Read speaker annals

Interview recorded in 2018.

MALINI’S ANNALS:

• In 1967 I was 17 and working as a junior secretary in the BBC Arabic service in Bush House. Here I met Ananda to be, who told me about Sakura as somewhere I could get incense however I not only got the exotic fragrance of incense but the perfume of being taught meditation by Bhante shortly after he arrived in the UK. I entered a world so different from the suburban life I grew up in. I felt an immediate trust in Bhante despite his unconventional appearance yet very calm aura.

• In 1977 I had been ordained 8 years. I had lived in Cornwall for 3 years 2 of them on my own to find my independence, lived in London for a year to connect with a very changed movement with Bhante no longer leading everything. Went to Glasgow to help out at the Centre and ended up being Chair for a while. This was very challenging being only a very young 25 years old, English and a woman in a mostly male situation. I then helped set up Mandarava the first women’s retreat Centre in Norwich which was even more challenging with so little experience and no role models and the tensions in the movement at that that time between the sexes. I stayed here for 2 years before moving to London to study acupuncture.
• In 1987 I made my third trip to Australia to visit Vajrasuri. This time I also went to visit Anjali in New Zealand, got married to Purna and made the decision to move to the Antipodies. I went back to the UK to tie up my affairs including my acupuncture practice. I found New Zealand less psychically cluttered as well as physically more spacious and I appreciated the time to assimilate the rather full sometimes exciting and often turbulent times of the last decade as well as start another acupuncture practice.
• In 1997 Having lived in a very small Bach on Waiheke Island with Purna and 6 cats, who were there before us, as well as hosting many guests from the UK mainly, we decided to build something a little bigger with the money I received after my fathers death. I had been getting more involved with the Order and mitras in New Zealand but this year Sanghadevi came out for our Australasian GFR retreat after which I became more fully committed to the GFR process out here.
• In 2007 I was part of our first Antipodian Ordination retreat at Golden Bay in the South Island. It was delightful to be part of this and see 8 new Dharmacharinis come into being as well as working harmoniously with 5 committed team members.
• In 2017 Having been on several more Ordination retreats in Golden Bay, I went to Akashavana to Ordain Akshobhini. This was my second visit having been there the previous year to Ordain the second person I had become private Preceptor to. After this retreat I met up with my long term friends in the UK before going to my first PP College meeting having resisted this role for several years.

(Interview recorded in 2018)

Interview recorded in 2018.

MALINI’S ANNALS:

• In 1967 I was 17 and working as a junior secretary in the BBC Arabic service in Bush House. Here I met Ananda to be, who told me about Sakura as somewhere I could get incense however I not only got the exotic fragrance of incense but the perfume of being taught meditation by Bhante shortly after he arrived in the UK. I entered a world so different from the suburban life I grew up in. I felt an immediate trust in Bhante despite his unconventional appearance yet very calm aura.

• In 1977 I had been ordained 8 years. I had lived in Cornwall for 3 years 2 of them on my own to find my independence, lived in London for a year to connect with a very changed movement with Bhante no longer leading everything. Went to Glasgow to help out at the Centre and ended up being Chair for a while. This was very challenging being only a very young 25 years old, English and a woman in a mostly male situation. I then helped set up Mandarava the first women’s retreat Centre in Norwich which was even more challenging with so little experience and no role models and the tensions in the movement at that that time between the sexes. I stayed here for 2 years before moving to London to study acupuncture.
• In 1987 I made my third trip to Australia to visit Vajrasuri. This time I also went to visit Anjali in New Zealand, got married to Purna and made the decision to move to the Antipodies. I went back to the UK to tie up my affairs including my acupuncture practice. I found New Zealand less psychically cluttered as well as physically more spacious and I appreciated the time to assimilate the rather full sometimes exciting and often turbulent times of the last decade as well as start another acupuncture practice.
• In 1997 Having lived in a very small Bach on Waiheke Island with Purna and 6 cats, who were there before us, as well as hosting many guests from the UK mainly, we decided to build something a little bigger with the money I received after my fathers death. I had been getting more involved with the Order and mitras in New Zealand but this year Sanghadevi came out for our Australasian GFR retreat after which I became more fully committed to the GFR process out here.
• In 2007 I was part of our first Antipodian Ordination retreat at Golden Bay in the South Island. It was delightful to be part of this and see 8 new Dharmacharinis come into being as well as working harmoniously with 5 committed team members.
• In 2017 Having been on several more Ordination retreats in Golden Bay, I went to Akashavana to Ordain Akshobhini. This was my second visit having been there the previous year to Ordain the second person I had become private Preceptor to. After this retreat I met up with my long term friends in the UK before going to my first PP College meeting having resisted this role for several years.

(Interview recorded in 2018)