Voices of Dasasilmātās: Ethnographical Inquiry on Resistances against the Feminist Influence in the New Bhikkhunī Revival in Sri Lanka

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.