Korea for Bhikkhunis

The Korea Times reports on an interview with Ven. Myoeom, discussing the situation of Korean Buddhist nuns.

Although discrimination can be found in nearly all countries, the head bhikkhuni at Bongnyeongsa Temple, a Suwon branch of the Jogye Order in South Korea, said such extreme cases of prejudice is rarely found here.

There are no gender differences in Buddhism, said the Ven. Myoeom in an interview with The Korea Times, which minimizes the number of cases of discrimination in temples. In fact, age is also not recognized because what matters most is the “maturity of one’s soul”

It is well-known that sanghas in the Mahayana tradition are much more welcoming than those in the Theravada tradition, although the past fifteen years have also seen the emergence of a growing bhikkhuni movement.