A Feminist Perspective on the Lack of Full Ordination for Burmese Buddhist Nuns Thesis

(2016). A Feminist Perspective on the Lack of Full Ordination for Burmese Buddhist Nuns . 10.25148/etd.FIDC000289

thesis or dissertation chair

authors

  • Hagerty, Darbee Nicole

abstract

  • This thesis examines the position of Buddhist nuns (thila-shins) in contemporary Burmese society. The Sangha, a branch of the Burmese state, has disallowed them from seeking full ordination as bhikkhunis. Based on interviews and observations conducted in Myanmar in June-July 2015, the thesis examines the current socioeconomic status of thila-shins using a transnational feminist framework. It argues that Burmese Buddhist nuns are not simply passive victims of a patriarchal structure, but agents and actors within their own spaces who have their own agendas. The central questions are: How do thila-shins understand their social, economic, and religious position? How does ordination status affect thila-shins? Is barring thila-shins from seeking full ordination ethical according to Buddhist texts? Special emphasis is given to a rereading of traditional Buddhist doctrine on the issue of reviving full ordination for Buddhist nuns in light of concerns regarding agency present in Third World feminist movements.

publication date

  • March 31, 2016

keywords

  • Arts and Humanities
  • Buddhist Studies
  • Ethics in Religion
  • Histories of Religions of Eastern Origins
  • Religion

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)