Thursday, July 14, 2016

The Theravada Buddhist nuns of California

Ayya Tathaloka (bhikkhuni.net); Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly
Bhikkhunis-Forest-Pindpata
Invitation/program: Sept. 2016-2017: 2600 Year Anniversary of Bhikkhuni Sangha
July 16 and 17, 2016: Friends and Supporters Welcome to Opening Blessings of New Dhammadharini Bhikkhuni Monastery

Letter from Ayya Tathaloka
Letter from Ayya Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni
Wat-Pho-Murals-Original-00046
Mural from Wat Pho Buddhist temple, Thailand. (Ven. Anandajoti Bhikkhu)

All dear Venerables and Dhamma Friends,
 
Warm greetings of mettā for the Chinese Lunar New Year. I have emerged from my period of secluded winter retreat a few days ago, refreshed and most grateful and appreciative for the excellence of this opportunity in this life.
 
I have some important news to share with you. Many of you know me as something of a historian or “her-storian” of our Bhikkhunī Sangha. This is historical – in our lifetimes.
 
This coming year, from the 2016 September full moon to the 2017 September full moon, is the 2600-year Anniversary of our worldwide Buddhist Nuns' Order (Bhikkhunī Sangha).
 
This is according to Theravāda/Pāli text tradition counting, which includes three factors: (1) the Thai Theravāda Buddhist Era calendar, together with (2) the traditional Sri Lankan Theravāda commemorative date of Bhikkhunī Sangha’s founding (Nikini Poya/September full moon), plus (3) the year of founding of Bhikkhuni Sangha found in the Pali-text Canonical Khuddaka Nikāya Therī Apadāna, five years after the founding of the Bhikkhu Sangha.

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