Indispensable for dispensation
The agency and experience of Buddhist nuns in the early history of the bhikkhunī saṅgha
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3943008 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Neekee Chaturvedi (0000-0001-8395-7454, University of Rajasthan, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 538-557 |
| Publication date | 2022-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0008-4298 • E-ISSN: 2042-0587 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00084298221116886 |
| OpenAlex | W4289550211 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 20 |
The entry of women into Buddhist monasticism was permitted with great reluctance and a special set of rules. Within the disciplinary framework of institutional subordination, Buddhist nuns created spaces that provided women with spiritual opportunities away from social and domestic ties. Although monks dominated both the Buddhist saṅgha and religious texts, the earliest nuns worked assiduously and creatively to strengthen their practice. This article explores early Buddhist texts to unravel gendered monastic experiences. The nuns could not have registered a vital presence in the history of Buddhism if they had remained passive members. Social relations before they joined the order, as well as the newly forged bonds within, played a significant role in their progress in comprehending and observing spiritual practices. When seen on their own terms, the position and contribution of nuns appear stronger and more agentive than has been usually assumed
Agency (philosophy · Ancient history · Buddhism · Linguistics · Monasticism · Order (exchange · Social science · Sociology · Subordination (linguistics · Theology · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Gender Studies · History · Indian and Buddhist Studies · Philosophy · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies
Sociological analysis
Women, Religion and Social Change
Buddhist Nuns and Gendered Practice
Agency and Social Theory
Art. XIII.—Women Leaders of the Buddhist Reformation
Whisper in the Silence
Studien zur Indologie und Buddhismuskunde
Historio-Critical Hermeneutics in the Study of Women in Early Indian Buddhism
Debt to the Mother
Buddhist Nuns
A Voice from the Silence
Women in Buddhism
Hegemonic Relations and Gender Resistance
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |