A bhikkhunī or bhikṣuṇī is a Buddhist nun, fully ordained female in Buddhist monasticism. Bhikkhunis live by the Vinaya, a set of either 311 Theravada, 348 Dharmaguptaka, or 364 Mulasarvastivada school rules. Until recently, the lineages of female monastics only remained in Mahayana Buddhism and thus were prevalent in countries such as China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Vietnam, while a few women have taken the full monastic vows in the Theravada and Vajrayana schools. The official lineage of Tibetan Buddhist bhikkhunis recommenced on 23 June 2022 in Bhutan when 144 nuns were fully ordained.
Buddhist nuns and laywomen performing a service at a temple in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China.
Sanghamitta bringing the Bodhi tree to Sri Lanka. Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara
Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, the first modern Thai woman to receive full ordination as a Theravada bhikkhuni and Abbess of Songdhammakalyani Monastery, the only temple in Thailand where there are bhikkhunis.
A Vietnamese bhiksuni
A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent. The term is often used interchangeably with religious sisters who do take simple vows but live an active vocation of prayer and charitable work.
St. Scholastica, sister of St. Benedict and founder of the Benedictine nuns
Hildegard of Bingen and her nuns
Maria Johanna Baptista von Zweyer, Abbess of the Cistercian abbey of Wald
Three Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in the Portal of a Church, by Armand Gautier
