The Binara Full Moon Poya Day, which takes place during the ninth month of the Buddhist calendar, September, carries both historical and spiritual meaning in Sri Lanka, as it commemorates the establishment of the Bhikkhuni Sangha, the Order of Female Buddhist Monastics. More than 2,500 years ago, Mahapajapati Gotami, the stepmother of the Buddha, on a Binara Poya Day, became the first woman to be ordained as a disciple of the Buddha, opening the path for generations of women to enter monastic life.
Mahapajapathi Gothami was the younger sister of Queen Maha Maya and raised Prince Siddhartha after the Queen’s passing. Later, she became the wife of King Suddhodhana and was both a guardian and a mother figure to the boy who would become the Buddha.
Years after his Enlightenment, Mahapajapathi Gothami sought ordination for herself and 500 noblewomen. When the Buddha hesitated, she and her companions shaved their heads, donned robes, and walked to Visala Mahanuwara to make their request again. Finally, the Buddha agreed, under the condition that they observe the Eight Garu Dharma. With this, the Bhikkhuni Sasanaya was born, and women were given the chance to live a life devoted to the Dhamma.
For Buddhist women, Binara Poya is a day of remembrance and pride. It marks one of the earliest steps in religious history toward women’s emancipation. While men had already been entering the Sangha, women had been left behind. Mahapajapathi Gothami’s ordination, as well as the ordination of the 500 women who followed her example, freed them from social restrictions, granting them recognition as equals following the discipline.
This incident, which took place during the fifth year of the Buddha’s Enlightenment, became a declaration that women, too, could seek liberation and contribute to the growth of Buddhism.
Today, Sri Lankans celebrate the Binara Full Moon Poya by visiting temples, engaging in meditation, and offering alms. It occurs in the Vas season, when monks devote more time to meditation and spiritual activities while refraining from travelling and venturing out of the monasteries for alms. For Bhikkhunis, this period holds particular importance, as it ties them directly to the resilience of their ancestors.
The month also features the grand Mahiyangana Perahara, which winds its way through the sacred surroundings of the Mahiyangana Stupa. This stupa, which marks the site of the Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka, becomes the centre of a vibrant pageant of devotion, along with the participation of the Veddah people, the island’s indigenous community that dwells in the area.
The ordination of Mahapajapati Gotami offered women in ancient India the chance to step away from a life defined by family and society. Many of them, previously bound by patriarchal customs, found in monastic life a way to practise the Dhamma and pursue inner freedom.
In a discourse referred to as the Kalama Sutta, the Buddha advised that one should not accept teachings merely out of tradition or because they originated from an authoritative source. Rather, he encouraged them to reflect on whether a practice is worthwhile and advantageous. This evaluation should determine what practices one should follow or reject. This principle is also relevant to Mahapajapati Gothami and the first Bhikkhunis, who challenged social norms to seek a path that was right and just.
The Binara Full Moon Poya is not only a commemoration of history but also the founding of the Bhikkhuni Sangha. Mahapajapathi Gothami and her companions carved out a place for women in religious life.
