A Light of Hope: Monastic Education in Sakyadhita Center

Bhikkhuni M. Vijithananda

The reestablishment of the Bhikkhuni Sangha in Sri Lanka after so many years of effort was a great achievement. However, it is only the beginning, not the end. Much remains to be done to improve the quality of nuns and strengthen the foundations of the Bhikkhuni Sangha. Monastic education for nuns is a priority.

Buddhist nuns in Sri Lanka cannot avail themselves of a proper monastic education like the monks, who receive government support for their pirivena (monastic school) education. Several years ago, nuns were allowed to attend a few of the monks’ pirivena, but were not given sufficient support to continue. Unable to meet the expenses of attending a monastic school, they generally live their lives engaged in chanting and going for alms. Although university education is free in Sri Lanka, preparation for the university entrance examination is a highly competitive and costly process that involves private tuition. Only about thirty nuns have managed to earn B.A. and M.A. degrees and this was due to the financial support received from their parents or patrons. In general, Buddhist nuns have much less education than monks. This has lead to the general impression that nuns are incapable of serving society and the monastic community. The nuns themselves have therefore lost confidence in their ability to engage in Sangha activities and social work, due to their limited knowledge and ability.

In 2003, Sakyadhita Center in Sri Lanka felt an urgent need to provide monastic education for nuns and set up a pirivena. Special programs were designed to educate and train the younger generation of nuns. Through these programs, the nuns gained many abilities and, most importantly, the confidence to serve society in their areas of expertise.

In this paper, I will share my experience of the monastic education provided at the Sakyadhita Center in Sri Lanka and the benefits of such training for young novices and laywomen who wish to become ordained as nuns. Monastic education for nuns in Sri Lanka still has a long way to go and we cannot expect to see immediate results in a short period of time. Gaining knowledge and ability requires mental cultivation and gradual development. However, when a seed is planted and given much care and attention, it will grow into a big tree providing shade for future generations of nuns.