Although historically marginalized, Buddhist nuns are taking their place in modern Buddhism. Like the monks, Buddhist nuns live by an ancient system of monastic law, the Vinaya. This work investigates various areas of uncertainty and controversy in how the Vinaya is to be understood and applied today....

Introduction 0.1 The Nature of Vinaya 0.2 Vinaya in Context 0.3 Bhikkhunis in History 0.4 The Vinaya Texts 0.5 Schools 1 A Question of Interpretation 1.1 What can we expect from Vinaya? 1.2 The Scope of Vinaya 1.3 The Layers of Text 1.4 What is a Tradition? 2 Principles to be Respected 2.1 Garudhamma 1 2.2 Garudhamma 2 2.3 Garudhamma 3 2.4 Garudhamma 4 2.5 Garudhamma 5 2.6 Garudhamma 6 2.7 Garudhamma 7 2.8 Garudhamma 8 2.9 The Garudhammas​—​an Assessment 3 Towns, Rivers, Journeys 3.1 Some Preliminaries 3.1.1 What does ‘alone’ mean? 3.2 The Rule 3.3 Sectarian Group Similarities 3.4 Traveling 3.4.1 Interpretation 3.5 Crossing a river 3.5.1 Interpretation 3.6 Spending the night 3.6.1 Interpretation 3.7 Lagging behind a group 3.7.1 Interpretation 3.8 Going out in the Day 3.9 Conclusion 4 Bhikkhuni Pārājika 1 4.1 Can a Bhikkhuni Ordain Again? 4.2 Nuns and Rape 4.2.1 Mahāvihāravāsin 4.2.2 Dharmaguptaka 4.2.3 Mūlasarvāstivāda 4.2.4 Who is to blame? 5 Ordination of Nuns by Monks 5.1 Vinaya and variability 6 Vuṭṭhāpana & Upasampadā 6.1 Vuṭṭhāpana, Pavattinī, Sahajīvinī 6.2 Basic Dharma Bhikkhuni...