Buddhist Women on a Path of Spiritual Awakening
Sayadaw U Pandita
With palms on my heart, I remember and pay homage to a very rare and great being – Sayādaw U Pandita-bhivamsa of Burma – Theravāda Buddhist meditation master, teacher of teachers and practitioners and great spiritual warrior who left an indelible legacy of the…
Anagārikā Chandimā
Tisaraṇena saddhiṃ anagārikā sīlaṃ dhammaṃ samādayitvā sādhukaṃ surakkhitaṃ katvā appamādena sampādetha. With faith in the Triple Refuge and having undertaken the anagārikā training, strive on with diligence for your welfare and protection.
100% of the Path
It was the last Sunday of April – cool, bright, brimming with birdsong and the sounds of the Hermitage woodland, and remarkably for early Spring, no black fly to be seen! We gathered for a day of mindful work and practice, two dozen strong,…
Fusion of Faiths
Students from the grade 6 religion class at Joan of Arc Academy experienced the Buddhism section of their studies live in a recent field trip to Sati Saraniya Hermitage. Our afternoon together included meditation time and a question/answer session about monastic life which touched…
Sanctuary
“Just as birds leave no tracks in the air, there are those whose minds do not cling to what they receive, their focus is the signless state of liberation that to others is indiscernible. Just like birds who leave no tracks in the air,…
Ethical Footprint
A prevailing theme of the Buddha’s own life and teachings resounds for his disciples across more than two and a half millenia. Repeatedly, he extols the virtues of dwelling in the wilderness, exhorting us to devote ourselves to solitude, seclusion, and meditation so that…
Daughter of the Buddha
On July 5th, one week before the start of our annual vassa or rains retreat, Acala took anagarika ordination in the temple at Sati Saraniya Hermitage. A small gathering of our community members watched her request permission to live the homeless life. Soon afterwards,…
Unexpected Blessings
After the solitude of our winter retreat and the return of bright spring days, we decided to follow the ancient Buddhist practice of walking for alms to receive spontaneous offerings of food from the community. On Saturday mornings, we have been going pindapat in…
First Things First
Just as a deep lake is clear and still, even so, on hearing the teachings and realising them, the wise become exceedingly peaceful. Dhammapada 82 Every year has been auspicious for our community and 2013 was no exception. We will remember it…
Aspiring to Awaken
On the full moon day of September nearly 2600 years ago, Mahapajapati Gotami, the Buddha’s aunt and foster mother, became the first bhikkhuni to receive ordination in the Buddha’s dispensation and, later, an arahant in her lifetime. This year we honoured her with a…
~ Dhammapada Verse 54