INTRODUCTION

In this chapter, I explore the contemporary practice of female renunciation in Sri Lanka. Though the laity continue to support female renunciants as many have done since the 1890s, a vast majority of lay nuns at present are impoverished; they find it difficult to ensure the laity's patronage. Moreover, women are no longer encouraged to renounce as they had been in the past; instead, they are expected to fulfill the role society has determined for them as wife and mother.

For many Buddhists in Sri Lanka, the conflict between social and religious obligations is a recurring phenomenon. For women, the conflict is usually resolved by giving priority to social demands, and conforming to female stereotypes. This is certainly the case with the contemporary lay nuns: the dasa sil mālāvo. That lay nuns never lose their association with their lay role as nurturers is perhaps best illustrated in a typical obituary of a lay nun:

It is striking that no mention is made of Embuldeniya Sil Mātā's lay nunnery connections, such as her teacher, and students. In other words, she is first and foremost a wife and mother, despite her renunciation of lay life. By comparison, the death announcement of a monk connects him to his monastery rather than to his blood relatives: