During the fifth rainy season retreat following his enlightenment, the Buddha permitted the establishment of the Order of Nuns. His initial challenges were wordless teachings about the nature of the nuns. Overcoming them and demonstrating their capacity for liberation was the meritorious deed of his foster mother Mahāpajāpatī and other holy nuns.
One day, while King Pasenadi was conversing with the Buddha, he suddenly heard the news that the queen had given birth to a princess, and the king appeared displeased. Seeing this, the Buddha advised him:
"Your Majesty! A girl can be even more precious than a boy. When she grows up, she may be intelligent and virtuous. She will be a good wife, respectful of her mother-in-law. She will be the mother of a great monarch. Indeed! The child of a noble wife will become a true guide for the nation."
The Buddha's words, thus serving as a testament to and guarantee of women's value, shattered prejudices and logical reasoning. He showed that if given a complete education in both intellect and morality, daughters are just as valuable as sons.
Vietnamese folk songs state:
What does it matter whether it's a boy or a girl?
The one that is meaningful and significant is better.
On another occasion, the Buddha was instructing Sujata, the daughter-in-law of the wealthy householder Anathapindika. She had been born into a rich family and, upon marrying, had become very arrogant and unruly. The Buddha summoned her and explained the seven types of wives in the world, noting that there are troublesome wives and virtuous wives. Finally, the Buddha asked:
- Sujata, those are the seven categories of wives. Which category do you belong to?
- O Venerable Buddha! Please consider me as belonging to the category of virtuous wives from now on.
The vast horizon
During the fifth rainy season retreat following his enlightenment, the Buddha permitted the establishment of the Order of Nuns. His initial challenges were wordless teachings about the nature of the nuns. Overcoming them and demonstrating their capacity for liberation was the meritorious deed of his foster mother Mahāpajāpatī and other holy nuns.
The collection of Buddhist nun verses contains songs of enlightenment, songs of victory from those who have laid down the burden of birth and death. We are moved as we turn each page of the scriptures. Different lives, different thoughts have converged in the ocean of Buddhist teachings. Bhikkhuni Muttà, daughter of a Brahmin family, after practicing meditation and attaining Arhatship, declared:
…O liberated nun!
We escaped death!
What leads to rebirth,
Uprooted completely!
Dhammadinna came to the nuns in a golden palanquin. After entering seclusion and subduing her body, speech, and mind, she attained Arhatship. With her unobstructed eloquence, she was recognized by the Buddha as the foremost preacher among the bhikkhunis. Her enlightenment verse opened up a vast and boundless horizon:
Within each person lies a desire.
Achieving the state of non-birth
It has arisen and spread widely.
Overflowing with emotion.
The mind is not bound.
In the dominant desires
He was given a name
It's a step into the upper class.
Anopanà, the daughter of a storekeeper, was so beautiful that she was named Anopanà (unrivaled). Princes and noblemen proposed marriage to her with the promise: "We will offer a dowry of jewels eight times her weight." But Anopanà went to see the Buddha, listened to his teachings, and attained the third stage of enlightenment right there. After becoming a nun, she attained Arhatship just seven days later.
Khema, the queen of King Bimbisara, happened to visit the Bamboo Grove Monastery. Through the Buddha's teachings, she attained the first stage of enlightenment (Sotapanna). After becoming a nun, she attained Arhatship. The Buddha ranked her as the foremost in meditation and one of the leading nuns of that time.
Upon hearing the Buddha declare, "In three months I will enter Nirvana," his foster mother bowed to him and requested permission to enter Nirvana first. He returned to the monastery, and together with 500 Arhat nuns, they ascended into the sky, manifesting eighteen miraculous powers before entering Nirvana all at once. Brilliant halos of fiery Samadhi shone brightly, with light, water, and fire swirling in the air. It was a magnificent and sacred scene. Two novice nuns, witnessing their teachers' passing, diligently practiced meditation and also attained Arhatship and entered Nirvana. The Buddha then presented his foster mother's relics before the assembly, saying:
- If we're talking about a true man, then Mahapajapati is a true man. She does everything a true man does.
With just this one statement, the Buddha-nature is revealed as equal.
Vietnamese Buddhist nuns
Continuing the tradition of enlightenment and spiritual practice, Venerable Nun Diệu Nhân, the 17th generation of the Tỳ Ni Đa Lưu Chi Zen lineage, recited a verse to instruct the community before her passing:
Birth, old age, sickness, and death.
It has always been the norm.
I want to escape.
Untie the bonds and loosen the restraints.
Bewitched, seek Buddha.
Mistake, Zen Bridge
Buddha, Zen, do not seek
Drinking without speaking.
The verse is like a carefree, refreshing laugh, startling those trapped in bondage. All the arduous searches of the past have been mere dreams. Enlightenment has no path to return to, no trace of language.
In modern times, senior nuns have diligently lit the lamp and torch of Dharma. From the first Buddhist nun's training class at Giac Hoa Pagoda (Bac Lieu) to the schools and classes of today, many generations of nuns have been nurtured in the rich tradition of the Tripitaka, imbued with the profound teachings of the Dharma. The paths of these senior nuns resonate, such as the founding abbess of Hai An Pagoda, the founding abbess of Kim Son Pagoda, and the founding abbess of Bao An Pagoda (Can Tho)... these are inspiring examples for the nun community. There is something profoundly moving about remembering them.
The abbess of Hue Lam Pagoda, the first person to advocate for the establishment of the Vietnamese Buddhist Nun Order, and a leading figure guiding the activities of Buddhist nuns in Southern Vietnam since the 1960s, said:
- Our nuns are very weak. I will return to guide them.
"I vow to become a nun in order to guide other nuns." A great vow born of strength and compassion. This great vow serves as a concluding statement.
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