The 27th king, Widok (r. 554-593), in the 24th year (577) of his reign, sent sutras, abhidharmas the Vinaya, a meditation monk, a magician, technicians for building temples, and bhikkunis to Japan, 194 years after the introduction of Buddhism to Paekje. What is interesting in this record is the official despatch of bhikkunis. It is not known whether bhikkunis were sent abroad before King Widok or not, and if so, whether, as one would suppose, the reason was because the Paekje Bhikkuni Sangha was so well established that it could send representatives abroad.

The bhikkunis must have been well educated and had much experience in the practice of Buddhism, at least sufficiently to be sent abroad in order to represent the Paekje Bhikkuni Sangha. It also suggests that there were large numbers of bhikkunis and it is even reasonable to suppose that most bhikkunis were from aristocratic families, as in Shilla, for Buddhism in Paekje, too, was supported by the royal family.

Then in the 35th year of the reign of King Widok, in 587, a Buddha relic, bhikkus, technicians for building temples, roof tilers, and painters were sent to Japan. A record states that the Japanese minister, Soga-no-umako, asked for a monk from Paekje to learn about the ordination ceremony. Two or three nuns -- depending on the interpretation -- including one named Zenshin, traveled to Paekje in order to study there. The three then ordained twelve more for the first time, on their return to Japan and thirty-five years after the three bhikkunis returned, there were 569 Japanese bhikkunis.

Before traveling to Paekje, the three bhikkunis received precepts (probably samini precepts) from Koguryo Master Hyep'yon and then studied under Koguryo bhikkuni, Popmyong. The bhikkunis, not satisfied with learning Buddhism in Japan, came to Paekje to learn about the ordination ceremony properly.

There are many reasons that the Japanese bhikkunis chose Paekje. Among the Three Kingdoms, Paekje was the most involved in the exchange of culture with Japan, in particular Buddhism. Paekje directly brought the Vinaya from India, and was therefore considered the most developed in the precepts. Also the social activities and development of the Paekje Bhikkuni Sangha may have been more vigorous than that of Shilla or Koguryo.

Unfortunately most extant records about bhikkunis are from Shilla. Though the records of Paekje and Koguryo are rare, considering the achievements of the successive generations of Paekje kings who were all deeply involved in Buddhism, the Paekje Bhikkuni Sangha was most probably as developed as Shilla. There is a Chinese record of a traveler to Paekje giving his impressions of the kingdoms. He said, "There are so many pagodas of bhikkuni temples in Paekje."

The more precise records of the Paekje Bhikkuni Sangha come from Japan. According to one record, there were separate bhikkuni temples in Paekje, and the bhikkunis received precepts according to the original procedure written down in the Vinaya. When a Paekje envoy to Japan was questioned about the program of the ordination ceremony by a Japanese, he answered, "At first, ten bhikkunis are invited to a bhikkuni temple and they, as teachers, give precepts. And then, at another temple, ten bhikkus are invited and so, together with the former ten bhikkunis, there is a total of twenty teachers. Together they give precepts."

The speaker, not being ordained, could not give more precise details of the procedure. However, the sequence of the ordination is the same as the text: first precepts are given by ten bhikkunis and then again together with ten bhikkus.

When we consider that even a layman knew something about the ordination procedure, we realize that everyone was well informed about Buddhism. Also, it indicates that trouble was taken in the keeping of the regulations of the Bhikkuni Sangha during the reign of King Widok and the discipline was carefully developed. There is also an indication of the stability and authority of the Bhikkuni Sangha of that time.

In 655, during the 15th year of the reign of King Uija (r. 641-660), Bhikkuni Popmyong went to Japan and cured a sick person by chanting the Vimalakirtinirdesa-sutra. The fact that this case is recorded in a history book tells that the bhikkuni was considered to be great. It is also good evidence of the traffic between the peninsula and Japan from the time of the 27th King Widok until the last (31st) King Uija, a period of about 130 years.

The mission of Paekje bhikkunis in Japan speaks of the high learning and great virtue of the bhikkunis, and the existence and activities of the Bhikkuni Sangha as a whole. From the above cases, the scale and activities as well as the social status of Paekje bhikkunis can be sufficiently understood.