Based on research recently conducted in Sri Lanka, I will discuss how
different types of institutions of Buddhist nuns promote specific
communal rules and why they might address those rules in different ways.
The paper will focus on communities of nuns that include both fully
ordained bhikkhunis as well as sil matas, who dwell in teaching
institutions and meditation centers throughout the country, and belong
to a Theravada/Southern Buddhist tradition. I will demonstrate that
while nuns living at the various centers focus on the cultivation of
contemplative practices that are conducive to the eradication of
obstacles on the path to nirvana, and aim at maintaining a disciplined
and harmonious life in community, there are important differences in how
and why nuns at different institutions engage monastic regulations.
