ISSN 1076-9005
Volume 23, 2016
Buddhist Nuns’ Ordination in
the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya
Tradition: Two Possible Approaches
Bhikṣuṇī Jampa Tsedroen
Academy of World Religions and Numata Center for Buddhist Studies,
University of Hamburg
This article examines the possibilities of reviving the
Mūlasarvāstivāda lineage of fully ordained nuns (bhikṣuṇī).
It explores two ways to generate a “flawless and perfect”
Mūlasarvāstivāda bhikṣuṇī vow, either by
Mūlasarvāstivāda monks alone or by Mūlasarvāstivāda monks with
Dharmaguptaka nuns (“ecumenical” ordination). The first approach is based
on a Vinaya passage which traditionally is taken as the Word
of the Buddha, but which, from a historical-critical point of
view, is dubious. The second approach is not explicitly represented in
the Vinaya but involves “re-reading” or “re-thinking” it
with a critical-constructive attitude (“theological” approach). Each
approach is based on my latest findings from studying the Tibetan
translation of the Bhikṣuṇyupasaṃpadājñāpti and
related commentaries.
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