Our friends at Empty Cloud Monastery in New Jersey USA, chanting verses praising the many achievements of Bhikkhunis at the time of the Buddha.
A simple but wonderful idea to add this to our regular chanting repertoire! Nice work to all the monastics including forum member Samanera Sumano @Sumano.
The chant is a combination of text from the Mahāvaccha Sutta MN 73 and the lists of foremost Bhikkhunis found in the Pañcama Vagga AN 1.235–247
8.3 “There are not just one hundred such nuns who are my disciples, Vaccha, or two or three or four or five hundred, but many more than that.”
“Na kho, vaccha, ekaṃyeva sataṃ na dve satāni na tīṇi satāni na cattāri satāni na pañca satāni, atha kho bhiyyova yā bhikkhuniyo mama sāvikā āsavānaṃ khayā anāsavaṃ cetovimuttiṃ paññāvimuttiṃ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.
1.1“The foremost of my nun disciples in seniority is Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī.“Etadaggaṃ, bhikkhave, mama sāvikānaṃ bhikkhunīnaṃ rattaññūnaṃ yadidaṃ mahāpajāpatigotamī. (1)
2.1… with great wisdom is Khemā.… Mahāpaññānaṃ yadidaṃ khemā. (2)
3.1… with psychic power is Uppalavaṇṇā.… Iddhimantīnaṃ yadidaṃ uppalavaṇṇā. (3)
4.1… who have memorized the texts on monastic training is Paṭācārā.… Vinayadharānaṃ yadidaṃ paṭācārā. (4)
5.1… who speak on the teaching is Dhammadinnā.… Dhammakathikānaṃ yadidaṃ dhammadinnā. (5)
6.1… who practice absorption is Nandā.… Jhāyīnaṃ yadidaṃ nandā. (6)
7.1… who are energetic is Soṇā.… Āraddhavīriyānaṃ yadidaṃ soṇā. (7)
8.1… with clairvoyance is Sakulā.… Dibbacakkhukānaṃ yadidaṃ bakulā. (8)
9.1… with swift insight is Bhaddā Kuṇḍalakesā.… Khippābhiññānaṃ yadidaṃ bhaddā kuṇḍalakesā. (9)
10.1… who recollect past lives is Bhaddā Kāpilānī.… Pubbenivāsaṃ anussarantīnaṃ yadidaṃ bhaddā kāpilānī. (10)
11.1… who have attained great insight is Bhaddakaccānā.… Mahābhiññāpattānaṃ yadidaṃ bhaddakaccānā. (11)
12.1… who wear coarse robes is Kisāgotamī.… Lūkhacīvaradharānaṃ yadidaṃ kisāgotamī. (12)
13.1… who are strong in faith is Siṅgālakamātā.”… Saddhādhimuttānaṃ yadidaṃ siṅgālakamātā”ti. (13)