Samachitta, until recently Chair of Triratna’s Birmingham Buddhist Centre, spoke at an International Women’s Day interfaith event at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG) on 10th March 2016.
Here’s the text of her talk, ‘Women who have inspired me’ in which she talks about the Buddha’s aunt Mahaprajapati, Dipa Ma and Triratna’s own Maitrisara, Birmingham’s mitra convenor for women - whose picture currently appears next to a Triratna kesa in BMAG’s exhibition ‘Faith in Birmingham’.
Recently someone asked me whether it is true that Triratna is unique in the Buddhist world in ordaining women and men equally, as we often say. Here is my reply, which does not claim to be definitive.
“In bhikkhuni (female) ordination (Theravada and Mahayana) women have to be ordained by women and then also by men, whereas bhikkhus (men) are ordained only by men. ie there is a double ordination for women but not for men.
Its lineage having died out, the ‘double’ Theravada bhikkhuni ordination has...
The Triratna Buddhist Order, from its inception, has held as one of its core principles an identical ordination for both men and women - something unique among Buddhist traditions. On day 11 of our 12 Days of FBA event we celebrate the women of our community with two talks from the series “Women Elders of the Triratna Buddhist Community”.
Dhammadinna and Mallika - ordained in 1973 and 1974 respectively - talk about the journey their spiritual lives have taken from...
We are delighted to report the public ordinations of six more women at Adhisthana, UK, on Saturday 19th December 2015.
Public preceptor Parami Sue Bower becomes Karunabala: a Sanskrit name meaning “One whose strength is from compassion”. (Dot under the ’n’, long second ‘a’.) Westernised spelling Karunabala. Private preceptor Padmavajri
Sioned Wynn becomes Prabhakari: a Sanskrit name meaning “She who illumines”. (Long second ‘a’, long ‘i’). Westernised spelling Prabhakari. Private preceptor Dhammadinna
Nicki Cowburn becomes Varasakhi: a Sanskrit name meaning “Noble friend or companion”. (Long ‘i’)...
Two Triratna Order members are among to the contributors to Lotus Petals in the Snow,the first anthology of writings by Canadian Buddhist women: scholars, practitioners, Dharma students, teachers, nuns and laywomen, launched last week.
Aryadhrishti is Canadian and runs the Triratna centre in Portland, USA. She writes about Karma as a spiritual practice of evolution and escape.
Parami again from “Oceania”! She’s in conversation here with her friend Maitripala who has been living in Europe for a year but is now back home and engaging with women seeking ordination into the Triratna Buddhist Order. Great to hear the inspiration - old and new - come through as a new generation of women grapples with the challenges and joys of Buddhist practice and of community.
And as a bonus we hear a preview of her ‘Buddhas in My Pocket Pilgrimage’,...
Parami chats with Kate and Cynthia at the end of the ordination training retreat at Vijayaloka Retreat Centre in Australia. Great to hear inspiring tales from the outback as women deepen their friendships and Buddhist practice together…
We are delighted to announce that the following women were publicly ordained at Akashavana, in Spain, on 11th September 2015:
Public preceptor: Parami Suzie Tisch becomes Maitrihrdaya, a Sanskrit name meaning ‘She who has a heart of loving kindness’. (Long second ‘i’, dot under the second ‘r’ and long final ‘a’) Westernised spelling: Maitrihridaya Private preceptor: Satyapada
Claudia Bock becomes Karunaseva, a Sanskrit name meaning ‘In the service of compassion’. (Dot under ‘n’ long final ‘a’) Westernised spelling: Karunaseva Private preceptor: Kulanandi ...
