Abstract
This dissertation on contemporary Sri Lankan Buddhist female renunciation presents an in-depth investigation of four groups of female renunciants: bhikkhunī-s, silmātā-s, anagārikā-s and a teraṇi. Empirical research in Sri Lanka and online sources are used to identify how these female renunciants survive and prosper in an environment that is not always welcoming and supportive. The dissertation draws on crystallization methodology in order to account for the diversity of genres and depictions of female renunciation, and draws upon a range of data collection and analysis methods. During this process, the many texts, media, voices, and discourses created by female renunciant organisations were foregrounded.
The strategies used by these female renunciant groups are varied, complex and sometimes contradictory. The bhikkhunī-s adhere to a Vinaya-centric approach that is derived from canonical notions about female renunciation. Silmātā-s, on the other hand, focus on institutional organisation and collaboration with the state. The anagārikā-s embrace piety, middle-class values, and asymmetrical gender roles in their pursuit of vimukti: release from the suffering of being born as a woman. The teraṇi from the Aloko Udapadi organisation employs various media to preach her particular style of meditation and path to salvation to her followers. This dissertation concludes that contemporary Sri Lankan Buddhist female renunciation is a complex and changing terrain that must be taken seriously by scholars.