Medical care is one of the four requisites that the Buddha specified as required for living a monastic life. (The others are food, clothing, and shelter). We are currently covering health insurance for two bhikkhunis. In addition, we pay for other medical expenses not covered under their insurance.
Retreat Fund
Following a retreat at IMS, Sayadaw U Jagara donated the proceeds of his retreat to a fund for supporting nuns to attend his future retreats at the Forest Refuge. IMS requested that we ‘hold’ these funds, acting as the steward to disburse them to the nuns as needed. With this support, for the July 2017 retreat, Ayya Canda’s traveling expenses were covered, as well as the retreat fees for the following nuns: Ayya Adhimutti, Ayya Canda, Sayadaw Kusalanandi, Ayya Sudhamma, Ayya Suvijjana and Samaneri Parayana. In July 2018, monies from this fund will support retreat fees for Sayalay Khemanandi.
Donations towards the Dec 3rd, Sanghamitta Full Moon Day Ordination
The full Bhikkhuni Upasampada Ordination of Samaneri Anuruddha and Samaneri Niyyanika at Dhammadharini Monastery in Penngrove, CA was held on Dec 3rd 2017. Samaneri Anuruddha is from UK and has been training with Ven (Ayya) Medhanandi Theri at Dhammadharini’s sister monastery, Sati Saraniya Hermitage in Canada, for the past several years. Samaneri Niyyanika is from USA and has been training with our Dhammadharini Bhikkhunis’ community for the past few years.
AfB contributed $450 towards Sister Anuruddha’s travel expenses to Dhammadharini from Sati Saraniya.
In addition, AfB also donated $200 to fix the broken faucet in the monastery public restroom and to put in a shoe rack and coat hook in the monastery front entry hall.
Funds in the amount of $350 were contributed towards fixing the frozen and burst pipes and floor board damage at Sati Saraniya Hermitage which occurred during the difficult winter of 2016. The majority of this donation came from a generous 80+ senior who donated $250 on first hearing of the difficulties at the Hermitage.
Reconstruction of bhikkhunis’ monastic lodgings
Meditation Hall
Padukka Mathika Matha Bhikkhuni Aramaya in Sri Lanka was built fifty years ago and is now quite dilapidated. Bhikkuni H. Supeshala, one of the winners of the 2006 United Nations Award for Outstanding Women in Buddhism in Southeast Asia, has requested much needed assistance.
There have been donations totally $400 in 2017. Donations totaled $3,250 during 2016. Additional funding is needed.
In Dec, 2017 she wrote:
I appreciate and thank you, The Bhikkuni Alliance, for your kind contributions sent towards the progress of our ‘Marthika Martha Aramaya’ in Sri Lanka the past few years. The ground floor of the Bhikkuni residence is completed. The roof work is also fully completed. A meditation retreat programe for the coming New Year has been given thought to. We conduct one day meditation in the old building. The roof being rather low it is far too hot inside to conduct a meditation retreat for many days. Our concern is focussed on this now. I extend my gratitude to the Bhikkuni Alliance for all the help given to the ‘Aramaya ‘ A BIG THANK YOU.
AfB has contributed to the purchase of land for Sri Lankan bhikkhunis by providing a conduit for funds which were collected and repaid to a generous supporter who had provided a loan for the cost of the land and the first retreat kutis. This has been of significant help in establishing this facility, the Nelligala Bhikkhuni project, located at an inspiring and serene location, on top of a mountain outside of Kandy, Sri Lanka. These lodgings are for both local and international Bhikkhunis to use for the practice of meditation and furthering their spiritual path.
Travel Support
AfB is frequently called on to help with Bhikkhuni transportation. This year we have supported:
A big Anumodana to all of you for your generous dana of $1500, offered to support the ordaining sangha to travel to take part in the ordination for Samaneri Ahimsa, now Bhikkhuni Ahimsa!Please see more about the ordination at this link.
It also supported the travel costs by car of 5 senior bhikkhus from Sacramento and LA to make up a full sangha of bhikkhus. There were two more junior bhikkhus at Buddhi Vihara, but the bhiikkhus we invited gave more gravitas with their many years in the robes, as well as making up the required minimum numbers.
Bhante Shantharakshitha, Sacramento
Bhante Dhammika, Sacramento
Bhante Jinasiri, Sacramento
Bhante Suthadara, LA
Bhante Sumana, LA
I know that when we requested support from you for travel we only asked for the bhikkhunis but since there was still $500 available after the bhikkhunis travel costs were covered we also used AfB dana to help get the bhikkhu sangha to the event. The ordination could not have happened without them.
Ayya Sudhamma in the amount of $500 for her trip from Charlotte, NC to join the Dhammadharini community in CA for their meditation retreat.
Ayya Tathaaloka in the amount of $300 for Toronto airfare from San Francisco to attend and present to the XVIIIth Congress of the International Association of Buddhist Studies (IABS), to be hosted by the Department for the Study of Religion, at the University of Toronto, Canada, August 20 – 25, 2017.
$300 towards the purchase of tickets and fees for Sāmaṇerī Niyyānikā to travel to the International Association of Buddhist Studies Conference in Toronto in August, 2017. She will accompany Ayya Tathaaloka who is presenting at the conference in association with the Bhikkhuni Vibhanga project. This contribution helps with airfare and accompanying person conference registration.
$200 travel grant for bhikkhunis traveling from Yucca Valley, to LA, to Berkeley and back for the Fourth International Tipitaka Chanting, taking place in Berkeley at Mangalam Centers from Sep 22-24.
General Support
Periodically AfB contributes towards the general support of bhikkhuni monasteries and centers. This year we have contributed to:
Projects Funded in 2017
Monastic Medical Support
Medical care is one of the four requisites that the Buddha specified as required for living a monastic life. (The others are food, clothing, and shelter). We are currently covering health insurance for two bhikkhunis. In addition, we pay for other medical expenses not covered under their insurance.
Retreat Fund
Following a retreat at IMS, Sayadaw U Jagara donated the proceeds of his retreat to a fund for supporting nuns to attend his future retreats at the Forest Refuge. IMS requested that we ‘hold’ these funds, acting as the steward to disburse them to the nuns as needed. With this support, for the July 2017 retreat, Ayya Canda’s traveling expenses were covered, as well as the retreat fees for the following nuns: Ayya Adhimutti, Ayya Canda, Sayadaw Kusalanandi, Ayya Sudhamma, Ayya Suvijjana and Samaneri Parayana. In July 2018, monies from this fund will support retreat fees for Sayalay Khemanandi.
Donations towards the Dec 3rd, Sanghamitta Full Moon Day Ordination
The full Bhikkhuni Upasampada Ordination of Samaneri Anuruddha and Samaneri Niyyanika at Dhammadharini Monastery in Penngrove, CA was held on Dec 3rd 2017. Samaneri Anuruddha is from UK and has been training with Ven (Ayya) Medhanandi Theri at Dhammadharini’s sister monastery, Sati Saraniya Hermitage in Canada, for the past several years. Samaneri Niyyanika is from USA and has been training with our Dhammadharini Bhikkhunis’ community for the past few years.
AfB contributed $450 towards Sister Anuruddha’s travel expenses to Dhammadharini from Sati Saraniya.
In addition, AfB also donated $200 to fix the broken faucet in the monastery public restroom and to put in a shoe rack and coat hook in the monastery front entry hall.
More photos on Google >>
Donation for Frozen Pipe Damage
Funds in the amount of $350 were contributed towards fixing the frozen and burst pipes and floor board damage at Sati Saraniya Hermitage which occurred during the difficult winter of 2016. The majority of this donation came from a generous 80+ senior who donated $250 on first hearing of the difficulties at the Hermitage.
Reconstruction of bhikkhunis’ monastic lodgings
Padukka Mathika Matha Bhikkhuni Aramaya in Sri Lanka was built fifty years ago and is now quite dilapidated. Bhikkuni H. Supeshala, one of the winners of the 2006 United Nations Award for Outstanding Women in Buddhism in Southeast Asia, has requested much needed assistance.
There have been donations totally $400 in 2017. Donations totaled $3,250 during 2016. Additional funding is needed.
In Dec, 2017 she wrote:
I appreciate and thank you, The Bhikkuni Alliance, for your kind contributions sent towards the progress of our ‘Marthika Martha Aramaya’ in Sri Lanka the past few years. The ground floor of the Bhikkuni residence is completed. The roof work is also fully completed. A meditation retreat programe for the coming New Year has been given thought to. We conduct one day meditation in the old building. The roof being rather low it is far too hot inside to conduct a meditation retreat for many days. Our concern is focussed on this now. I extend my gratitude to the Bhikkuni Alliance for all the help given to the ‘Aramaya ‘ A BIG THANK YOU.
Please visit our donation page to contribute.
Purchase of Land for Sri Lankan Kutis
AfB has contributed to the purchase of land for Sri Lankan bhikkhunis by providing a conduit for funds which were collected and repaid to a generous supporter who had provided a loan for the cost of the land and the first retreat kutis. This has been of significant help in establishing this facility, the Nelligala Bhikkhuni project, located at an inspiring and serene location, on top of a mountain outside of Kandy, Sri Lanka. These lodgings are for both local and international Bhikkhunis to use for the practice of meditation and furthering their spiritual path.
Travel Support
AfB is frequently called on to help with Bhikkhuni transportation. This year we have supported:
Anandabodhi Bhikkhuni writes:
A big Anumodana to all of you for your generous dana of $1500, offered to support the ordaining sangha to travel to take part in the ordination for Samaneri Ahimsa, now Bhikkhuni Ahimsa!Please see more about the ordination at this link.
Your donation covered the air travel of:
It also supported the travel costs by car of 5 senior bhikkhus from Sacramento and LA to make up a full sangha of bhikkhus. There were two more junior bhikkhus at Buddhi Vihara, but the bhiikkhus we invited gave more gravitas with their many years in the robes, as well as making up the required minimum numbers.
I know that when we requested support from you for travel we only asked for the bhikkhunis but since there was still $500 available after the bhikkhunis travel costs were covered we also used AfB dana to help get the bhikkhu sangha to the event. The ordination could not have happened without them.
General Support
Periodically AfB contributes towards the general support of bhikkhuni monasteries and centers. This year we have contributed to:
AfB has contributed $500 towards the development of this new monastery in the UK.