3. The Siladhara OrderA shared goal, a specific
opportunity
In the case of the Siladhara and
the 'five points' our sense is that
there has been a
miscommunication regarding the
overall perspective of how the
established Bhikkhu Sangha seeks
to support a modern nuns' order,
as well as misinformation regarding
the 'five points.' However we do
feel that we share the concerns of
the petition in that we are aware of
the limited opportunities that there
are for women to train in
Dhamma-Vinaya, and also have a
wish to support women's
aspirations towards liberation.
The Bhikkhu Sangha has preserved
and sustained the Buddha's
dispensation for more than two
thousand years and we
acknowledge that it is its
responsibility to pass it on. As in
Theravada there is no consensus
on the re-establishment of the
bhikkhuni training, and no lineage
or present company of great
Theravada bhikkhuni teachers to
instruct newcomers, what we can
offer at this time has to operate
within the Sangha vehicle as it is
working in this day and age.
Of course anyone can practise
morality, meditation and
renunciation; but to belong to an
order of Buddhist nuns means
being accepted into the larger
monastic Sangha, of which the only
element that remains universally
recognized is the Bhikkhu Sangha.
Through being connected to such a
body, one has access to the
resources of monastic teachers,
and the trust and welcome of lay
people who have faith in the
established Sangha, as well to the
material requisites and
infrastructure of monasteries. This
set of opportunities underpins the
vehicle that has come to be known
as the 'Siladhara' (= those who
uphold virtue) training.
History of the Siladhara Order
In 1983, Ven. Ajahn Sumedho,
having received the permission of
the Thai Sangha that had
authorised him as Preceptor, gave
the Ten Precepts to a small group
of women who had already trained
under the Eight Precepts for more
than three years at Cittaviveka
Monastery in England. Ajahn
Sumedho's aim was to provide an
opportunity for women to train as
alms-mendicants within the
conventions that were held by the
Bhikkhu Sangha. Subsequently, he
asked that a training be developed
that would flesh out the basic
moral structure that the Ten
Precepts represent with details that
could support the nuns as an
autonomous Order. So a training
was developed that drew from the
Bhikkhuni-Vinaya in order to cover
issues that might occur for women,
as well as protocols that would
enable them to manage their own
affairs. Through the ensuing years
the training evolved through
discussions with the nuns,
consultations with Ven. Ajahn
Sumedho and the elders of his
community, and presentations to
Thai and Sri Lankan elders.
There was no intention or
authorisation however to establish
a Bhikkhuni Order, or any new
independent Sangha. Therefore the
relationship between the Siladhara
Order and the Bhikkhu Sangha was
held to be one in which the
siladhara would receive ordination
from an authorised bhikkhu
preceptor. Moreover the
convention of 'seniority' would
apply as a relational guide. This is
the case in the Bhikkhu and
Bhikkhuni Vinaya, and also defines
the relationship between the
Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Sanghas as
set up in the Vinaya. Such an
understanding is basic to the
monastic form; it was there at the
beginning and was not a new
structure imposed upon the nuns.
Seniority isn't a power structure
The convention of seniority in
Theravada Buddhism acknowledges
that the Bhikkhu Sangha preceded
that of the nuns. In daily life it
covers matters of courtesy, like
who sits where in a formal group
gathering, who stands where in a
queue for the meal, and who pays
respects to whom in the act of
formal greeting. Seniority also
implies that the senior person in
the relationship is expected to look
after, encourage and otherwise
offer support to the junior.
However, the nuns may occupy
positions of authority both in
terms of teaching Dhamma, and of
training members of their nuns'
community. They are shareholders
of the charitable Trust that owns
and is legally responsible for
Amaravati and Cittaviveka. They
also occupy positions on the
Council of Elders that oversee
'Sangha business' in the group of
monasteries that were established
in the name of Ven. Ajahn
Sumedho.
It also has to be borne in mind
that the aims and structures of
Buddhist monastic life are not
designed to implement power over
each other, or power in terms of
management, rather they are
intended to establish the authority
and inner strength to combat the
fires of ignorance in one's own
mind. In this respect there is full
equality of opportunity for women
and men. That said, as
unenlightened beings, we recognize
that there also need to be
safeguards against the abuses of
position that may occur in the
course of community life.
The 'five points' and the future
In the last few years, there has
been growing divergence between
the Bhikkhu Sangha and the
Siladhara in terms of the
understanding of the relationship
between these two communities at
Amaravati and Cittaviveka. At the
same time, Ajahn Sumedho's recent
concern has been to firm up the
understanding of the terms under
which the Siladhara Order receives
its authorisation from the Bhikkhu
Sangha. Recognizing that he will
pass away in due course of time,
Ajahn Sumedho's intention is that
the Bhikkhu Sangha within these
monasteries should act as
guarantors of the Siladhara Order
in the future, and that steps should
be taken now to carry this through.
This is the origin of the 'five
points.' Please bear in mind that
these are not a manifesto of a
global vision for all women who
aspire to liberation, but a memo
that outlines what these particular
monasteries can offer. It seemed
important to get these clearly laid
down so that interested parties
would know from the outset what
they were committing to in terms
of the relationship to the Bhikkhu
Sangha. Then any aspirant could
make an informed choice as to
whether to get on board, or to
look for another vehicle.
We acknowledge that there may
have been failings in the way that
these five points were presented to
the nuns, and some of us sense
that this point will need to be
addressed in the future. One
agency that has been implemented
to improve the process of feedback
and consultation is that of a
'liaison bhikkhu' who should be
acceptable and respected by the
nuns and act as a channel of
communication whenever
dissonances arise in each dual-
gender community. The intention is
to continue to develop ways of
improvement, this being the
principle whereby the Buddha
established the Vinaya.
One of Ven. Ajahn Chah's phrases
about the mode and environment
of Dhamma-practice was that it
should be 'good enough' for
enlightenment. Whatever the
feelings and views that may be
aroused when a conservative Asian
contemplative tradition meets the
psychological zeitgeist of the
modern West, our intention has
always been to offer something
'good enough' – something both
immediate and workable. Still this
is no small matter. The Siladhara
Order depends on the commitment
of women of integrity to make it a
lived-in reality, and we feel that
the efforts and results of the nuns'
practice has been seriously
understated in the articles that
have been generated around this
topic. This is unjust, particularly in
the light of the rigor with which
they apply themselves to their
training.
Meanwhile, the Siladhara Order is
currently sending out a branch to
America at the same time as it is
receiving positive comments from
the renowned bhikkhu-scholar P.
A. Payutto and the acting head of
the Thai Sangha, Somdet
Buddhajahn. We hope that, modest
as the origins of the Order have
been, it may yet spread wherever
there is interest in the Buddha's
teachings and be a source of light
for both East and West.
http://web.archive.org/web/20110815164403/http://www.forestsangha.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=385&Itemid=8sudah jelas ini adalah Rintisan; karena kurang nya khanti menghanncurkan jerih payah yg ada.