Special Report: Landmark Supreme Court Ruling Affirms Equal Rights for Buddhist Bhikkhunis in Sri Lanka

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Special Report: Landmark Supreme Court Ruling Affirms Equal Rights for Buddhist Bhikkhunis in Sri Lanka

By Craig C Lewis
June 18, 2025

Sri Lankan *bhikkhunis*. From sakyadhita-srilanka.org

In a landmark ruling that stands as an affirmation of equality for female monastics in the Theravada tradition, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka on Monday ordered that Venerable Welimada Dhammadinna Bhikkhuni should receive an official National Identity Card recognizing her status as a fully ordained monastic, rather than as a sil matha (Sinhalese: “precept mother”)—a female renunciant, similar to an anagarika, who observes eight or 10 precepts but has not received full ordination.

The Supreme Court ruled that a fully ordained Buddhist nun must be officially recognized as a bhikkhuni—the first time that the country’s highest court has ruled that the state is constitutionally obligated to treat a bhikkhuni on equal footing with a bhikkhu.

Sri Lanka’s bhikkhuni lineage collapsed during the Saivite Chola invasion in 1017 CE. With the loss of full ordination, women who wished to undertake a commitment to serious Buddhist practice could only become sil mathas. Although the bhikkhuni lineage has since been reestablished in modern Sri Lanka, it is still not officially recognized by the country’s dominant monastic institutions. Many fully ordained women face bureaucratic obstacles, including difficulties obtaining ID cards that acknowledge them as bhikkhunis, reflecting broader institutional reluctance to fully reintegrate them into the Theravada monastic hierarchy, despite the legitimacy of their ordination.

The Theravada bhikkhuni order was revived in 1996, when 11 Sri Lankan women received full ordination in Sarnath, India, thanks to the efforts of the Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women, the world’s leading body committed to transforming the lives of women in Buddhist societies. Today there are in excess of 4,000 bhikkhunis in Sri Lanka.

Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. From srilankamirror.com

In its historic ruling on 16 June, Sri Lanka’s high court directed the Commissioner General of the Department of Registration of Persons, under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to issue a National Identity Card to Ven. Welimada Dhammadinna Bhikkhuni—not as a sil matha, but under her rightful title of bhikkhuni.

Chief Justice Murdu Fernando and Justice Gamini Amarasekera found that the department’s refusal to use the title “bhikkhuni” despite Ven. Welimada Dhammadinna Bhikkhuni’s ordination under the Rangiri Dambulla Chapter constituted unequal treatment based on gender.

“It is obvious that if the first petitioner (the bhikkhuni) had been male, she would not have encountered these difficulties,” Justice Amarasekera observed. “She has been denied recognition as a bhikkhuni, despite being acknowledged as such by the Rangiri Dambulu Buddhist Chapter to which she belongs, an order recognized by the government. Hence, it is clear that her rights under Article 12(1) of the Constitution have been violated by the actions and conduct of the first respondent.”

Responding to the news, the International Network of Engaged Buddhists, which has long been a vocal advocate for gender equality and full religious rights and freedoms for female monastics, lauded the decision and its profound implications for the greater Buddhist sangha.

“INEB extends our heartfelt congratulations to the Sri Lankan bhikkhuni sangha on the historic Supreme Court ruling affirming their right to a national identity card bearing the rightful title of bhikkhuni. This landmark decision is not only a long-overdue recognition of their dignity and status as fully ordained monastics, but also a significant milestone for all bhikkhunis around the world who continue to seek justice, equality, and inclusion in religious life,” INEB said in a public statement dated 18 June and shared with BDG.

“This courageous ruling sends a powerful message: that spiritual commitment and ethical leadership deserve recognition and respect—regardless of gender. It affirms the fundamental principle that no one should be excluded from their rightful place in society or the Sangha based on outdated norms or discriminatory interpretations.”

The path to reviving bhikkhuni ordination in Sri Lanka has not been a smooth one. Despite having roots in the Buddha’s earliest teachings, ordained women have faced entrenched institutional and bureaucratic resistance. In particular, Sri Lanka’s traditional Buddhist monastic authorities have been reluctant to officially recognize female ordination. As such, the sil matha tradition continues to serve as the most accepted path for women seeking a deeply spiritual life.

The court’s decision this week represents a restoration of state-level recognition of Sri Lanka’s bhikkhuni sangha, and an affirmation of the legitimacy of bhikkhuni ordination and the rightful place of female monastics in the fourfold sangha prescribed by Shakyamuni Buddha: bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, laymen, and laywomen.

Spiritual freedoms aside, identity cards in Sri Lanka are also an essential part of daily life, required for all official activities: to vote, open a bank account, apply for a passport, sit exams, and more.

The coordinator for INEB’s Peace Project and Women’s Program, Anchalee Kurutach, who authored INEB’s statement, shared her personal perspective on the news, noting: “Over the past three years, I have had the privilege of working closely with monastic leaders, and I have witnessed firsthand how female monastics have had to constantly prove themselves and their worth—often while keeping a low profile. I see them not only as pioneers, but as true spiritual warriors.

“It takes immense courage to become a bhikkhuni. These women work hard, practice and study diligently, and follow the Vinaya with exceptional discipline and integrity. They have entered monastic life with full commitment—not for a few days or months, but for the long journey. They are walking against the mainstream, choosing a path that demands inner strength and a deep conviction.

“For that courage and commitment alone, I bow to them with the utmost respect.”

Buddhism is the state religion of Sri Lanka, which gained independence from British rule in 1948, with 70.2 per cent of the population identifying as Theravada Buddhists, according to census data for 2012. Hindus made up 12.6 per cent of Sri Lankans, while Muslims accounted for 9.7 per cent, Christians 7.4 per cent, and others 0.05 per cent. As the state religion, Buddhism receives special privileges under Sri Lanka’s constitution, although the constitution also stipulates freedom of religion and right to equality for all citizens.

Craig C Lewis

Craig Lewis grew up in a transplanted Scottish family in southern England before setting off against all advice to seek light and wisdom in far-off places, rather than staying put and looking within. After repeated encounters with the Buddhadharma as a journalist in Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and across Asia, he eventually found refuge as senior editor at BDG, where he reports and writes on the diversity of contemporary manifestations of the Dharma. Craig is also a keen mountain trekker and photographer, finding particular inspiration in the peoples, cultures, and Buddhist expressions of the Himalaya. In his column for BDG, “Chasing Light,” Craig seeks to document encounters, experiences, and epiphanies resulting from his own tentative and faltering path toward liberation. Contact: [email protected]

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