The "Feminization" Movement in the History of the Buddhist Monastic Community of Sri Lanka

The article is devoted to the movement for the "feminization" of the monastic community in Sri Lankan Buddhism.
It is noted that a line of fully dedicated nuns or bhikkhuns spread to Ceylon in antiquity and has a rich history. At the same time, in the 10th century, the female monastic tradition was interrupted, due to which, over the past millennium, Buddhist women in Ceylon did not have the opportunity to lead a full-fledged monastic life. Attempts to revive female monasticism began at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, when the Dasasila Mata community appeared in Sri Lanka. The confessional status of the dasasil mata is rather controversial and not fully defined. In fact, they occupy an intermediate position between lay women and nuns.
In the 1990s. in Sri Lanka, there is a resurgence of an order of fully ordained bhikkhuni nuns. The status of the bhikkhuni sangha is still controversial in Sri Lanka. The issue of legitimization of the women's community remains extremely topical, connected with the recognition of the bhikkhuni-sangha community by the official church structures of the island. At the same time, international women's Buddhist organizations play a significant role in supporting the bhikkhun community.