“It is obvious that if the first petitioner (the bhikkhuni) had been male, she would not have encountered these difficulties,” Justice Amarasekera observed. “She has been denied recognition as a bhikkhuni, despite being acknowledged as such by the Rangiri Dambulu Buddhist Chapter to which she belongs, an order recognized by the government. Hence, it is clear that her rights under Article 12(1) of the Constitution have been violated by the actions and conduct of the first respondent.”
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Finally! Those are really great news!
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I just came here to share this too.
It’s great to see this if finally happening
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Amazing! 
Oh! Apparently I have to say more than just “amazing” in order for this post to be more than 20 characters. But it is truly wonderful news.
With Much Metta & Mudita,
Acalā Bhikkhunī
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Woo Hoo!!!
Acknowledging imperfection, our Path calls us to focus on and grow what is good. Looking carefully at our texts, it is obvious, the Lord Buddha wanted the other 3 assemblies (monks, laywomen and laymen) to promote and support the assembly of Bhikkhunīs. I for one, wouldn’t want to feel I was on the other side of the Lord Buddha’s guidelines. Here, just and good laws of the laity, are supportive of the monks of the Rangiri Dambulu Buddhist Chapter - the 3 assemblies, following the Buddha’s guidelines.
With gratitude and respect
Bhikkhunī Vimutti
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Isnt that monastic administration or affairs should be resolved within the monastic community or the sangha themselves (ie : monks or nuns) . Now with the involvement of secular laws taking part intervening in it that is agaisnt the setting of the vinaya .
This allows for bhikkhuni’s to have access to things like free public transport and other government services, previously only available to bhikkhus.
This is not something that can be just resolved within the sangha.
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The government is already involved. The protection of Buddhism is written into the constitution.
If you read the article you can see that the decision is based on the Sangha’s recognition of bhikkhunis.
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Ah this is not related to the problem of vinaya or monastics . This is the issue due to the ordinances of government .
Does it force monasteries to recognise her as such? We should always be careful of the state interfering in religions. I mean, even here in the U.K. the state hasn’t forced the Catholic Church to ordain women.
I don’t know the answer to your question, but you may be comparing two different things here? In the UK we have two state religions as far as I know, the Church of England and the Church of Scotland, but neither of these are the Roman Catholic Church, whereas I think that the state religion in Sri Lanka may be referred to as ‘Theravada’, but I don’t know which sects that covers. Because of the close connection in the UK between the UK parliament and the Church of England we do see some laws that compel the CoE to behave in certain ways that are not imposed on other churches.
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Did you have anything specific in mind?
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This topic is to celebrate the equal rights for Sri Lankan Buddhist Bhikkhunis. Please stay on THIS topic. Thank you 
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Sanghamitta, daughter of Ashoka brought Buddhism and the bhikkhuni order to Sri Lanka, so this is good in many ways, in my opinion.
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Presumably this is still just some Sanghas, since he article states:
Although the bhikkhuni lineage has since been reestablished in modern Sri Lanka, it is still not officially recognized by the country’s dominant monastic institutions.
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This article on Tricycle goes into the impact that this decision has not just for recognition of Bhikkhunis but also on the autonomy of religious groups who wish to break from the grasp of hierarchical institutions.
Hopefully it’s not paywalled
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4 posts were split to a new topic: The translation of Sasana
Somewhat related to the positive court case in Sri Lanka, I wanted to post some photos from my visit this week to the Forest Bhikkhuni monastery just outside Chiang Mai Thailand. I’ve been trying to find a wat near my home because on some days, the motorcycle ride to Wat Umong can be a bit too much with traffic and Nimman tourists.
Serendipitously, I was researching other temples and Suddhajit Bhikkhuni Arama popped up on Google and it turns out it’s only 15 minutes from my house. My wife and I went there this week and it was wonderful. A nice forest setting and my Thai wife really enjoyed talking with the kind Bhikkhunis there who took time from their day to talk with her extensively.
My wife and I actually have almost right behind our house moo baan a temple, but it’s kind of the traditional small neighborhood temple. Suddhajit, like Wat Umong, is in a forest setting and both my wife and I want to be more supportive to the Bhikkhunis in general.
From the Sri Lanka article:
It’s hard to overstate the radical nature of these findings in the context of Buddhism and law in Sri Lanka.
It will be interesting to see if there will be some legal ripple effect given this ruling, with respect to Thailand’s legal status given (or not given) to Bhikkhunis.
Bhikkhunis remain not legally recognized under Thai law and Sangha regulations. Key aspects include:
Ordination Ban: Full ordination as a bhikkhuni cannot legally occur within Thailand. Women who ordain abroad (e.g., in Sri Lanka) are tolerated but not granted official status upon return. Performing or facilitating bhikkhuni ordinations domestically can result in penalties for male monks involved, such as defrocking or fines, though enforcement is inconsistent and often politically influenced.
Sangha Recognition: The Mahanikaya and Dhammayutika Nikaya (Thailand’s two main Theravada orders) do not accept bhikkhunis into their ranks. The Supreme Sangha Council has shifted from outright denial to viewing them as part of “foreign traditions,” but this does not confer legitimacy. Bhikkhuni-led temples are classified as lay institutions rather than official monasteries.
State Benefits and Protections: Without recognition, bhikkhunis and their communities are ineligible for government perks available to male monastics, including:
- Tax exemptions.
- Free medical care.
- Subsidies for temple construction and welfare programs.
- Security in conflict zones (e.g., the Deep South insurgency).This stems from the Department of Religious Affairs’ oversight, which ties benefits to Sangha approval. Gender equality laws exempt “compliance with religious principles,” leaving bhikkhunis unprotected.
The interesting aspect of this development in Sri Lanka comes at a time when, simultaneous with our visit to Suddhajit Bhikkhuni Arama, more stories were featured in Thai news involving male abbots of prominent wats being involved in scandals with women, or money laundering operations involving many millions of Thai baht.
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