Women in Brown
a short history of the order of siladhara, nuns of the English Forest Sangha, Part One
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/bsrv.v23i1.93Keywords:
Budhist NunsAbstract
At Chithurst Buddhist Monastery, in the UK, in 1979, four women joined the newly formed community of Theravada monks. They lived initially as novices, and their wish to engage more fully with the life of renunciation, combined with the support and commitment of the community leader Ajahn Sumedho and other monks, led to the formation of a unique order of Theravada Buddhist nuns, who became known as siladhara. This paper will appear in two parts. This first part begins with a brief contextual overview of Theravada nuns, from the founding and decline of the order of bhikkhunis to the various forms of ordination available for women in the Theravada world today. It then gives a history of the order of siladhaa? from its inception until approximately 2000, focusing on the development of their rule and ordination procedures, the way the order has changed over the years and issues and conflicts it has had to deal with, as well as a period when some nuns lived in a women-only community. My research was undertaken by personal interview with founding members of the order as well as by e-mail, telephone and written communications with nuns past and present and with a senior monk involved in the order’s early days. The history until the present day and consideration of future developments will form the second part of the paper.
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Amaravati Buddhist Monastery – history of the establishment of the English Forest Sangha: www.amaravati.org/abm/english/hist3.html; www.amaravati.org/abm/english/int.html; and www.amaravati.org/abm/english/hist4.html (8 March 2005).
Forest Sangha Newsletter: www.fsnewsletter.net/
Information about Hartridge Buddhist Vihara: No 9, July 1989 www.fsnewsletter.net/9/limb.htm and www.fsnewsletter.net/9/devon.htm
Interviewees
Candasiri, Ajahn: senior nun at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery; interviews conducted September 2004 to April 2005.
Jitindriya: ex-siladhara, recently having left Amaravati Buddhist Monastery; e-mail correspondence from December 2004 to March 2005; telephone interview conducted 28 January 2005.
Sucitto, Ajahn: Abbot of Cittaviveka Buddhist Monastery; interview conducted 3 November 2004.
Sundara, Ajahn: Amaravati Buddhist Monastery; interview conducted 24 November 2004.
Thanissara: Dhamma teacher and ex-siladhara of Chithurst and Amaravati, now resident at a Buddhist Centre she helped to found in South Africa; e-mail correspondence.
Thaniya, Ajahn: senior nun of Cittaviveka Buddhist Monastery, currently on a sabbatical year in New Zealand; correspondence by letter December 2004 to January 2005.
