Monk expelled for ordaining four women

by Thomas C. Fox

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tfox@ncronline.org

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Now where have I heard this story before?

This from the blog, "Religion, Sex and Politics."

The popular monk Ajahn Brahm has been disciplined by the Thai forest monastery sangha founded by the Venerable Ajahn Chah because he was involved in ordaining four women as nuns, orbhikkunis, in a ceremony on October 22 at his Bodhinyana Buddhist Monastery in Perth, Australia.

The Wat Pah Pong Sangha's action of excommunication (revoking Bodhinyana's status as a branch monastery) has resulted in a firestorm of controversy in the Theravada Buddhist world. The ordination of nuns is illegal under Thai Buddhist law because the order of nuns became extinct sometime between the 11th and 13th centuries, after which, the argument goes, no new bhikkhunis could be ordained since there were none left to preside over an ordination.

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