Abstract:
New bhikkhunī revival movement is a global project, which intends to empower
Buddhist female renunciation with the idea of homogeneity. While acquiring this
liberal notion of higher status, it has become a cause of fragmentation among
alternative Buddhist female renunciant communities. This study mainly has brought
criticisms for the Western liberal feminist approach. Although, the feminist academia
and activists are one of the pioneers of the bhikkhunī revival movement in Sri Lanka,
these International and local proponents are being criticized for their intervention.
Thus, the main objective of this study is to recognize dasasilmātās' responses towards
this mediation of feminist activism, as dasasilmātās are the oldest alternative form of
female renunciant group, who highly affected by the new status of bhikkhunī-hood. This
ethnographic study has carried out on the phenomenological basis by employing
observation and in-depth interviews. The sample consisted of 16 executive committee
members of the Silmātā Jāthika Mandalaya, 24 dasasilmātās, 10 bhikkhunīs and a
government officer from the Department of Buddhist Affairs. According to
ethnographic findings, most of dasasilmātās do not recognize and accept the
International bhikkhunī higher ordination ceremonies and contribution made to them
by local and international feminist activists. Interestingly, Majority of them did not
recognize bhikkhus and other male activists as pioneer feminist activists, who also have
involved in the reestablishment of bhikkhunī movement in Sri Lanka. Instead, they have
highlighted the Western feminist influence. Therefore, they hardly identify the high
profile of Asian feminist involvement in revival of bhikkhunī order in Sri Lanka. For
instances, in reality there were multiple transnational bhikkhunī advocacy projects.
Dasasilmātās not only equates feminism with the West, but also with elite class status.
They reject accepting bhikkhunī Kusuma as the first bhikkhunī. Further, inner
disagreements or fractions among local feminists and activists in the early period of the
bhikkhunī revival movement are important concerns.
