Description
Friday, September 20
6:30-8:00pm ET
Hybrid | $35
Co-Sponsored with Shantideva Center
Dhammananda Bhikkhuni defied convention to become the first fully ordained woman in the Theravada Buddhist tradition in Thailand. Dubbed “Rebel Monk” by the Thai press, she faced enormous opposition by the media, the public, and senior orthodox Thai monks. She is currently the abbess of Songdhammakalyani Temple, the first monastery established by and for Buddhist women in Thailand. As a Theravada nun, she has also encountered objections to incorporating Mahayana elements – for instance, constructing a temple to house a majestic blue statue of Medicine Buddha after seeing it years prior in a meditative vision. Once a highly respected academic and public media figure before her ordination, Venerable Dhammananda has become a figure eliciting both controversy and reverence . Yet at every step of the way, she has prioritized community, harmony, and outreach towards different Buddhist and other religious traditions over individualism, conflict, and sectarianism to bring about lasting and healing change. Join us for an interactive conversation to learn more about Dhammananda Bhikkhuni’s groundbreaking life and to explore its implications for modern Buddhism in an age of polarization, and societal and environmental degradation. This talk will be led by Cindy Rasicot, her student and author of her biography, This Fresh Existence: Heart Teachings.
