At a period of time such as we are now in, if there is a possibility to do so,
then we the followers of Buddha must restore the vow of fully ordained nuns (bhiksunīs).
H. H. the 14th Dalai Lama, Mundgod (India), January 6, 2008

THE ISSUE:
The Present Status
of the Bhiksuni Ordination
By Bhiksuni Thubten Chodron

Buddhist men and women have aspired for liberation and full enlightenment since the time of the Buddha. Such an aspiration is rare and precious in our materialistic world where consumerism rules, and monastic life is an important way to nourish this aspiration so that it can be fulfilled. Therefore the Buddha himself established both the bhiksu and bhiksuni sanghas (communities of male and female fully ordained ones), and together with upasakas and upasikas (male and female lay followers), they form the “four-fold sangha.” The presence of the four-fold sangha makes an area a “central land,” that is, one where the Buddha’s teachings are practiced, preserved, and passed down to future generations. In the sutras, the Buddha often extols the importance and value of the four-fold sangha. At present, some traditionally Buddhist countries have the four-fold sangha, while others lack it due to the absence of a bhiksuni sangha. The lack of a bhiksuni sangha, therefore, hinders the preservation and spread of the Buddha’s precious teachings in the world in general and deprives many serious women from fully practicing the path as they wish. >READ MORE


ABOUT US:
The Committee for Bhiksuni Ordination
in the Tibetan Tradition (CBO)

The Committee of Western Bhikshunis was formed in the autumn of 2005, after His Holiness the Dalai Lama encouraged  Western bhikṣuṇīs to become  more involved in helping to establish  bhikṣuṇī ordination in the Tibetan tradition. As Tibetan Buddhism has become well-known in the Western world since the 1970s, Western Buddhist women have noted that although  the Buddha  introduced full ordination for women, it is not available in either the Theravāda or the Tibetan tradition of Buddhism, which includes Tibet, and also countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, and Sri Lanka. >READ MORE

NEWS: JUNE, 2022
Buddhist leader in Bhutan fully ordains 144 women, resuming ancient tradition
On Tuesday (June 21), the Je Khenpo, the senior Buddhist authority in Bhutan, began ordaining a group of 144 women as bhikshunis, or female monks, at the Ramthangkha monastery in the tiny Himalayan country.
The ceremony "is of historical importance for all women in Buddhism and brings Tibetan Buddhism into the 21st century," said Bhikshuni Jampa Tsedroen, a German Tibetan author. "For these nuns, it is a major opportunity to demonstrate their abilities to contribute to Buddhism.""
Read more:
- Article by Damcho Diana Finnegan and Dr. Carola Roloff (Bhiksuni Jampa Tsedroen)
- Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo shares a her experience of the historic Bhikshuni Ordination (Facebook video) -
- Dr. Tashi Zangmo, the executive director of the Bhutan Nuns Foundation: The Blessing of Bhikshuni Ordination in Bhutan
- Bhutan Nuns Foundation/
- religionnews.com/2022/06/21/buddhist-leader-in-bhutan-fully-ordains-144-women-resuming-ancient-tradition/


NEWS: NOVEMBER, 2021
New book by Professor Carola Roloff: The Buddhist Nun´s Ordination in the Tibetan Canon
The edition introduces the Tibetan texts and their English translations of two important chapters in the Tibetan Mulasarvastivadavinaya. Based on the presented materials, the author discusses ways in which the nuns ordination in the Tibetan tradition - from which full ordination for women has been absent for centuries - may be legitimately reinstated. This is a concern Carola Roloff has been supporting for more than two decades. Her edition and exegesis of the Tibetan texts and their Sanskrit parallels constitute a solid foundation for discussing why the Mulasarvastivada Bhiksuni lineage should be re-established and how concrete steps in that direction may look like. Possibilities of the Revival of the Mulasarvastivada Bhiksuni Lineage
Open access ebook: www.buddhismuskunde.uni-hamburg.de/pdf/4-publikationen/hamburg-buddhist-studies/15-roloff.pdf
Print version:
HAMBURG BUDDHIST STUDIES 15
375 Pages
ISSN 2190-6769
ISBN 978-3-89733-526-4
For Details see www.projektverlag.de/The-Buddhist-Nuns-Ordination-in-the-Tibetan-Canon


NEWS: February 8, 2018
Sravasti Abbey Hosts ‘Living Vinaya in the West’
By Ven. Thubten Chonyi and Ven. Thubten Chodron
Download the report (PDF, 94KB)
more info


NEWS: H. H. the Dalai Lama's Statement of His Continued Support for the Revival of the Mulasarvastivada Bhiksuni Tradition delivered during his Address to the Global Buddhist Congregation 2011>VIEW VIDEO




NEWS: June 6, 2017
Nuns in the Tibetan Tradition: Latest Developments and Future Prospects

NEWS: March 11, 2017
History in the Making: The First Step Toward Full Ordination for Tibetan Buddhist Nuns

NEWS: March 3, 2017
The Historic Revival of Full Ordination for Tibetan Buddhist Nuns

NEWS: November 10, 2016
6 North American Buddhist nuns, including Pema Chödrön and Thubten Chodron, receive "Global Bhikkhuni Award"

read more about this event on Sravasti Abbey's blog
NEWS: Development of Educational Materials
2016 CBO booklet cover
The CBO is working to public educational materials in both the English and Tibetan languages that explain the bhiksuni ordination issue and justify providing an opportunity for full ordination for Buddhist nuns practicing in the Tibetan tradition. >READ MORE


NEWS: August 18, 2016
Exclusive Interview: The 17th Karmapa and the Buddhist Nuns of the Tibetan tradition

NEWS: January 15, 2016
The Gyalwang Karmapa Teaches on Bodhichitta and Discusses Bhikshuni Ordination Plans

NEWS: January 24, 2015
Gyalwang Karmapa Makes Historic Announcement on Restoring Nuns' Ordination

NEWS: June 24, 2014
A first step towards full ordination. The getsulma dhompa ceremony, presided over by HH the Je Khenpo, marks a watershed moment for the community

NEWS: Vinaya training for Monastics book
Karmans book flyer
Karmans for the Creation of Virtue: The Prescriptive Precepts in the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya - First extensive English Guide on how to practice monastic rites by the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya Master Bhiksu Benyin, edited by CBO member Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, Founder and Abbess of Sravasti Abbey, Newport, USA
Download the book flyer (PDF, 763KB)