A wonderful talk from Ajahn Brahmali about supporting the Bhikkhuni Sangha.
Thank you Bhante!
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I had some time on my hands this morning, and drank too much coffee and being overly caffeinated, penned the following on the Vimutti Monastery (Ajahn Chandako, some of whose talks I like) ) Facebook Page "
" I note this comment today not to be critical, but only to make an observation. It’s been almost 10 years since Ajahn Brahm performed the Bhikkuni ordinations at Bodhinyana. As a result, he was expelled from the Ajahn Chah tradition. He was criticized for performing these ordinations, which had not been approved by the larger Thai Sangha, nor by the Ajahn Chah lineage of monasteries. One of the points made at the time was that Ajahn Brahm should have waited, and allowed the Ajahn Chah lineage senior Bhikkhus to deliberate the issue of Bhikkhuni ordinations. There was an upcoming WAM assembly, where the promise was that Bhikkhuni ordinations would be deliberated. Ajahn Brahm went ahead with the ordinations, without external approval. For this, he was expelled from the Ajahn Chah lineage.
So, again, and it now almost 10 years since those events, and what has evolved within the Ajahn Chah lineage since that time? I know of no efforts being made to validate the Bhikkhuni tradition within the Ajahn Chah line of monasteries. I see no progress being made with developing a pathway for women to reach the equal ordination status that the Buddha designed and implemented while he was alive. I question, now that it has been 10 years, was Ajahn Brahm correct that he had no alternative but to proceed as he did? Ws his lack of saddha in the lineage’s willingness to take Bhikkhuni ordinations seriously well placed?
So much good comes from Ajahn Chandako’s talks. So much wisdom and goodness comes from the Ajahn Chah lineage. Ajahn Chah himself was a bit of a rebel, and I cannot help but believe he might have supported the “over the top” approach of Ajahn Brahm. Like Ajahn Brahm, I feel LP Chah was a true “outside the box” thinker that demonstrated a real active compassion for women in his Sangha. There is even a story where the lay members brought dana on a Buddha Day only for the Bhikkhus. Ajahn Chah made a point that day to have the Dhamma talk given by a MaeChi.
My point is that many advised Ajahn Brahm and the Bhikkhuni candidates, 10 years ago, to be patient, and trust in the process. Now, 10 years down the road, what progress has been made? What efforts have been made to bring modern Thai Forest tradition fully in line with the Buddha’s original Sangha of equal monks and nuns? In acting as he did, perhaps Ajahn Brahm understood what 2018 might look like for the status of women in the Thai Forest Tradition…
My apologies for any offense suffered by my comments. I offer these as a former samanera and anagarika. I offer these as a father of a wonderful young woman, a brother, a son, and as a man who likely in past lives was someone’s sister or mother. I offer this with the hope that one day, women in the Thai Forest tradition that wish to leave lay life will stand equally with their male counterparts. "
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There’s a risk they may answer that from perspective of beginingless samsara to wait for something a couple of lifetimes should not be a big issue! 
Tragic but comic…
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I was taking a quick look at some social media stuff this morning and saw this story and so I wanted to post the link
Trailer: Theravada Buddhism In Greece
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