The Theravada Buddhist Community would like to invite you to a Day of Mindfulness with Ayya Medhanandi and Ayya Anuruddha on Sunday, September 25, 2022. The retreat will be available online using the Zoom platform.

Ayya Medhanandi

Ayya Medhanandi is the daughter of Eastern European refugees who emigrated to Montreal after the World War 2. She is the founder and guiding teacher of Sati Saraniya Hermitage, a forest monastery for women in the Theravada tradition. She began a spiritual quest in childhood that led her to India, Burma, England, New Zealand, Malaysia, Taiwan, and finally back to Canada. In1988 while in Burma, Ayya requested full ordination as a bhikkhuni from her teacher Venerable Sayadaw U Pandita. However, this was not yet possible for Theravada Buddhist women. Instead, Sayadaw granted her ordination as a ten precept nun on the condition that she keep her vows for life. When a military coup closed Myanmar’s border, Sayadaw blessed Ayya to join the Ajahn Chah Forest Sangha at Amaravati. After 10 years, Ayya felt called to practice as a hermit nun in New Zealand for six years and later in Southeast Asia. In 2007, after nearly 20 years as a novice alms-mendicant nun, Ayya fulfilled her long held wish for full bhikkhuni ordination in Taiwan. In 2008, on invitation from the Toronto Buddhist Community and Ottawa Buddhist Society, Ayya returned to her native Canada to establish Sati Saraniya Hermitage.

Ayya Anuruddha

Ayya Anuruddha of the United Kingdom joined Sati Saraniya Hermitage community in May 2014. After her initial year as an anagarika she began her life as an alms-mendicant nun in September 2014. This deepened her spiritual commitment to the Buddha’s path of monastic training. Her higher ordination as a bhikkhuni was conducted on December 3, 2017 at Dhamma Dharini Monastery in California with Ayya Tathaaloka as preceptor. The Pali name Anuruddha means “One Who is in Harmony”. It was also the name of a beloved cousin of the Buddha, one of his chief disciples renowned for his penetrating Dhamma vision, skillfulness, devotion and noble qualities of heart.

To join our Zoom Meeting, click on this link:

The Day of Mindfulness will include meditation, mindfulness instructions and Buddhist reflections.

Registration is not required. If you would like to donate to the Sati Saraniya Hermitage for this event, please use the TBC donation page and include a message that the donation is for Ayyas Day of Mindfulness retreat. 100% of all donations will be passed on to the Hermitage.

The chants for the Days of Mindfulness will be displayed on the Zoom screen during the opening and closing chants. However, you can print the chants ahead of time if you prefer. They are available at this link.

  This retreat will start at 8:30 am EDT and finish by 3:00 pm. We look forward to you joining us on September 25th.

Schedule

The Theravada Buddhist Community would like to invite you to a Day of Mindfulness with Ajahn Pavaro on Sunday, August 28, 2022. The retreat will be available online using the Zoom platform.

Ajahn Pavaro

Ajahn Pavaro early formative monastic training began in 2001 with Ajahn Sona at Sitavana Forest Monastery in British Columbia. He spent his seventh year as a Bhikkhu with his preceptor, Luang Por Pasanno, and the Sangha at Abhayagiri Monastery. In 2010 he moved to Thailand and spent close to 10 years with Ajahn Achalo at Anandagiri Monastery in Petchabun. He benefited from periods of practice at Wat Pah Nanachat and from opportunities to receive teachings from leading elders of the Wat Non Pah Pong Sangha, including Luang Por Liem and Tan Ajahn Anan. In June 2020 Ajahn Pavaro was welcomed to Tisarana, where he now resides.

To join our Zoom Meeting, click on this link:

The Day of Mindfulness will include meditation, mindfulness instructions and Buddhist reflections.

Registration is not required. If you would like to donate to the Tisarana Buddhist Monastery for this event, please use the TBC donation page and include a message that the donation is for Ajahn Pavaro’s Day of Mindfulness retreat. 100% of all donations will be passed on to Tisarana.

The chants for the Days of Mindfulness will be displayed on the Zoom screen during the opening and closing chants. However, you can print the chants ahead of time if you prefer. They are available at this link.

We look forward to you joining us on August 28th.  Please note that this one day retreat will start at 8:45 am EDT and finish at 3:15 pm.

Schedule

The Theravada Buddhist Community is pleased to announce that on Sunday, July 10th at 11:00 am Ayya Nimmala will be joining us during our weekly meditation session to offer a dhamma talk followed by a short question and answers period.

Ayya Nimmala

Ayya Nimmala started her training as a Buddhist nun at Sati Saraniya Hermitage in 2008 under the guidance of Ayya Medhanandi. She took full ordination in 2011 at Spirit Rock Meditation Centre, California, with Ayya Tathaaloka as her preceptor. She then returned to Canada to continue her training with her teacher, Ayya Medhanandi. In 2021, she completed her 10th “vassa” or annual rains retreat as a bhikkhuni (fully-ordained Buddhist nun) and is currently residing at a small vihara in Vancouver, British Columbia.

This session is available on Zoom at our regular Sunday morning Zoom link: Sunday Morning Zoom

The Theravada Buddhist Community would like to invite you to a Day of Mindfulness with Ajahn Viradhammo on Sunday, June 26, 2022. The retreat will be available online using the Zoom platform.

Ajahn Viradhammo

Ajahn Viradhammo is the founder and abbot of Tisarana Buddhist Monastery in Perth, Ontario. He took bhikkhu (monastic) ordination in Thailand in 1974 at Wat Pah Pong with Ajahn Chah. He was one of the first residents at Wat Pah Nanachat, the international monastery in north-east Thailand. In 1977, he was asked by Ajahn Chah to join Ajahn Sumedho at the Hampstead Vihara in London. Later, he was involved in the establishment of both the Chithurst and Harnham monasteries in the UK. In 1985, he moved to New Zealand, where he lived for 10 years, setting up Bodhinyanarama monastery. In 1995, he went to the UK to assist Ajahn Sumedho at Amaravati and stayed for four years before returning to New Zealand, where he lived until 2002. He then returned to Ottawa where he cared for his mother for nine years. He is now a full time resident at Tisarana Buddhist Monastery.

To join our Zoom Meeting, click on this link:

The Day of Mindfulness will include meditation, mindfulness instructions and Buddhist reflections.

Registration is not required. If you would like to donate to the Tisarana Buddhist Monastery for this event, please use the TBC donation page and include a message that the donation is for Ajahn Viradhammo Day of Mindfulness retreat. 100% of all donations will be passed on to Tisarana.

The chants for the Days of Mindfulness will be displayed on the Zoom screen during the opening and closing chants. However, you can print the chants ahead of time if you prefer. They are available at this link.

We look forward to you joining us on June 26th.  Please note that this one day retreat will start at 8:30 am EDT and finish at 3:15 pm.

Schedule

The Theravada Buddhist Community is pleased to announce that on Sunday, May 22 at 11:00am Ajahn Ñāṇiko, abbot of Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, California, will be joining us during our weekly meditation session to offer a dhamma talk followed by a short question and answer period.

Ajahn Ñāṇiko

Ajahn Ñāṇiko was born and raised in California. In 2001, at the age of 20, he visited Abhayagiri and decided to request anagarika ordination. in 2002, he took novice ordination, and in July 2003, he was ordained as a bhikkhu. He received his basic training from Luang Por Pasanno and Luang Por Amaro at Abhayagiri, and has also spent over six years training in Thailand. When Ajahn Pasanno stepped back from his leadership role in 2018, Ajahn Ñāṇiko was the co-abbot of Abhayagiri along with Ajahn Karunadhammo. In 2020, Ajahn Karunadhammo stepped back from his administrative duties, so Ajahn Ñāṇiko is now serving as the abbot of Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery. .

This session is available on Zoom at our regular Sunday morning Zoom link: Sunday Morning Zoom