who can teach in and outside the country, inside and outside of temples and present Dharma in a coherent profound way to become the bright virtuous nun leaders in Buddhism.
- Promote the development of nuns overseas, locally and domestically where karma has placed us to serve. A nun can promote, fulfill and serve the Dharma, sharing the Buddha’s teaching as the Buddha, patriarchs and the sangha
According to the book, When Buddhist Women Meet (Taiwain University, 2000), Dr. Christie says that the world today has more than 300 million Buddhist women. It is a powerful force to bring a better world. If these women are united, inseparable from society, connect with compassionate social activities and moral training environments, they can become an important force for global transformation.
With the growth and values of the Nun Sangha, the female renunciates will be positive factors contributing to the successes of Vietnamese Buddhism overseas. The nuns will play an important role with the monks to build a fine American-Vietnamese Buddhist society. In this way, the nuns have built their position in the Vietnamese-American society and will be a positive connection at the global level to nurture spirituality for the benefit of all around the world.
The Summer Retreat, June 26, 2018
Best Regards,
Bhikkhunī Thích Nữ Giới Hương
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Summer Retreat at Điều Ngự Temple, June 26, 2018
(From the left) Three speakers: Reverend Nhật Hạnh,
Venerable Nguyên Thanh and Bhikkhunī Giới Hương
[1] Brief History of Sakyadhita International, https://sakyadhita.org/home/ourhistory.html
Please kindly read this article and view all photos: 1.4._Future-Opportunity-Challenge_for_Nuns_Abroad_-_TN_Gioi_Huong.pdf
