The Idea That Only Shakyamuni Buddha Himself Could Establish A Monastic Order Of Buddhists Is Too Absurd To Even Consider

In 2009 there was a huge ruckus when the Australian branch of the Thai Forest Buddhist Tradition ordained four women as monks. Their parent monastery back in Thailand expelled the Australian branch from the order. The Thai group's view was that even though Shakyamuni Buddha did establish an order of female monks, that specific order of female monks vanished a few hundred years ago and nobody but Shakyamuni Buddha himself had the right to reestablish it. This kind of thinking ignores the fact that there have been female Buddhist monks in many other branches of the tradition. Anyway, that's what they said. Forgive me for thinking the real reason was because they were just a bunch of sexist jerks. The idea that only Shakyamuni Buddha himself could establish a monastic order of Buddhists is too absurd to even consider.

Lots of people I met at the time who were part of the Thai Forest Buddhist tradition wrung their hands over what to do. They were already committed to the tradition, but how could they go on? I personally thought it was a no-brainer. If I found out that an order of Buddhists I belonged to did this, I'd drop 'em like a hot potato. But I can see the dilemma. They had a lot invested in their groups. I also see the logic of remaining in the order and fighting against this kind of idiocy.

The controversy over this incident mainly had to do with money and institutional power. The conservative sexists back in Thailand and elsewhere who had funded the Australian temples didn't want to support people who didn't follow their own ridiculous customs. But the Australians couldn't abide by customs that were so nonsensical. In the end Ajahn Brahm, the guy who did the ordinations, was expelled. But he carried on in spit of it.

 ---Brad Warner, in his commentary on Master Dogen's Raihai Tokuzui---