A bhikkhunī (Pali: ????????) or bhikṣuṇī (Sanskrit: भिक्षुणी) is a fully ordained female in Buddhist monasticism.
There are about 270 female monks across Thailand and they were all ordained abroad, Dhammananda said, adding that her monastery houses seven of them. In contrast, Thailand has more than 250,000 male monks.
- Pali Buddhists support the traditional gender binary, however in instances of sex changes, they pass no judgement on the act of gender changes, reflecting the non judgemental nature of Buddha.
Monks and nuns, called bhikkhu (Pali, Skt. bhikshu) and bhikkhuni (Skt. bhikshuni), are responsible for the preservation and dissemination of the Buddha's teaching and the guidance of Buddhist lay people.
The most popular feminine deity in both Hindu tantric tradition and Buddhist traditions is Tara since ancient times. She is glorified as the mother Goddess in the Buddhist tradition, somewhat equivalent to goddess Durga in Hinduism, in terms of status and divinity.
The feminine form of a monk is 'Nun'.
Women were included in Buddhism since its earliest years, and their monastic ordination dates back more than 2,500 years, said Judith Simmer-Brown, emeritus professor of contemplative and religious studies at Colorado's Naropa University, a liberal arts school associated with Buddhism.
Gotami was the first ordained bhikkhuni and the foremost female disciple of the Buddha. It was the first time in the history of the religion that the Order of Nuns was established and women were admitted to the monastic life.
Sexual Ethics and the Buddhist Precepts
The monastic code for all monks and nuns across all three Buddhist vehicles (Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana) is simple and straightforward – total celibacy.
The Buddhist monastic community is divided into a fourfold system of novice monks, novice nuns, fully ordained monks and fully ordained nuns, each with a set of precepts, or vinaya, that they need to follow.
Buddhism, the Thai state religion, teaches that use of intoxicants should be avoided.
There are seven Kinds of Wives / Husbands
The first is a wife/ a husband like a murderer. The second is a wife/ a husband like a thief. The third is a wife / a husband like a boss. The fourth is a wife / a husband like a mother / a father.
Monks, for example, are not allowed to get married nor have children. They leave their family forever and get a new family in the monastery.
While Buddhists and Hindus never demand that a couple must belong to the same religion before a marriage can be solemnized, many others tend to take advantage of this tolerance.
Related: Sex, Love, and Buddhism
In fact, the Buddha instituted the celibacy rule for monks and nuns—a fundamental practice for dissolving sensual passion—in direct response to a monk whose family persuaded him to sleep with his former wife.
Even though the Buddhist texts are silent on the subject of monogamy or polygamy, the Buddhist laity is advised to limit themselves to one wife. The Buddha did not lay rules on married life but gave necessary advice on how to live a happy married life.
Buddhism much like Hinduism is not particularly restrictive when it comes to tattoos. Buddhists believe that the body is impermanent and so are tattoos. Because they are viewed as temporary, getting tattoos doesn't violate any Buddhist doctrines or beliefs.
Contrary to popular belief, many Buddhists do participate in the holiday season. Among Asian American Buddhists, three-quarters celebrate Christmas. On Dec. 8, some Buddhists also observe Bodhi Day, which marks when the Buddha reached enlightenment.
The Buddha emphasises the fruitful role a woman can play and should play as a wife, a good mother in making the family life a success. In the family both husband and wife are expected to share equal responsibility and discharge their duties with equal dedication.
Lady Buddha is the Goddess of Mercy who is believed to see, hear and sympathize cries of people in the world. Her right hand holds a water vase, containing nectar of life and a willow branch in her left hand, used to sprinkle the nectar on the prayers.
The Green Tara (Sanskrit: Shyamatara; Tibetan: Sgrol-ljang) was believed to be incarnated as the Nepali princess. She is considered by some to be the original Tara and is the female consort of Amoghasiddhi (see Dhyani-Buddha), one of the “self-born” buddhas.
Under Burmese Buddhist law, a man has the right to take more than one wife, but a wife cannot legally take more than one husband. A husband can commit adultery and face no risk of divorce or loss of property. A wife who commits adultery risks divorce and loses all her property from the marriage.
Buddhism is fairly agnostic about romantic relationships or marriages and doesn't overly concern itself with issues like infidelity, disloyalty, and divorce.
Other fragments in the Buddhist scripture seem to treat polygamy unfavorably, leading some authors to conclude that Buddhism generally does not approve of it or alternatively regards it as a tolerated, but subordinate, marital model. Polygamy in Thailand was legally recognized until 1935.