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www.buddhismuskunde.uni-hamburg.de/pdf/5-personen/analayo/bhikkhuni.pdf [Q] Bhante, can you kindly explain why according to the Theravāda Vinaya it is legally possible to revive the order of bhikkhunīs? [A] A close study of the section on Bhikkhunīs in the Theravāda Vinaya shows this. The Buddha granted ordination to his fostermother Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī on the condition she accepts eight principles, garudhammas. The sixth garudhamma states that a female candidate should go through a preparatory training (sikkhamānā) and then be ordained by both orders, the order of bhikkhus and the order of bhikkhunīs. The Buddha asked Mahāpajāpatī to accept this, yet she was unable to carry it out. At that time, she was the only bhikkhunī, there were no other bhikkhunīs to form an order of bhikkhunīs to give ordination. When she came to the Buddha and asked how to proceed with her 500 followers, who also wanted to ordain, the Buddha authorized the bhikkhus to ordain on their own. It is important to interpret this succession of events in a way that does not become disrespectful towards the Buddha. He must have known that Mahāpajāpatī was unable to carry out what he had asked her. Therefore the situation suggests that the Buddha intentionally created an occasion for promulgating a rule that enables bhikkhus to give ordination on their own, if no order of bhikkhunī is in existence. After some time, an initial checking of candidates was introduced, in order to ensure they were suitable for ordination. That initial checking involves some intimate questions. When that led to embarrassment of the female candidates, the Buddha authorized ordination in two stages. The first stage is to be conducted by the order of bhikkhunīs on their own, the second by the order of bhikkhus on their own. That procedure was problematic if the female candidate will put herself into danger if she were to travel to the monastery of the bhikkhus. Therefore the Buddha authorized that the second stage can also be done through a messenger. In all, the Vinaya gives us four rules on bhikkhunī ordination: The first and foundational one, the mūlapaññatti, is garudhamma 6 which established that the standard procedure is for both orders to collaborate to give ordination. The other three are supplementary regulations, anupaññattis. The first of these anupaññattis gives the bhikkhus the right to ordain on their own. The second anupaññatti regulates that ordination by both orders should be in two stages. The third anupaññatti explains how to proceed if implementing the second stage is dangerous. In principle, the bhikkhus have the right to ordain on their own. But when an order of bhikkhunīs is in existence, that is not the proper way. The reason is that it would make those bhikkhunīs violate garudhamma 6. Yet, the duty of bhikkhus is to encourage the bhikkhunīs to keep the garudhammas, not to make them violate them. Therefore they should make sure a female candidate is ordained by both orders. When the arahant Mahinda had come to Sri Lanka, the king asked him to ordain the queen and her followers. He replied that for him to do so is not the proper way. The king did not know about Vinaya, so Mahinda did not explain in detail. But the reason must have been that there were bhikkhunīs in India. Therefore the proper way was to bring them to Sri Lanka and then ordain the queen and her followers. This happened and his sister Saṅghamittā came and brought the sacred Bodhi tree, which we still have in Anuradapura today. However, if there had been no bhikkhunīs in India or elsewhere, together with his bhikkhus Mahinda could have ordained the queen. Out of deep respect for the arahant Mahinda, who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka, in later times bhikkhus would have taken his statement to the king too literal, thinking that it is not at all possible for bhikkhus to ordain bhikkhunīs on their own. But closer inspection of the Vinaya shows that this opinion needs to be revised. If there are no bhikkhunīs, the bhikkhus can ordain female candidates. This is legally valid and in accordance with the Theravāda Vinaya. If you like to examine this in more detail, please look at my book on Bhikkhunī Ordination from Ancient India to Contemporary Sri Lanka. Theruwan saranai.