transmitted to Korea, Vietnam, and Taiwan, where it
still thrives.
Buddhist nuns in contemporary society
In 2003 there were an estimated 125,000 Buddhist nuns,
including at least 35,000 bhiksunls.Nuns in China, Ko-
rea, Taiwan, and Vietnam follow the Dharmagupta lin-
eage school of vinaya, which is the only bhiksunl
lineage in existence today. In these traditions, a woman
who wishes to become a nun first requests the rite of
leaving home (pravrajya), shaves her head, dons the
robes, and receives the ten precepts of a s ́ramanerika
(novice nun). After a period of training, a s ́ramanerika
who is at least twenty years old may then request
bhiksunlordination. The two-year probationary pe-
riod as a s ́iksamana is currently observed only in
stricter monasteries. According to the vinaya, nuns are
required to receive their novice ordination and monas-
tic training under the guidance of qualified bhiksunl
masters; in Taiwan, however, it is not uncommon for
women to receive ordination and train under bhiksu
masters. Ideally, bhiksunlordination is conducted by
a full quorum of ten bhiksunlsand ten bhiksus,in rites
supervised in the morning by the bhiksunlsand in the
afternoon of the same day by the bhiksus.Occasion-
ally, bhiksunlordinations are conducted by high-rank-
ing bhiksus without the formal participation of
bhiksunlordination masters and such ordinations are
accepted as legitimate, if not technically correct.
As far as is known, the BhiksunSan ̇gha was never
officially established in Cambodia, Japan, Laos, Mon-
golia, Thailand, or Tibet. Although there is evidence to
document that bhiksunlsexisted in earlier times in
Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, these orders unfor-
tunately died out long ago. In countries where bhiksunl
ordination is not currently available, nuns do not have
the same status, nor do they receive the same patron-
age or access to religious education as monks. In re-
cent years, inspired by an international Buddhist
women’s movement, conditions for nuns in all coun-
tries have begun to improve markedly.
In the Theravada countries of Cambodia, Laos,
Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, and in Theravada
communities in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Nepal,
nuns receive eight, nine, or ten precepts. These nuns
are celibate, shave their heads, take no solid food after
noon, and generally maintain the lifestyle of a bhiksunl,
but are not regarded as members of the san ̇gha. Nuns
in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand wear white robes; inNUNS
Nuns of Jamyang Choling Institute, Dharamsala, India. Courtesy of Karma Lekshe Tsomo. Reproduced by permission.