The Life of One Buddhist Nun in Contemporary Thailand

Sid Brown. The Journey of One Buddhist Nun: Even Against the Wind. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2001. xi + 180 pp. $20.95, paper, ISBN 978-0-7914-5096-3. Reviewed by Jeffrey Samuels Published on H-Buddhism (May, 2004) Sid Brown depicts, in very rich detail, the life in Thailand, Brown turns to the events surround‐ experiences of one contemporary Thai maechi or ing the establishment of the Institute of Thai female renouncer, Maechi Wabi. In the introduc‐ Maechi which is made up of maechi from all over tory chapter, Brown frst sets the scene that will Thailand. In this chapter, Brown considers the rel‐ later play an important role in Wabi's life: a Bud‐ ative inability of the Institute to accord maechi dhist nunnery (samnak) in a small village in the similar rights as monks as well as the degree to province of Ratburi, seventy-five miles southwest which the "maechi" category may be considered a of Bangkok. In the frst chapter, Brown further suitable substitute for the order of fully ordained sets the stage by exploring the events that contrib‐ nuns (bhikkhuni). uted to Maechi Wabi's decision to become a nun, Chapters 3 through 7 examine Maechi Wabi's from her childhood interest in meditation to the early experiences as a renouncer. In chapter 3, for events surrounding her father's decision to be‐ instance, Brown looks at how Wabi became asso‐ come a monk and the oppressive effects that his ciated with another maechi who ran her own decision had on Wabi's lay life. samnak in rural Thailand, Seni. Of particular in‐ In the second chapter, Brown moves from a terest for Brown is the "crisis of faith" that Wabi more focused examination of Wabi's life to a more undergoes during her early years: from the jeal‐ general look at the cultural biases surrounding ousy expressed toward Wabi by a maechi residing women renouncers in Thailand and how those in Seni's samnak to Wabi's crisis in meditation prejudices affect contemporary maechi. Here, that occurred when she undertook an intensive Brown assesses the status of women renouncers retreat. In these chapters, Brown is especially in comparison to their male counterparts by look‐ keen in showing how Wabi uses a Buddhist ing at how certain segments of the Thai popula‐ framework (e.g., the doctrine of karma, past lives, tion regard and understand women who choose and impermanence) to make sense of her experi‐ to "go forth." In examining the history of maechi H-Net Reviews ences as well as the role that meditation plays in Maechi Wabi's story is truly paradigmatic. For in‐ allowing her access to her feelings. stance, in chapter 4 Brown notes how "Maechi Chapters 8 through 10 focus on the ways in Wabi's lack of worldly experience and her pover‐ which Wabi resolved her "crisis." Examining how ty set her apart [from Maechi Seni and Maechi Wabi reestablishes her "faith" through her explo‐ Mina]" (p. 46). If this is indeed the case, then one ration of other ways of living as a maechi, Brown may nonetheless question whether focusing on focuses on the events surrounding Wabi's deci‐ the life experiences of Seni and Mina would por‐ sion to join the Dhammacarini Samnak, the frst tray a very different picture of maechi in Thai‐ Buddhist school for girls in Thailand. Dham‐ land. macarini, unlike the previous "meditation-orient‐ While Brown acknowledges that there is no ed" samnaks that Wabi had joined, functions to one entity that is maechi (p. 143), she nonetheless serve society by instilling Buddhist mores and by argues that fnding a case and contextualizing it providing education to women and young girls vigorously is the best way to begin to understand who have had little access to learning. Brown de‐ maechi. While there are certain benefits of such a picts how it is in her new role as a teacher that narrowly focused study, providing several case Wabi is able to reorient her life and make sense of studies and contextualizing, even more widely, her previous experiences. the lives of Thai maechi would provide the reader In the last three chapters, Brown explores with the necessary background to assess whether how Thai maechi, such as Wabi and those associ‐ or not the generalizations that Brown draws from ated with the Institute of Thai Maechi and centers Wabi's life (e.g., pp. 71f.) truly apply to other such as Dhammacarini, are creating new roles for maechi. Perhaps a less narrowly focused study female renouncers by blending the "ascetic" role that may even include a brief comparison be‐ usually associated with forest monks with the tween Thai maechi and nuns in other Theravada nurturing/mothering role normally associated countries (such as the dasa sil matavas in Sri Lan‐ with Thai women. By combining the role of re‐ ka) would further add to Brown's important con‐ nouncer and care-giver, maechi, according to tribution to our understandings of women's roles Brown, are able to "cultivate emotional openness in Buddhism. and responsiveness in a way denied to other Despite some of the problems inherent in women who are more enmeshed in human rela‐ Brown's assumption that the life of one nun tionships" (p. 116) as well offer other women a speaks much to the lives of other nuns, the rich safe place to deal with their problems. details that she provides in terms of Maechi A major strength of The Journey of One Bud‐ Wabi's experiences is truly commendable. dhist Nun is the detailed account Brown gives of Throughout the book, Wabi's voice is given ample one Buddhist nun, Maechi Wabi. While providing room to present and express itself. In that regard, a very detailed description of Wabi's life, it is Sid Brown does not generally allow particular the‐ nonetheless difficult to assess, especially to those oretical flters to color the lens that is so meticu‐ less familiar with Thai maechi, the degree to lously focused on The Journey of One Buddhist which the voice of one maechi relates to the col‐ Nun. lective experiences of Thai maechi. While Brown claims, in the introductory chapter, that "coming to understand Maechi Wabi can mean coming to understand maechi in modern Thailand" (p. 4), the reader may be left asking whether or not 2 H-Net Reviews If there is additional discussion of this review, you may access it through the network, at https://networks.h-net.org/h-buddhism Citation: Jeffrey Samuels. Review of Brown, Sid. The Journey of One Buddhist Nun: Even Against the Wind. H-Buddhism, H-Net Reviews. May, 2004. URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=9371 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. 3.

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