The story of women’s ordination in Buddhism begins with a pivotal moment: Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī, the Buddha’s aunt and foster mother, approached him to request the right for women to enter the monastic life. The Buddha initially declined her request three times, urging caution about women “going forth from home into homelessness.” But Gotamī, undeterred, shaved her head, donned robes, and walked with her followers to the Buddha’s new location, where they met his attendant Ānanda .
Īn a gentle and tactful way, Ānanda asked the Buddha whether women were capable of attaining the same spiritual realizations as men — stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, and Arahatship. The Buddha confirmed that they were. On that basis, Ānanda urged the Buddha to allow their ordination. The Buddha agreed, on the condition that the women accepted eight special rules, or garudhammas, which institutionalized a form of seniority for monks over nuns — even if the monk had been ordained just a day .
Despite this structural subordination, the Buddha’s decision was revolutionary. It established the bhikkhunī Sangha — the order of fully ordained nuns — as a necessary and enduring part of the Buddhist community. Later traditions interpreted the Buddha’s initial resistance as a reflection of social norms, not spiritual bias. He himself had earlier hesitated to teach after his awakening, doubting whether others could understand the Dhamma. As with that hesitation, his eventual consent to ordain women was seen as both practical and compassionate .
In the Vinaya, the ordination of women required a two-stage process: first by nuns, then by monks. Additionally, women had to observe a two-year probationary period as sikkhamānās before becoming fully ordained. Rules also emerged requiring husbands’ permission for a woman’s ordination — a regulation that had no equivalent for men. Moreover, if a nun left the Sangha and returned from another sect, she could not be reordained, unlike a monk who could be readmitted after a probation period .
Over time, the Theravāda bhikkhunī lineage died out, particularly after a destructive invasion in 1017 CE. Efforts to revive it — for example, from Chinese and Korean Mahāyāna lineages — remain controversial, though some recent initiatives in Sri Lanka and Thailand are gaining support, especially among younger and more progressive monks .
In Northern Buddhism, especially Tibet, a full bhikkhunī ordination line was never properly established due to logistical challenges. Some women have lived as celibate practitioners, teachers, or even revered incarnations, but without formal ordination. Meanwhile, Japanese Buddhism historically allowed nuns but later limited their roles, particularly after monastic marriage was legalized for monks .
Despite these institutional challenges, the Buddha’s founding of a nun’s order was seen as vital. It is even said that a Buddha is destined to have both spiritual sons and daughters, and that without female ordination, the “holy life” would have been incomplete .
Today, the revival of women’s ordination remains an ethical and symbolic frontier. It reflects deeper questions about equality, tradition, and the interpretation of early texts. As women across the Buddhist world continue to practice, teach, and inspire, the seed planted by Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī continues to bear fruit.