Sobhana Bhikkhuni has been posting some responses to Thanissaro Bhikkhu’s opinion on Facebook. Below is her public letter.
November 20, 2009
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Metta Forest Monastery
PO Box 1409
Valley Center, CA 92082 USA
1-619-813-8461Dear Bhante,
I am writing in regard to your letter of November 13, which is posted at DhammaLight.com.
犀利士 Thanissaro Bhikkhu on the Validity of the Bhikkhuni Ordination_13-11-09.htm”>http://www.dhammalight.com/vinaya/Thanissaro%20Bhikkhu%20on%20the%20Validity%20of%20the%20Bhikkhuni%20Ordination_13-11-09.htm
With this letter you have declared that my bhikkhuni ordination is invalid, along with several hundred bhikkhunis ordained at Dambulla, Sri Lanka. I was ordained at Dambulla in 2006 upon the advice of Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, who considered that ordination to be the cleanest and most sound ordination form available.
Also with this letter, you attack the ordinations of the majority of bhikkhunis throughout the world, including in the Dharmagupta. You are opposing the vinayadharas and vinaya committees who spent many months and years analysing the issues, prior to ordinations at Sarnath in 1996, at Bodhgaya in 1998, in Perth in 2009, and many more. You are creating disruption and conflict between yourself and a significant part of the Buddhist sangha worldwide.
I request that you disavow this letter and reconsider your analysis.
With metta, Bhikkhuni Sobhana
Bhavana Society
Rt 1 Box 218-3
High View, WV 26808 USA
Many thanks to Sobhana Bhikkhuni for sharing her letters as well as others. Besides, it’s a delight to post some words from a bhikkhuni on this issue.