Dhamma Message from Bhante G on Bhikkhuni Ordinations

[Dhammadharini]

Dhamma Message From Bhante G –  Venerable Henepola Gunaratana Maha Thera – on the occassion of Dhammadharini's 5-year Anniversary following the Bhikkhuni Ordinations at Aranya Bodhi Forest Hermitage   -- Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammāsambuddhassa (3x)   ‘Sukho buddhānam uppādo Sukhā saddhammadesanā; Sukhā saṇghassa sāmaggī sammaggānaṃ tapo sukho.’ ~ * * * ~ ‘Happy is the birth of Buddhas, Happy is the teaching of the sublime Dhamma; Happy is the unity of the Sangha, Happy is the discipline of the United Ones.’   Dear venerable Bhikkhu Sangha, dear venerable Bhikkhuni Sangha, and dear Ladies and Gentlemen, First of all, I want to congratulate these four newly ordained bhikkhunis.  Secondly, I want to mention that this is the first time in my life – I have been a monk for 70 years, including my eight years as a samanera and my 62 years in my Upasampada in vassas [years] as a bhikkhu –  during these 70 years as a bhikkhu and 82 years in my life, I have never participated in Dual Ordination.  This is the first time I have participated particularly in Theravada Buddhist bhikkhuni ordination together with bhikkhus.  And also, this may be the first time in the history of Theravada Buddhism in the United States, that four [women] novices, samanerīs, received higher ordination in one place.  There might have been some places where [women] novices were ordained; for instance, in our own place [the Bhavana Society], we have ordained eight [woman] novices –samaneris– and we have never given full ordination.  We send them to Sri Lanka to receive their ordination.  Some of them went to India – Bodhgaya – and so forth.  But this is the first time I participated in the bhikkhuni ordination.  So I am very pleased to have been able to come and join you all, and rejoice in your happiness.  And I once again thank you, Ayyā Tathālokā, who invited me to come and participate in this wonderful ceremony. In my beginning stanza, I said Sukho buddhānam uppādo: “Birth of buddhas is happiness.”  We all are born.  Birth is the cause of death.  Birth brings sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair.  That is what happens to any ordinary person.  But when the Buddha was born, he brought happiness; not sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair.  And the happiness he brought to this world is still alive; and we all share this happiness.  There are various degrees and categories of happiness; but the happiness that the Buddha brought to this world is unique in itself, and it is the highest happiness that we all can rejoice in.  And it is the highest happiness to which we all aspire.  We all want to attain that happiness.  When all of us receive our first ordination as samaneras, we all recite: “Imaṃ cīvaram gahetva; pabbajeta maṃ, Bhante; anukampaṃ upādāya…”  And we said: Sabba dukkha nissara.na, nibbāna saccikara.natāya imaṃ kāsāvaṃ gahetvā; pabbajeta maṃ, Bhante; pabbajeta maṃ, Bhante  …”  “Please, giving me these robes, ordain me; for me to attain liberation, Nibbana, and highest happiness.”  That is the happiness that the Buddha brought to this world. Then, Sukhā saddhammadesanā: teaching his Noble Dhamma brings happiness. There are various kinds of dhammas brought to this world by various religious teachers, but not all of them are Saddhamma.  Saddhamma is the Dhamma that brings us solace, comfort, peace and ultimate happiness.  And this is what the Dhamma is there for, for us.  To follow it; live according to Dhamma.  Those of us who live according to Dhamma, and follow the Dhamma, clearly enjoy peace and happiness every single moment they practice the Dhamma.  And therefore Saddhamma is bringing happiness to everyone.  Then, Sukhā saṇghassa sāmaggī: the unity, friendliness and living together in harmony of bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, brings happiness to this world; brings happiness to all of us.  This opportunity, this moment, is a very unique one in that sense.  We all got together – bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs – to give full ordination to these four samanerīs. And this is a very happy occasion, and we all must rejoice in this occasion.  And I said this is a very rare occasion, where all the monks and nuns got together without any discrimination.  Friends, I have been supporting bhikkhunī ordination from the very inception of their ordination in this country. And among all these monks and nuns, I am the happiest!  I am one who has been supporting, all along, from the very inception of the Bhikkhunī Sangha to this world, and to this country.  Perhaps, I don’t think that even many of the Sri Lankan monks have ever thought of introducing, initiating and reinstating the Bhikkhuni Sangha, even in Sri Lanka.  There were samaneris in Sri Lanka, and no one had courage to come forward and give full ordination.  Now there are a few monks, especially in the place called Dambulla, where they started giving bhikkhuni full ordination.  So, I am very happy to see this happening all over Sri Lanka and some other Theravada countries.  I don’t think many Theravada countries have even recognized the full ordination of bhikkhunis.  I am, as a Sri Lankan monk, very happy to see that our effort is bearing fruit.  And this is a very happy occasion in that sense.  Both bhikkhus and bhikkhunis joined together.  This is the first Dual Ordination that probably most of you have witnessed.  Not only I, but many of these venerable monks, and many of these venerable nuns, have never seen Dual Ordination like this.  It is an historic moment for the establishment of Buddhism in this country.  Buddhism has been in this country for about a century. And there have been many novices, but this is the first time that we have seen four novices receive full ordination in one place.  So, I must thank Venerable Ayyā Tathālokā for taking initiative to make this happen in this country.   This is why the Buddha said, Sukhā saṇghassa sāmaggī.  Our harmony, our friendship, getting together without any discrimination, and participating in this very auspicious occasion, brings us happiness.  This is indisputable truth. You will be very happy to see monks and nuns, sitting in one place, and participating in one ceremony, in one voice. Sammaggānaṃ tapo sukho was the last line of the stanza that I said. The practicing of tapas, which means the Brahmacariya Life – Holy Life – together is a happy occasion.  We all have committed to live a holy life; brahmacariya life.  That is the life that in the Buddha’s Dispensation is called: Vusitaṃ brahmacariyaṃ, kataṃ karanīyaṃ, nāparaṃ itthatthāyā.  When an Arahant, even an ordinary person – whether man or woman, nun or monk -- attains full enlightenment, this is the passage they all recite.  Vusitaṃ brahmacariyaṃ:  “I have lived a holy life.” That means from the day that they receive ordination, until they attain full enlightenment, they are supposed to live a holy life. What is a holy life?  A life of morality, life of meditation, life of wisdom. And that is what we are all trying to attain; trying to practice.  And then, when we attain full enlightenment, this is the spontaneous utterance that escapes our lips: Vusitaṃ brahmacariyaṃ, “We have lived the Holy Life”; kataṃ karanīyaṃ, “we­­ have done what was to be done”. Nāparaṃ itthatthāyā: “There is no other meaning in life.” This is why we say the birth of a Buddha brings solace, comfort and everlasting peace to the world and to our life.  And this is what we all have to live up to.  And we all aspire to this total liberation; whether we are monks, nuns, men or women. There is no doubt, if we follow the Dhamma, if we follow sīla.  Friends, sila has two meanings: one is morality, the other is habit.  Habit is called akusala-sīla; wrong habit, unwholesome habit.  Wholesome habit is called kusala-sīla.  We want to practice kusala-sila to overcome akusala-sila.  And this is what we all are trying to do.  So, this ordination in that sense is the most significant occasion.  And we all like to share this noble life.  This is why the last sentence says, Sukhā saṇghassa sāmaggī, sammaggānaṃ tapo sukho:  The harmonious life of individuals, individually or collectively, brings happiness.  So, we want these newly ordained bhikkhunis to live happily – forever!  And, on behalf of all of our monks and all of our nuns, we want to invoke blessings upon them for their happiness.  May they all live in peace and harmony, work together in friendliness and attain Nibbana. -- Message given to the new bhikkhunis, Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Sangha and gathered friends upon completion of the bhikkhuni ordinations at Aranya Bodhi Hermitage on August 29th, 2010.