Outstanding Buddhist Women

[sabaijai]

Outstanding Buddhist women

To mark International Women's Day on last Thursday, 8 March, 20 women were honoured with the Outstanding Women in Buddhism Award during ceremonies held at the UN headquarters in Bangkok.

- Sujin Boriharnwanaket, Thailand: Dharma teacher for more than 45 years, and founder of the Dhamma Study and Support Foundation, Sujin has also authored several books in Thai and English on Buddhist teachings.

- Annabelle Dagmar Zinser, Germany: A serious meditation practitioner, Zinser founded Buddhistische Akademie in Berlin for dharma teachers and friends from different Buddhist traditions, who meet and give public talks to share their teachings with the Western world.

- Bhikkhuni Dhammanada, Vietnam: Her relief work has helped many Sri Lankan victims of the December 2004 tsunami build new lives.

- Bhikkhuni Santini, Indonesia: A peacemaker active in inter-religious dialogue, she has founded several dharma publications for youngsters, dedicating herself to helping victims of the December 2004 tsunami.

- Bhikkhuni Sudarshana, Sri Lanka: One of the first bhikkhunis ordained in Sri Lanka, she has been active in promoting the status of women in Buddhism by organising several higher ordinations for women. She is the abbess of the Samadhi Centre of Pinellas Park, Florida.

- Bhiksuni Chan Linh Nghiem, Thailand: Born in Thailand, she was ordained by the meditation master Thich Nhat Hanh in Plum Village, France, and received the Transmission of the Lamp of Wisdom as a dharma teacher. In Thailand, she is known as Bhiksuni Niramasa.

- Bhiksuni Chang Heng, Malaysia: Ordained at 18, she has devoted her life to helping the sick and destitute, and promoting education and culture.

- Bhiksuni Jampa Tsedroen, Germany: Ordained at 26, the German-born bhikkhuni is a respected Buddhist scholar. She is a driving force of many Buddhist organisations such as the Vajrayana Buddhist Meditation Centre of Hamburg, the German Buddhist Union, the Buddhist Religious Community of Germany and the Sakyadhita International Buddhist Women's Organisation.

- Bhiksuni Jing Ding, Taiwan: For more than 30 years, she has promoted the Buddha-dharma locally and internationally, with an emphasis on television, music and theatre. She is the honorary president of Taiwan's Bhiksuni Association and head of Yuen Chao and Dih Yuan monasteries.

- Bhiksuni Xiou-Xiun, Taiwan: Abbess of the Jin-Shansi Temple, she has helped create an active lay Buddhist movement, while supporting female ordination in Taiwan and abroad. Her support has encouraged the growth of the Bhiksuni Sangha in Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia.

- Bong Chui Lien, Malaysia: She is acting dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts at the International Buddhist College in Sadao, Thailand, coordinating programmes at the bachelor's and master's degree levels

- Phayorm Wongsarnsri, Thailand: Dean of the Graduate School at Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, she has devoted herself to educating, advising, training and teaching

- Joanna Macy, US: She is a Buddhist scholar and teacher who has played a significant role in movements for peace, ecology and social justice. She is known worldwide for her pioneering group work, "Work That Reconnects", which inspires both spiritual awakening and collaborative action for the healing of the world. The group work is grounded in the Buddha's central teaching of dependent co-arising (paticca samuppada). She has also authored many books.

- Maechee Kritsana Raksachom, Thailand: Abbess of a nunnery in Chainat, she is an expert in Pali and Abhidhamma. Apart from teaching monks at Wat Maha That in Bangkok, she travels widely throughout Thailand offering dharma talks and holding Vipassana retreats.

- Maechee Sukhi Jitjaroen, Thailand: Now 81, she has devoted her life to meditation and dharma teaching in Thailand and abroad. She has also donated generously to support hospitals, temples, the Mae Chee Institute and schools.

- Maechee Sukhi Jitjaroen, Thailand: Now 81, she has devoted her life to meditation and dharma teaching in Thailand and abroad. She has also donated generously to support hospitals, temples, the Mae Chee Institute and schools.

- Paweena Hongsakul, Thailand: The veteran politician is known for her work in helping abused children and women.

- Phannee Boonyakamol, Thailand: An active lay supporter, she has served the World Fellowship of Buddhist and the Young Buddhist Association for decades. She is also active in supporting the education of monks and promoting dharma teachings.

- Prateep Ungsongtham-Hata, Thailand: A well-known and highly respected figure, Prateep is an advocate of the urban poor's rights. She founded the Duang Prateep Foundation and the Foundation for Slum Child Care. The former senator also won the prestigious Magsaysay Award for public service.

[sutnyod]

Sorry, Maechee Sukhi Jitjaroen is mentioned twice. Could you pls check?

On that note: there is going to be a big conference this summer in Hamburg (Germany) on the ordination of women in Buddism.

[sabaijai]

Sorry, Maechee Sukhi Jitjaroen is mentioned twice. Could you pls check?

On that note: there is going to be a big conference this summer in Hamburg (Germany) on the ordination of women in Buddism.

Thanks for pointing out the error, I've fixed it.

[sbk]

Sorry, Maechee Sukhi Jitjaroen is mentioned twice. Could you pls check?

On that note: there is going to be a big conference this summer in Hamburg (Germany) on the ordination of women in Buddism.

Thanks for pointing out the error, I've fixed it.

Thanks for the info, Sabaijai. I remember reading an article in the Bangkok Post about a Thai nun who was ordained in Sri Lanka (since Thailand does not allow women to be ordained). I am afraid I can't remember her name, just that she was trying to get the Thai Sangha to allow women to be ordained in Thailand. Is she one of the women on this list?

[sabaijai]

Sorry, Maechee Sukhi Jitjaroen is mentioned twice. Could you pls check?

On that note: there is going to be a big conference this summer in Hamburg (Germany) on the ordination of women in Buddhism.

Thanks for pointing out the error, I've fixed it.

Thanks for the info, Sabaijai. I remember reading an article in the Bangkok Post about a Thai nun who was ordained in Sri Lanka (since Thailand does not allow women to be ordained). I am afraid I can't remember her name, just that she was trying to get the Thai Sangha to allow women to be ordained in Thailand. Is she one of the women on this list?

None in this list are Thai bhikkhunis. In Thailand their title would be Bhikkhuni (Pali) or Bhiksuni (Sanskrit), for women who have been fully ordained (taking 311 precepts) as Theravada nuns and wear ochre robes. 'Mae Chee' is reserved for 8-precept nuns who wear white.

There are several Thai women, though, who have fully ordained as bhikkhuni/bhiksuni. If I remember correctly two or three of them ordained in Sri Lanka (where the bhikkhuni order was only recently revived), one or two in Taiwan and at least one in Thailand, very recently.

Here is a search link to several threads on the topic in this subforum:

bhikkhunis in Thailand

[sbk]

This is the article I recalled, I believe Nuns Ordination causes Stir , Thanks for pointing the way.

After reading about some of these women, I will look for a few of their books when I get up to the big city.