A
bhikkhunī (
Pali) or
bhikṣuṇī (
Sanskrit) is a fully ordained female monastic in
Buddhism. Male monastics are called
bhikkhus. Both bhikkhunis and bhikkhus live by the
Vinaya, a set of rules. Until recently, the lineages of female monastics only remained in
Mahayana Buddhism and thus are prevalent in countries such as
Korea,
Vietnam,
China, and
Taiwan but a few women have taken the full monastic vows in the
Theravada and
Vajrayana schools over the last decade.