Right now in the world there are no Theravada Buddhist bhikkhunis. It is also not possible to re-establish the Theravada bhikkhuni sangha order according to the Tipitaka the Buddhist scriptures. And those who pose as modern Theravada Buddhist bhikkhunis are all fake.
Reason 1 for this is that there is currently no unbroken Theravada Buddhist bhikkhuni sangha lineage in the world, as it was destroyed with the last Theravada upasampada bhikkhuni a millennium ago.
Reason 2 for this is that it is not possible to re-establish the Theravada Buddhist bhikkhuni sangha lineage according to the Vinaya Pitaka, which contains the Buddha’s words on ordaining, because the Buddha did not give his permission for male bhikkhus to ordain a woman.
Reason 3 for this is that ordaining women according to the Mahayana Dharmagupta tradition is not a valid Theravada ordination.
We must have the utmost respect for Buddha’s words which are in Tipitaka (Pali Canon).
Any ordination took place against the laws commanded by the Buddha in the Vinaya Pitaka is not a valid ordination. And such an ordination has no effect to make them sangha.
The Theravada Buddhism is the only pure Buddhism that contains the real words of the Buddha.
The Theravada Tipitaka contains the true and pure dharma.
Mahayana Buddhism does not contain the true and pure words of the Buddha and it is a wrong view.
Theravada Buddhist texts that came from the mouth of the Buddha and was written by arhant monks are still existing without a change of a word. Whatever one do against these holy words is a wrong doing whether it is re-establishing bhikkhuni sangha which of course not possible according to the Vinaya Pitaka.
The modern so-called ‘bhikkhunis’ have been ordained under the Mahayana Dharmagupta tradition and are not real Theravada bhikkhunis. But, they love to introduce themselves as real Theravada bhikkhunis and deceive the whole world.
These women do not have Theravada ordination and upasampada and any claim they make that they are upasampada bhikkhunis is false because a higher ordination done against the Buddha’s words does not give the Upasampada. Furthermore, the ordination done against the Buddha’s words has no effect to give the ordination in sangha.
Modern Buddhist nuns:
Modern Buddhist nuns are female ascetics who belong to the Upasika category. They are also called “Dasa Sil Matha”.
If bhikkhus ordain a woman against the Buddha’s words, she does not become a bhikkhuni and remains a laywoman. Any bhikkhuni lineage that comes from such women is not a bhikkhuni lineage because none of them have the proper ordination. They are not female ascetics but laywomen.
The modern Buddhist nuns who introduce themselves as “Dasa Sil Matha” but not as “Theravada Bhikkhunis” are real female ascetics who protect 10 precepts. And they belong to the Upasika category.
There is also another form of asceticism known as rishihood, which any man or woman can get without a teacher. Those who get this rishihood ordination can do so on their own and without the need for any other person or teacher. In this rishihood ordination, a male is called a “rishi” and a female is called a “rishika.” However, those who get rishihood do not belong to the sangha. If those who get rishihood follow Buddhist teachings, then they belong to the Upasaka and Upasika categories.
The liberation mentioned in Buddhism is possible even to a lay person who protects 5 precepts. So there is no need for the title of “Theravada bhikkhunis” if they are truly after liberation instead after anything else. It is clear that these so called modern “Theravada bhikkhunis” are not after liberation but after privileges.
These cunning women just use the tittle “Theravada bhikkhuni” to deceive the whole world.
The Buddha’s Six Refusals: How the Ashta Garu Dhammas Shaped Women’s Ordination in the Sangha:
The Buddha himself refused 6 times giving women the ordination in sangha.
The Buddha refused 3 times to Mahaprajapati Gautami when she asked for ordination. The Buddha said “Never mind Gautami, you shall not desire the ordination of women.”
The Buddha refused another 3 times to venerable Ananda when venerable Ananda requested the ordination of women. The Buddha said “Never mind Ananda, you shall not prefer the ordination of women in Buddha Sasana.”
Later when the Buddha gave his permission to women to get ordained, the Buddha declared Ashta Garu Dhammas which women must need to obey if they enter the sangha.
Ashta Garu Dhammas or the Eight Heavy Rules are:
Rule 1: Even a bhikkhuni who has been upasampada for a hundred years must stand up from her seat, pay respects, worship, bow down, and talk respectfully, and perform proper acts of respect toward a bhikkhu who became upasampada on that very day. This dhamma should be treated well, honored, and worshipped until the end of one’s life.
Rule 2: The bhikkhuni should not live in an area where there are no bhikkhus. This dhamma should be treated well, honored, and worshipped until the end of one’s life.
Rule 3: Every half-month, a bhikkhuni should seek two things from the bhikkhus: the asking of the date of the Uposatha (observance day) and the approaching for instruction. This dhamma should be treated well, honored, and worshipped until the end of one’s life.
Rule 4: The bhikkhuni at the end of the vas, must perform the Pavarana in front of the both bhikkhunis and bhikkhus based on three grounds: what was seen, what was heard, and what was suspected. This dhamma should be treated well, honored, and worshipped until the end of one’s life.
Rule 5: The Bhikkhuni who did a wrong action must purify (manatha) herself infront of both bhikkhunis and bhikkhus. This dhamma should be treated well, honored, and worshipped until the end of one’s life.
Rule 6: The woman must be a student (novice nun) for 2 years to get higher ordination (Upasampada). This dhamma should be treated well, honored, and worshipped until the end of one’s life.
Rule 7: The bhikkhuni must not blame a bhikkhu due to any reason, no matter what. This dhamma should be treated well, honored, and worshipped until the end of one’s life.
Rule 8: The bhikkhuni must never advice a bhikkhu. But bhikkhu should advice the bhikkhuni. And bhikkhuni must accept those advises. This dhamma should be treated well, honored, and worshipped until the end of one’s life.
After this, the Buddha said to venerable Ananda, “Ananda, if women did not receive ordination in the Buddha’s teachings, the Buddha’s teachings would exist for a very long time. Now, because women can receive ordination in the Buddha’s teachings, the Buddha’s teachings will not exist for a very long time. It is like this: if the Buddha’s teachings existed for a thousand years without the ordination of women, and now with the ordination of women, the Buddha’s teachings will exist only for five hundred years. It is like how families with fewer men and more women are easily destroyed by thieves. Similarly, if women receive ordination in any doctrine, that doctrine will not last long. It is like a disease in a rice field that causes the rice plants to wither and the field to not last long. Similarly, if women receive ordination in any doctrine, that doctrine will not last long. It is like a disease in a sugarcane field that causes the sugarcane plants to wither and the field to not last long. Similarly, if women receive ordination in any doctrine, that doctrine will not last long. Therefore, Ananda, just as a man builds a dam encompassing a great pool to prevent water from flowing away, I establish these eight heavy rules for the bhikkhunis.”
This incident between the Buddha and venerable Ananda clearly shows how women can damage the Dhamma.
Further to this, Buddha has declared wrongs of women in many occasions.
And further to this, during the first council, the other arahant bhikkhus, who were fully liberated from birth and death, accused venerable Ananda of allowing women to receive ordination in the Buddha’s teachings, as it damages the Buddha’s teachings and the sangha.
We must understand that women can achieve liberation without entering the sangha.
The ignorance and stupidity of women cause harm to the Dhamma and Vinaya.
The most important thing we must remember is the Buddha is omniscient and arahant monks had divine intelligences.