Workers repair and improve Padukka Mathika Matha Bhikkhuni Aramaya, a bhikkhuni monastery in Sri Lanka.
Photos by: Mathika Matha Bhikkhuni Aramaya, Erika Bartlett, Bodhicitta Foundation, Dhammadharini, Bhikkhuni Kalayanee, Karuna Buddhist Vihara, Wren Withers

Alliance for Bhikkhunis is deepening its commitment to offering support to Buddhist monastic women across the world, under the leadership of new board President Wren Withers.

This strengthening is aligned with the growing presence of ordained female monastics in the Northwest and Western Canada, and is part of why I rejoice in serving on the board as treasurer.

Withers comes to us with experience in the world of bhikkhuni service, having been a longtime board member of Saranaloka Foundation, which supports Ayya Anandabodhi in Port Townsend, among others. (Please see story in this issue about Ayya Anandabodhi’s activities.)

Withers comes to the alliance with a wholesome aspiration to share more of her efforts with bhikkhunis worldwide. We have benefitted from her nonprofit business acumen and experience.

Under her leadership, we are working on streamlining our processes for sending funds to new-to-us Buddhist monastic women abroad. We have established a committee to organize volunteers. We also are refocusing on education, via new updates to our website and social media platforms.

I’ve been a part of Alliance for Bhikkhunis for the past seven years, and I remain grateful for the continued opportunity to repay, in some small part, the wisdom and guidance I have received from the incredible sangha of Buddhist monastic women. From my home in the Pacific Northwest, I enjoy a connection with our small group of volunteers that spans the globe.

In the years since I’ve joined the alliance board, we have seen many changes in our leadership. The only constant in this life is change, and the alliance is no different. I have served sequentially as secretary, vice president, president, and now treasurer.

Alliance for Bhikkhunis was founded in 2007 with the goal of supporting the international bhikkhuni sangha: the community of fully ordained Theravada Buddhist women. Our focus is to advocate for full ordination for women in the Theravada tradition, and to support existing bhikkhunis and the growing sangha worldwide. 

I first encountered this organization in 2019, while on a bhikkhuni-led retreat at Cloud Mountain Retreat Center in southwest Washington. Alliance leaders were seeking a volunteer with secretarial skills, and I thought I might be able to help in that capacity.

My interest partly stemmed from the many invaluable teachings I had received from female Theravada monastics by that time. The historical Buddha left a beautiful legacy over 2,500 years ago when he implemented the “fourfold sangha,” which is the Buddhist community of fully ordained nuns, monks, laymen and laywomen. When I learned of the disputed position bhikkhunis currently occupy in this global sangha, I felt an immediate pull to assist. 

Theravada monastics follow the rules of conduct laid out in the Theravada Vinaya, which stipulates that one cannot directly ask lay practitioners to address their needs, such as for food, clothing, shelter, or medicine. Instead these monastics historically rely on the generosity of the surrounding communities, to cover their basic needs. 

In many places in the U.S. and abroad, bhikkhunis are not recognized as legitimate within Theravada Buddhist monastic circles. Even where they are recognized, a disparity often exists in the community support received by Theravada monks compared to nuns. In areas where monks enjoy robust institutional support and resources, Bhikkhunis often find themselves marginalized and deprived of the same level of support. 

The Alliance for Bhikkhunis works to bolster these communities. 

Our recent charitable efforts include supplementing a permanent housing project for a group of nuns in Nagpur, India. Though full of devotion they are some of the poorest Buddhists in the world, struggling to find access to training and accommodation. 

We funded a much-needed surgical intervention for an elderly nun in Sri Lanka.

We contributed to travel arrangements for two senior bhikkhunis to attend and teach at a new bhikkhuni monastic training event, further cultivating the modern bhikkhuni sangha. 

This is just a handful of the projects we have recently supported.

In reference to the need to strengthen female monastics to have a healthy fourfold sangha, Bhikkhu Analayo, a Theravada monk and modern Vinaya scholar, wrote this:

“A Buddhist tradition that has only three of the four assemblies could be compared to a noble elephant with one leg crippled. The elephant can still walk, but only with difficulties. The medicine to restore the crippled leg is now available, all it needs is a concerted effort to support the healing process.”

That concerted effort is brought forth by each one of us who supports the modern bhikkhuni sangha.

If you feel pulled as I did to aid this worthy effort, there are many ways to assist. Educate yourself about the position of monastic women in Theravada Buddhism and bring this conversation to others in your home sangha. Engage with Theravada monks whom you admire, about their views on bhikkhuni ordination. Support Buddhist nuns by attending their talks and retreats. Donate to bhikkhuni causes. And as with all things, try to examine your mind as you engage in these activities.

If you’d like to learn more about Alliance for Bhikkhunis, I encourage you to visit our website. If you feel to donate your time as I have, you may find a good fit in one of our current volunteer needs. We are seeking motivated individuals in the areas of financial recordkeeping, fundraising, social media, legal issues, and website management.