Abstract: The Noble Task for the Tibetan Buddhist Community: To Establish Its Bhikkhuni Lineage

By Ven. Bhikkhuni Wu Yin

It is a holy and noble task for the Tibetan Buddhist community to establish its Bhikkhuni lineage, regardless it is for the entirety of the Vinaya teaching, the completion of the Sangha, the spread of Buddha-dharma, or even for the consideration of equality for women.

Causes and conditions are always carefully examined when the Buddha lay down the precepts, whether it is their observations, transgressions, or exceptions. There are workable ways by which the Tibetan Buddhist community can establish its Bhikkhuni lineage. Only when all the seven groups of disciples are present is a Sangha complete. When qualified women are accepted into the Sangha, obtaining complete education on precepts, doctrine, and meditation, it surely will bring a positive effect on the transmission of the Buddha-dharma. It is also an act which expresses the genuine concern in Buddhism for the equal opportunity in education for women.

Born in Taiwan in 1940, she took sramanerika vows in 1957 with Ven. Ming Tzung and Bhikkhuni vows in 1959 with Ven. Pao Shen. She holds a college degree majoring in Chinese Literature. She completed five-year Buddhist studies at Chinese Buddhist Triple Training Seminary. She then resided at the Hsin Lung Temple, headed by Ven. Bhikshuni Tien Yee.


Saddened by the poor condition of Buddhist education and practice during that time and inspired by the noble examples of the past monastics, she vowed to establish institutes and temples to train nuns so that they would have the necessary knowledge and skills to transmit the Dharma to the public. Her goal was to help Buddhist nuns in Taiwan, China and West so that they could establish sangha communities and help humanity with their talents and wisdom.


In 1980 she became the abbess of Hsiang Kuang Temple, and began the Buddhist Institute of Hsiang Kuang Temple. Many students--nuns as well as those preparing for ordination--were college graduates. By1994, over eighty nuns had graduated, each being capable of teaching the Dharma and offering spiritual guidance. To engage monastics in adult education, a Buddhist Studies School for lay people was established in 1984, the fist structured education designed to teach the laity. This three-year program is now being offered throughout the island.


In 1985, she started a quarterly magazine entitled Glorious Buddhism and in 1992 Hsiang Kuang Publisher was established. Many works have been published ever since. In1989, the Luminary International Buddhist Society was founded with her as its abbess and leader.