Ani (nun)
Encyclopedia
Ani is a prefix added to the name of a nun
in Tibetan Buddhism
. Thus, for example, the full title of a nun whose name is Pema becomes Ani Pema (akin to, for example, "Sister Anne" among Catholic
nuns)
In Tibetan, the word ani also translates as aunt
, which has special significance in Buddhism as the Buddha
's aunt, Mahaprajapati, is said to have been the first Buddhist nun.
Concern over the status implied by the term Ani is said to have led some Vajrayana
Buddhist nuns in India
to prefer the prefix Cho-la (a Buddhist practitioner) or Tsun-ma (reverend lady) (see reference below).
Bhikkhuni
A bhikkhuni or bhikṣuṇī is a fully ordained female Buddhist monastic. Male monastics are called bhikkhus. Both bhikkhunis and bhikkhus live by the vinaya...
in Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
. Thus, for example, the full title of a nun whose name is Pema becomes Ani Pema (akin to, for example, "Sister Anne" among Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
nuns)
In Tibetan, the word ani also translates as aunt
Aunt
An aunt is a person who is the sister or sister-in-law of a parent. A man with an equivalent relationship is an uncle, and the reciprocal relationship is that of a nephew or niece....
, which has special significance in Buddhism as the Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
's aunt, Mahaprajapati, is said to have been the first Buddhist nun.
Concern over the status implied by the term Ani is said to have led some Vajrayana
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
Buddhist nuns in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to prefer the prefix Cho-la (a Buddhist practitioner) or Tsun-ma (reverend lady) (see reference below).