The nuns climb coconut trees to get sugary palm liquid and coconut milk for their living.

“At first I was scared to climb the coconut trees. But I learnt how to do it from other nuns, and now I’m used to it,” said Nun Narumon Siangthai, the 40-year-old nun who has been staying at the Suan Wanasanti Nunnery for 14 years. 

The Suan Wanasanti is the nunnery in Phetchaburi province which is three hours from Bangkok. This place is lush green, exuding peace and serenity. But there are plenty of activities inside.

The activities for the nuns are not only meditation but also doing things to keep the nunnery going. 

Nun Narumon climbed up and down the coconut tree to get the sugary liquid from the palm’s top stem to make sugar for the nunnery. While other nuns are peeling coconuts to get the white meat and coconut milk to make sweets for sale. The hard outer fibers are kept for cooking fuel. They also grow vegetables for their consumption and herbs to make Khanom jeen. 

In the kitchen, the group of elderly nuns is moving swiftly around the huge stove to make ‘Khanom jeen’ on order. The cash is used to pay electricity and water bills.

Mae Chee Jamnien Sianglo, a 50-year-old nun said: “We help each other do this work to keep the nunnery going.” – a contrast to monks’ relatively easier life in temples. 

Mae Chee has low social status in the religious hierarchy. They were treated as temple servants, cooking and serving foods for monks, doing the dishes, cleaning, and selling flowers to visitors. 

“Women pursuing religious lives do not receive the same kind of social support as men. Women must have their own financial means in order to live as nuns because the public does not make merit through us,” said Mother Superior Thongpian Kaewnet, the head of the nunnery. All nuns called her “Mae Yai”. She is 72 years old but still active. Her eyes shine brightly while smiles never leave her face.

Even in the temple, women are oppressed and have a lower social status than men. Domestic violence, whether perpetrated by the father or the husband, causes many women to turn to meditation and become nuns. Or they do not want to remain slaves to their spouses and children for the rest of their life. 

“Being ordained frees us from domestic worries,” said Mae Yai. She left home when she was 27. Her father first refused to help her. To make money, she had to borrow money from a wealthy friend and arrange flowers at funerals. “I still remember eating Krathin with fish sauce back in those days,”

The rules of Bhikkhunis are even stricter than monks. They were bound not only by the rules but also by ceremonial procedures and regulations. They need to be under monks’ orders. Monks, on the other hand, continue to receive greater support from society than nuns. Nuns have no one to look after them, therefore they must look after themselves. “If we nuns do not help one another, no one will,” said Nun Jamnien.

Mother Thongpian or Mae Yai said “By helping ourselves, we don’t have to trouble our parents or others to support us. We support ourselves. Any spiritual improvement we achieve is purer because we do not make it at another’s expense.” 

Buddhism teaches 3 ways to cultivate spiritual strength. Giving, observing precepts, and meditating. Helping one another and working in this role are a real battleground for challenging spiritual strength. Therefore, when the nuns help each other in the nunnery is one way of practicing giving.

“I have gone through many difficulties myself. That’s why I want to help when I have a chance to. That’s why I want to build this place so that women can live a religious life without money worries.” said mother Thongpian.