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Article: Vicissitudes of the Bhikkhuni Order.
- Article from:
- Yasodhara-Newsletter on International Buddhist Women's Activities
- Article date:
- October 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 NIBWA-Newsletter on International Buddhist Women. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Sri Lanka and China were the only two countries that received their order of Buddhist Nuns directly from India. The story of the introduction of the Bhikkhuni Order during the reign of Emperor Asoka of India (270-233 B.C.) is well known. It is recorded in detail in the Sinhalese chronicles Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa. As they were written in the Pali language Buddhist savants in all Theravada countries came to know the history of the Bhikkhuni Order in Sri Lanka. Later during the period of British colonial rule in Sri Lanka English scholars translated the above mentioned chronicles to English. Therefore the details become known to European and American students of Buddhism.
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