As we celebrate Buddha Purnima 2025 on May 23, a day of spiritual renewal for Buddhists worldwide, it라이브 바카라 essential to remember the women who have walked the path of enlightenment alongside the Buddha. Names like Gautama Buddha, Ananda, or Ashoka often come to mind, but their stories, though often overlooked, are powerful and inspiring.
Buddhism, at its core, teaches compassion, equality, and liberation from suffering. Yet, like many religions and traditions, the voices of women disciples have often been lost in history. It's time to remember and honour them.
Pioneers of the Past
Mahapajapati Gotami: The Buddha's aunt and foster mother, she became the first woman to request and receive ordination, establishing the Bhikkhuni Sangha (Order of Nuns).
Sanghamitta: Daughter of Emperor Ashoka, she played a pivotal role in spreading Buddhism to Sri Lanka and establishing the Bhikkhuni Sangha there.
Buddhamitrā: A 1st-century Indian nun known for erecting Buddha images in cities along the Ganges, reflecting the active roles women played in early Buddhist communities.
Modern Trailblazers
Dhammananda Bhikkhuni (b. 1944): Born Chatsumarn Kabilsingh, she became the first modern Thai woman to receive full ordination as a Theravada bhikkhuni. As Abbess of Songdhammakalyani Monastery, she champions the revival of the Bhikkhuni Sangha in Thailand.
Ayya Khema (1923–1997): A German-American who became the first Western woman to ordain as a Theravada nun. She founded several Buddhist centers worldwide and coordinated the first Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women.
Dipa Ma (1911–1989): An Indian meditation teacher who, after personal tragedies, turned to Buddhism and became a revered instructor, influencing many Western meditation teachers.
Upasika Kee Nanayon (1901–1978): One of Thailand's most respected female meditation teachers, known for her poetry and teachings emphasizing simplicity and mindfulness.
Chandra Khonnokyoong (1909–2000): Founder of Wat Phra Dhammakaya in Thailand, she played a significant role in modern Thai Buddhism's development.
Sharon Salzberg (b. 1952): An American meditation teacher and author, she co-founded the Insight Meditation Society and has been instrumental in bringing Buddhist practices to the West.
Mya Thwin (1925–2017): A Burmese meditation teacher who contributed significantly to the spread of Vipassana meditation.
Ajahn Sundara (b. 1946) and Ajahn Candasiri (b. 1947): Nuns in the Thai Forest Tradition have been influential in establishing monastic communities for women in the West.
Sylvia Boorstein: An American author, psychotherapist, and Buddhist teacher, she integrates mindfulness practices into daily life and therapy.
Women in Early Buddhism
From the beginning, women were allowed to join the Buddhist monastic community, though they had to follow a special set of rules known as the "Eight Garudhammas." Scholar Susan Murcott called the order of Buddhist nuns a bold and radical step for its time. However, as Gurmeet Kaur points out, women have never been seen as spiritual leaders above men—either in society or within the monastic system. Nuns are expected to follow the lead of monks, and those who challenge this hierarchy often face criticism and resistance from the wider Buddhist community.
Some early Buddhist texts suggest that women were seen as less than men, both spiritually and socially. Diana Paul and Rita Gross, for example, highlight how certain writings carry a clear bias against women, even if that wasn’t the overall tone of Buddhism. The Buddha himself is sometimes shown expressing negative views about women, calling them deceitful or suggesting that being born a woman is the result of bad karma. In fact, he initially refused to allow women into the monastic order, only changing his mind after being persuaded by his stepmother and his disciple Ananda.
While some scriptures describe women as distractions to men라이브 바카라 spiritual journey, it라이브 바카라 important to remember that these views may reflect the social norms of the time—where men held more power and had more freedom. Most of the religious teachings were also directed at men. That라이브 바카라 why many teachings focus on men renouncing desire for women, rather than the other way around. This mix of respect and restriction has led many scholars to describe early Buddhism라이브 바카라 view of women as deeply conflicted or ambivalent.
Some scriptures go even further, suggesting that in order to attain full enlightenment, a woman must first be reborn as a man. Scholars like Kenneth Doo Young Lee interpret certain Mahayana texts, like the Lotus Sutra, as saying that women can gain salvation—but only after being transformed into men or being reborn in a Pure Land. Peter Harvey notes that several sutras speak of people who “faded out the mind-set of a woman” and were then reborn as men, making spiritual progress only afterward. In one sutra, the Buddha addresses the belief that women are more likely to feel greed, hatred, and delusion than men—then teaches moral practices that supposedly help a woman be reborn as a man to move further on the spiritual path.
This mix of reverence and restriction, opportunity and limitation, has led many scholars to describe early and even later Buddhist attitudes toward women as deeply conflicted. Women were seen as capable of spiritual growth—but often only after letting go of their "female nature."
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