Female Buddhist Authority and the Thai Sangha

Författare

Monica Lindberg Falk

Summary, in English

In Thailand gender determines access to Buddhist ordination and women have never been granted membership in the Buddhist congregation, sangha. In spite of the fact that women are excluded from the possibility of being ordained by the Thai sangha women are active in the Buddhist field both as supporters of the sangha and as female Buddhist leaders.

The Thai Buddhist nuns, mae chi, have existed in Thailand for centuries but their position is in certain circumstances ambiguous and they have not gained formal religious authority. There are about 20 000 mae chis in Thailand and there are examples of individual mae chis that are venerated for their high level of Buddhist development. During the recent decades, sections of the mae chis, have increased recognition and authority and the mae chis have improved their position through education, strict Buddhist practice and establishment of self-governed nunneries (Falk 2007). Women are not given bhikkhuni ordination (female monks’ ordination) by the Thai sangha and bhikkhunis ordained abroad are not accepted by the sangha in Thailand. Since 2001 Thai women are receiving novice and full ordination as bhikkhuni with assistance from female and male Buddhist monks from abroad. The re-established female ordination lineage and the female Buddhist leadership with bhikkhunis’ in the Thai Buddhist field are creating new female Buddhist authority.

This paper addresses the recent decades processes of change in the Thai Buddhist field with focus on female Buddhist authority. The paper is based on anthropological research and gives examples of how Thai Buddhist nuns interpret and deal with authority in their position outside the Thai sangha.

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