Nuns’ Status: A Case Study of Wat Pak Nam Bhasicharoen

Abstract

Statuses of Thai nuns are affected by the reform of Buddhism in the reign of King Rama V and the enactment of Sangha Act B.E. 2505 (A.D. 1962) which prescribes that nuns are laywomen. In addition, nuns also have different statuses, namely, 1) Dhamakaya Nuns who are nuns of Pak Nam Temple only, whose duties are to pray and practice meditation, 2) Kitchen Nuns who cook to support monks, 3) Sala Nuns who manage and take care of Sala Chan (canteen), and 4) Student Nuns who are allowed to study on Pali language and Buddhism together with monks in temples. As for the reasons for nunhood, Buddhist women become nuns because of their faith, because of the relationships between their families and temples, or because of their desire to study in extensive levels. Concerning nuns' statuses, statuses of Dhamakaya nuns are more prominents than those of others because they provide advice and consulting to those who have problems. Development nuns are from student nuns. The number of kitchen nuns is the greatest of all. Nevertheless, kitchen nuns has the attitude that women are inferior to men. Meanwhile, statuses of sala nuns are more flexible than those of others. Concerning the ways to improve statuses of nuns, it is suggested that the government should provide budgetary supports for improving education and legal statuses of Thai nuns while offering other supports for activities of Thai nuns.