27th Anniversary of the revival of dual ordination

Tathālokā Therī

March 13,2025

Today is the 27th Anniversary of the revival of Bhikkhuni Ordination via the dual ordination* of the Theravāda Pālī text tradition in Sri Lanka 🌕✨ March 13th 2025 Medin Poya in Pāli known as the Phagguṇa Puṇṇamī, generally the full moon of March 🙏🙏🙏.

Together with this, it is the lunar anniversary of a second great event: the appointment, establishment and serving of the first three Theravāda bhikkhunī preceptors (pavattinī-upajjhāyā) of the modern era.

The ordination took place at the Dambulla Sīmā Mallaka, Rangiri Sri Lanka, on the Medin Poya (Phagguṇa Puṇṇamī) Full Moon Uposatha Day 🌕✨ March 12th 1998. This year, the Medin Poya Day (Phagguṇa Puṇṇamī, Phalgun Purnima) falls very closely on March 13th 2025.

Sādhu sādhu sādhu! Deeply appreciating the faith, bravery and dedication of the Venerable Bhikkhu-Bhikkhunī Sangha and of all dedicated faithful layperson scholars, benefactors and well wishers, without whom the Blessed One's Dhamma wheel could not keeping on turning.

You have brought enormous benefit to our lives - we are deeply grateful. Accordingly enormous Puññānumodanā to all: may you have every good blessing of the Noble Triple Gem 🙏🙏🙏.

I would like to thank Rangiri Dambulla media unit for the photos shared here which are screenshots from the 1998 ordinations documentary video shared with me on request in the 25th anniversary year, and to thank Dhammadharini for the 25th anniversary card which has been updated and is shared here.

*Prior to this occasion, there were higher ordinations of Theravāda bhikkhunīs given via single- and dual-ordination in the East Asian Dharmaguptaka Srāvakayāna Vinaya tradition, notably as organized by Foguangshan and Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women branch Sakyadhita Sri Lanka, as well as bhikkhuni higher ordinations given via the Pāli-text Theravāda rite by the Theravāda Bhikkhu Sangha, including my own a few months earlier in 1997. I do not mean to be making any assertions with regards to the propriety or non-propriety of any of those ordinations - blessings be upon them - with this post. And, this first all-Theravāda dual ordination via the ancient Pāli text Upasampadavidhi rites in Sri Lanka was a momentous milestone amidst them, worthy of celebration.

For an overview of this series of ground-breaking and momentous ordinations, beginning in 1998, please see my Draft "Revival of Bhikkhunī Ordination 1988 to 2003: the first 15 years South and Southeast Asian Revival."

This is the original post from Dhammadharini with the original 25th Anniversary card.

Our Dhammadharini vice-abbess, Ven. Bhikkhunī (Ayyā) Sobhana Therī, also higher ordained (upasampadā) as a Bhikkhunī at Dambulla, together with our late most venerable "Achie Ayye" Bhikkhunī Satima Therī, who often spent time with us here at Dhammadharini during her lifetime.