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58 EASTERN HORIZON | NEWS

must be ordained in groups of three. Given the large
number of candidates to receive full ordination, three
days was required to complete the ritual requirements
for all 144 new bhikshunis. The nuns had received
preparatory teachings from Je Khenpo prior to the
ordination, and plans are already underway to train the
nuns in their new role as holders of bhikshuni vows and
to uphold their new role as fully ordained nuns.

Most candidates were from nunneries across
Bhutan, with some women joining from nunneries in
neighboring countries and one English nun residing in
Bhutan. Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, a long-term advocate of
full ordination for women, was also present in Bhutan
for the ordination. Jetsunma is a founding member
of the Committee for Bhikshuni Ordination, former
Bhutanese royalty traveled to visit the ordination site (Her Majesty
president of Sakyadhita and founder of the Dongyu
the Queen Mother Ashi Tsering Yangdon Wangchuck, at back to the
Gatsal Ling (DGL) nunnery, also in the Drukpa Kagyu
right, was a key supporter of full ordination for women; the nuns call
school. Nuns from DGL are among those receiving their her “Dharma Queen”. The “Dharma Queen” is founding patron of the
bhikshuni vows at this ceremony. Bhutanese Nuns’ Foundation which organized the event and is pictured
here with her daughter (sister of the present king) and son-in-law, and
their four children. They had accompanied the former 4th King, His
Speaking of the 4th King of Bhutan, Jetsunma said,
Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
“His Majesty was very outspoken on the importance of
raising the status of nuns to be equal to the monks.”
organizers, the Dalai Lama explained that he did not
Interviewed by Dr. Tashi Zangmo, head of the Bhutanese feel he could proceed at that time due to the force of
Nuns’ Foundation, one nun commented that she no the opposition to women’s full ordination by the male
longer had to pray to be reborn as a monk, since monastics in his Tibetan order.
now with this ordination everything was fulfilled for
attaining enlightenment in female form. The ordination ceremony held in Bhutan has followed
the first of the two valid options for granting bhikshuni
In 2007, at a conference at the University of Hamburg vows on women according to the Mulasarvastivada
that had been convened at his request, the Dalai monastic code followed by Tibetan Buddhists:
Lama was presented with two valid options for ordination by the male monastic sangha alone. After the
conferring full ordination on women according to the women fully ordained have held their vows for twelve
Mulasarvastivada Vinaya monastic code followed by all years, they will become eligible to join male monastics
Tibetan Buddhists. Vinaya scholars who had gathered in conferring together the bhikshuni vows on future
of the conference concurred that women could be generations of women.
validly granted bhikshuni vows in a ceremony with
only fully ordained monks from the Tibetan Buddhism This historic news was announced Thursday by the
monastic order, or the vows could be conferred by a Central Monastic Body of Bhutan. The ordination
dual gathering of Tibetan monks and fully ordained event itself was organized by the Bhutanese Nuns’
nuns from the separate Dharmagupta orders of Chinese, Foundation.
Korean and Vietnamese orders. However, at the close of
the conference, in a private audience with conference Source: www.lionsroar.com EH