Some of you may recall a recent posting regarding the infamous "Five Points", Tuesday 15th June. This has been deleted at the request of the author of the quoted letter. It was pointed out that it was a draft copy only that was released into the public domain as the result of a miscommunication. Other sites which featured this have also withdrawn the item. I have apologised to the author personally for the innocent use of this unauthorised material.
There is still a story waiting to happen in connection with this and we will bring it to you when appropriate and when everything is above board.
In the meantime The Cambridge Insight Meditation Centre has issued the following statement:
"We are in support of Women's Ordination
The Buddha taught that the path of awakening rested in the practice of the four fold sangha which includes monks (bhikkhus), nuns (bhikkhunis), laywomen, and laymen. As the dharma spread from India into the rest of Asia, both men and women were ordained and the sangha of lay practitioners thrived. In the west today, monks, laywomen, and laymen are all still thriving.
However, between the time of the Buddha and now, the bhikkhuni order died out in India for a variety of cultural and political reasons though it continued in Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan, and Japan. Today there is a deep interest on the part of many practitioners in re-establishing the bhikkhuni order in the Theravadin tradition.
In the dharma establishing its roots firmly in the west, in cultures that welcome and respect all practitioners regardless of gender, it is incumbent on us to encourage and support bhikkhuni ordination. The teaching of awakening and freedom would only be diminished by the marginalizing of any sincere aspirant."
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