Tibetan Monk-Scholar Visits Taiwan to Research the Chinese Bhikshuni Tradition

For over fifteen years His Holiness has been pursuing this subject with interest and subsequently assigned Geshe Tashi Tsering the task of research, translation and investigation.

During his first visit to Taiwan in March, His Holiness expressed his keen interest to follow up this issue, and took every opportunity to question knowledgeable people.

During Geshe Tashi Tsering's visit this month, many professional scholars, bikshunis and bhiksus worked hard to provide him with the material he sought. He expressed his happiness at seeing a bikshuni tradition in which monastic practice, training and education play such an important role and in which the bikshunis are able to fulfil their potential and play a significant part in Buddhist society.

The geshe's task was to learn as much as possible about this tradition, summarize his findings and report to His Holiness, who will then hold an international conference of monks, nuns and scholars from all Buddhist traditions to discuss and hopefully decide the issue,

Geshe Tashi Tsering said that his visit to Taiwan was extremely productive. He visited many monasteries, nunneries, Buddhist institutes and viewed the annual ordination ceremony.

The meetings were organized by the Center of Buddhist Studies at National Taiwan University and hosted by Prof. Heng-ching Shih. Three leading Taiwanese bikshunis, Venerables Heng-ching Shih, Wu-yin and Zhao-hui, and the monk-scholar Huei-min attended, as well as several professors and Vinaya scholars, two Western bikshunis, Tenzin Yeshe and Tenzin Dao (Hsin Ming and Hsin Hai) and interested academics and supporters.

Geshe Tashi Tsering also spent much time with them translating and comparing Chinese Dharmagupta and Tibetan Mulasarvastivadin texts of the bhikshuni vinaya.