Definition of bhikshuni
bhikshunis
: a woman belonging to a Hindu or Buddhist monastic order : a Hindu or Buddhist nun Other precepts, such as the one requiring bhikshunis to receive instructions from a bhikshu twice a month (but not vice versa), clearly reflect gender inequalities in Indian society at that time. — Bhikshuni Karma Lekshe Tsomo, Blossoms of the Dharma: Living as a Buddhist Nun, 1999 The number of vows varies among different Buddhist lineages, and within each lineage, the bhikshus and bhikshunis have different numbers of vows. — Thubten Chodron, Taming The Mind, 2004
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Origin and Etymology of bhikshuni
borrowed from Sanskrit bhikṣuṇī, feminine derivative of bhikṣu bhikshu
First Known Use: 1831
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