會議地點：越南胡志明市；時間：2009.12.18 - 2010.01.03；大會主題：傑出的女性修行者與典範=Eminent Buddhist Women
摘要
The Samantapasādika-atthakathā, a commentary on the Vinaya, records that “Sonaka Thera Bhikkhu and Uttara Thera Bhikkhu traveled to the Suvanabhumi region and preached the Dhamma to the people. The people gained confidence in the Triple Gem and took the five precepts; 60,000 people achieved enlightenment, 3,500 Buddhist boys and 1,500 girls became ordained. The two senior monks, Sonaka and Uttara, founded the Buddhist religion in the Suvanabhumi region.” The question is: Where is Suvanabhumi? From available sources, we can conclude that Suvannabhumi is in Thailand. A book with the title Suvanabhumi is Here in the Land of Siam states that “Suvannabhumi’s center is the Thajin river in Thailand.”
The Samantapasādika-atthakathā tells us that Sona Thera Bhikkhu and Uttara Thera Bhikkhu came to Thailand and gave ordination to 1,500 girls, but it is not clear what type of ordination they gave. Although the Buddha allowed atthavacika bhikkhuni ordination, through a pronouncement eight times before both bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, most likely the first 1,500 girls were ordained as samaneris. The samaneri ordination can only be performed by bhikkhunis, however. The two senior monks Sona and Uttara might have asked bhikkhunis from Pataliputra to come and give samaneri ordination to the 1,500 girls. But the story was never recorded with as much detail as the story of Mahindha Thera and Sanghamitta Theri, who first gave ordination in Sri Lanka. The Thai samaneris probably received their ordination as bhikkhunis later, after they reached the required age for full ordination, but there is no available evidence to confirm this.
In Wat Thepthidaram in Bangkok, there are 52 bhikkhuni images in a big vihara, 49 in a sitting position and 3 of them standing. The images are made of tin, now gilded to protect them from damage, and are placed on a marble altar in the front of the main Buddha image. This temple was built by King Rama III (1787-1851) and dedicated to one of his daughters. As far as we know, however, there never have been any bhikkhunis living there. In former times, some mae chees lived next to the vihara, but they are no longer there.
Today, there are five groups of fully ordained women in Thailand: (1) two bhikkunis in Nakornpathom Province; (2) five bhikkhunis and 20 samaneris in Chiengmai Province; (3) three bhikkhunis in Rayong; (4) two bhikkhunis in Yasothorn; and (5) one bhikkhuni in Samutsakorn Province. I have observed the rapid development of the bhikkunis in Chiengmai Province. These bhikkhunis were formerly mae chees and they have their own school, called Nirodharam Chiengmai. Five mae chees from this school went to Sri Lanka in 2008 to receive bhikkhuni ordination and returned to Nirodharam, where they live together with 20 samaneris. Most monks in Chiengmai seem to recognize the bhikkhuni ordination. Bhikkhuni Nanthayani, the abbess of Nirodharma, teaches insight meditation and many laypeople have faith in her. Thailand is a Theravada Buddhist country where it is very difficult that Thai monks accept bhikkhuni ordination. Traditionally, Thai Buddhist women who wanted to become ordained had to live as mae chees and could not perform religious ceremonies. As these new communities of fully ordained women show, however, new options for Thai women are rapidly appearing.
This paper will present new research on these developments.
評論戒律的The Samantapasādika-atthakathā，紀錄如下：「 Sonaka 和 Uttara 兩位南傳比丘行腳到蘇汪那普(Suvanabhumi)時，對當地人民傳播佛法。當地人民因此對三寶產生信心並有人接受五戒。六萬人受到啟發，三千五百位佛教男眾和一千五百位女眾受戒。Sonaka 和Uttara兩位長老比丘在當地創辦佛教會。」-- 問題來了，我們不知道Suvanabhumi在那裡。從可取得的資料顯示，這是泰國某一地方。根據“Suvanabhumi is Here in the Land of Siam”書中所說，那是位於泰國Thajin河的中心位置。
