Joy & Fear
I’ve have received responses from around the world to our bhikkhuni ordination. Overwhelmingly, they express two dominant emotions: joy and fear.
Joy at the ordination, joy for the bhikkhunis, joy for the courage of Ajahn Brahm and the Sangha, joy that there is still a hope for Buddhism in our future.
And fear at what someone will say or do if they find out, fear of the consequences: ‘don’t quote me, don’t say I contacted you, don’t let word get back to the monks of what I’ve done’.
Ajahn Brahm and the Sangha who supported the bhikkhuni ordination have unleashed a wave of joy. But where does the fear come from? What are they afraid of? How can a tiny group of elite monks generate such an ocean of silence?
Fear is a Big issue – it goes with the cultural baggage – fear of making a
mistake – causing offence – Many monks and lay people feel this a lot – when a
lot of us seek freedom / liberation from constraints – the traditional ways can
seem unduly limiting …..
The enemy now is silence. Whether they feel joy or fear, those who care about giving women an fair go in Buddhism need to make themselves known. Here’s a website I knocked up recently dedicated to publishing public letters of support for bhikkhuni ordination: http://www.supportbhikkhunis.org.
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From me, only happiness to hear of a sensible act. No fear.
Surely, if we really understood, with wisdom, what joy is and what fear is – we could progress on the path?
Fear is so disabling in so many ways…..i do hope that from this , we can grow in understanding of fear and bring great healing.