Bhikshu and bhikshuni
Also called: Bhikkhu and bhikkhuni, Bhikkhu, Bhikshu, Bhikkhuni, Bhikshuni · Topic: Buddhism, Jainism and Heterodox Traditions · NCERT: Class 6, Ch 7 "India's Cultural Roots"; Class 12, Ch 4 "Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings"
Meaning
A bhikkhu (Sanskrit bhikṣhu) is a Buddhist monk and a bhikkhunī (bhikṣhuṇī) is a Buddhist nun. The word means "one who lives on alms". Each gave up household life and joined the sangha, the community founded by the Buddha. They lived simply and owned only basic things, such as a bowl for the one meal a day given by lay people. They followed the strict rules of the Vinaya Pitaka and travelled widely to teach the dhamma. Jainism also had its own orders of monks and nuns.
Example
Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī, the Buddha's foster mother, was the first bhikkhunī. The Therigāthā, part of the Sutta Pitaka, is a collection of verses composed by bhikkhunīs about their lives and their search for freedom from suffering.
Don't confuse with
- Theri: a theri is a respected nun who has attained liberation. Every theri is a bhikkhunī, but not every bhikkhunī is a theri.