Residential Teacher at San Francisco East Bay Bodhi House / Co-founder of the Aranya Bodhi Awakening Forest Hermitage on the Sonoma Coast, Northern California
Female
41 years old
Fremont, California
United States
Enlightenment. Developing Sila, Samadhi and Panna. Comparative Vinaya and in-depth Vinaya research. World Bhikkhuni Sangha History. The contemporary revival of the Theravadan Buddhist Women's Monastic Community. Using the Buddha's teaching to bring peace to the world and to our own hearts.
Music
A great selection of online Dhamma Talks are available at: www.audiodhamma.org.
also www.soundstrue.com
Pali Chanting at Buddhanet Audio: http://www.buddhanet.net/audio-chant.htm
Pali and English Chanting from Abhayagiri Monastery: http://www.abhayagiri.org/index.php/main/media/#chanting
Movies
Buddha Dharma - The Four Noble Truths - A discourse by Ven. Dr. Kusuma
Ven. Dr Kusuma Bhikkhuni explains in very basic terms the meaning and significance of the Four Noble Truths.
Buddha Dharma - Practice of Meditation by Ven. Ajahn Brahmawamso
Ven. Ajahn Brahmawamso, Abbot, Bodhinyana Monastery in Western Australia discusses practice of meditation.
A Universal Buddhist Blessing
Ven Bhikkhuni Sudhamma, Abess, Carolina Buddhist Vihara offers a Universal Buddhist Blessing
Keyword search: "Video Google Buddhist"
(cut and paste links below in brackets[])
***Ayya Khema: Joy in Meditation: [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-754646713486524038&q=Ayya]
***Ayya Khema: Anxiety: [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6124070781815658724&q=Ayya]
***Ayya Khema: Opening the Heart: [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6869881045037609926&q=Ayya]
***Ayya Khema: Commitment: [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2910136273023104887&q=Ayya]
***Ayya Sudhamma: Buddhadhamma - Transformation - the Story of Angulimala: [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8613717224645825360&q=bhikkhuni+sudhamma]
***Ayya Sudhamma: Buddhadhamma - the Four Victories: [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6346961596410380058&q=bhikkhuni+sudhamma]
***Ayya Sudhamma: Buddhadhamma - Col. Henry Steele Olcott: [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6340751393263565193&q=bhikkhuni+sudhamma]
***Bhikkhu Bodhi: The Heads and Tails of the Mind: [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4434081631508735982&q=buddhist+Bhikkhu+Bodhi]
***Bhikkhu Bodhi: A Buddhist View on Current Day America: [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4929017147622989884&q=buddhist+Bhikkhu+Bodhi]
***Ajahn Brahm: Buddhist Attitude to Sensuality: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV1f4G-hiDw]
***Rev. Heng Sure: Exploring the Spiritual Dimensions of Harmless Eating: [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7621151971682965667&q=buddhist]
Books
See www.accesstoinsight.org for much of the Tripitaka or the Pali Canon, available in English online, as well as transcripts of many excellent Dhamma teachings.
Heroes
The Buddha himself is my greatest hero, for doing what is so rarely done. The Theris and Theras, the ancient enlightened ones, sages and saints -- especially Bhadda Kundalakesu. My elder mentors, teachers and kalyanamittas in monastic life: My Venerable Korean Bhikkhuni Teacher Myeong Seong Sunim, the Korean bhikkhunis of the mountain-forest meditation tradition, My Bhikkhu Upajjaya Bhante Ratanasara Sangha Nayaka Thera, Mentor Ajahn Maha Prasert Kavissaro, Ajahn Chah, Ajahn Buddhadasa, Ayya Khema, Ajahn Jumnien, Ajahns Pasanno and Amaro, Ajahn Maha Somchai, Thanissaro Bhikkhu. My good friends and companions in monastic life and friends along this path, especially: Ayya Sucinta, Ayya Sudhamma, Ayya Gunasari, Ven. Bhikkhuni Dhammananda, Ven. Bhikkhuni Dr. Lee, the many friends of Dhammadharini Vihara. All living beings that raise themselves even one iota further out of their deeply entrenched habits and views, above and out of suffering. My parents are amongst my first and greatest heroes, as are my brothers and sisters on this Path.
Ayya Tathaaloka's Details
Status:
Single
Here for:
Networking, Friends
Religion:
Buddhist
Zodiac Sign:
Virgo
Occupation:
Bhikkhuni: fully ordained female Buddhist monastic
Ayya Tathaaloka is in your extended network view more
About me: Ayya Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni was born in Washington, DC in the 1960's to environmentally-minded scientist parents. In the midst of images of war and protest, fears of nuclear holocaust and environmental degradation, she grew up in a climate of tremendous social and academic openness and inquiry in the search for more enlightened ways of human life. With family members and friends of various religious and philosophical backgrounds: Christian, Material Scientist, Muslim, Jewish, Taoist, Native American; early in her life she began to wonder and question deeply what might be true and of real value in life.
She followed her mother's example by observing nature for answers and for peace and her father's example of inquiry through scientific research and investigation. Through stories of seekers and sages both historical and mythical, she was inspired to walk their path, if a way could be found to do so. In her early teenage years she heard rumors of Westerners who had been ordained in Southeast Asia, and of their experiences amidst the Buddhist monastic traditions there. A glad determination sprang forth in her heart when she heard that in Buddhism, both in ancient and modern times, that there were both male and female monks; samanas whose lives were dedicated to inquiry and had realized awakening.
At age 19, urgently inspired by the sudden death of a close friend, she left university, entered into monastic life as an anagarika, and left her home country full of hope in search of monastic training in the ancient traditions. In India, she found the state of the monastic communities to be quite different than described in the ancient texts, but inspiring nonetheless. From India, she chose to travel to North Asia, after hearing of the still-living monastic traditions where there were full opportunities and support for ordination, education and training for women in monastic life. She found her bhikkhuni teacher, Venerable Myeong Seong Sunim, and a strong and thriving women's monastic mountain-forest meditation tradition in South Korea. Returning to the United States, in early 1997, nine years after beginning her journey into monastic life, Ayya Tathaaloka went for Bhikkhuni Upasampada with an international gathering of the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Sanghas from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Korea in Los Angeles with the late Bhante Ratanasara Sangha Nayaka Thera as Upajjaya.
Since then Venerable Tathaaloka has focused on studying and practicing the Dhamma and Vinaya and especially on developing the skilful training of the mind in meditation. Gladly connecting with the Thai Sangha in America and the Western Sangha of the Thai Forest tradition of Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Mun, she has traveled twice to Thailand to visit the meditation monasteries and to walk tudong through the Northeast. At the behest of her teachers, and out of gratitude for all the benefits she has received from the Sangha, she has also taught in the Bhikkhuni Sangha University in South Korea in English Dhamma Communications and has conducted research in World Bhikkhuni Sangha History. As part of this work, she visited the Sangha Universities and Mahapajapati Theri Nuns' College in Thailand to develop connections between Northern and Southern Buddhist traditions and provide greater opportunities for Buddhist meditation practice and education.
In the year 2005, recognizing the growing number of bhikkhunis and samaneris in the United States and the true value of coming together in harmony in Sangha, Ayya Tathaaloka proposed and participated in the founding of the North American Bhikkhuni Association. Several months later, with the encouragement of Buddhist teachers and friends, she founded the Dhammadharini Vihara, dedicated to providing opportunities through both moral and material support for the many women in her area interested in monastic life, Dhamma study and meditation retreat. In 2006, she was awarded an Outstanding Women in Buddhism at the United Nations in Bangkok, and in 2007 she travelled to Hamburg Germany to speak at the First Global Congress on Buddhist Women. In 2008, Ayya Tathaaloka travelled to Maharashtra, India for the first International Bhikkhuni Parisad, to Bodhgaya for Buddha Vision bhikkhuni and samaneri training and to Australia for the first Australian Bhikkhuni Seminar and the first woman's ordination at Santi Forest Monastery. In June of 2008, Ayya Tathaaloka and fellow Theravada bhikkhunis in North America gathered for the first Bhikkhuni Sangha Retreat in Northern California and the first samaneri ordination of an American samaneri by the Theravada Bhikkhuni Sangha. After four years of serving as Abbess at Dhammadharini Vihara, Ayya Tathaaloka has moved and currently lives as residential teacher in the Buddhist women's monastic residence at the San Francisco East Bay Bodhi House in Northern California. With the thought to return to mountain forest monastic life, and to share the opportunity with other women so inclined, her latest project is the development of a women's monastic hermitage "Aranya Bodhi: Awakening Forest Hermitage" on more than 100 acres of mountain forest land offered for that purpose on the Sonoma Coast north of San Francisco.
Who I'd like to meet: People deeply interested in inquiry into and realization of truth, particularly fellow practioners cultivating the Buddhist Path of Awakening. Fellow members of the Buddhist Women's Monastic Community, the Bhikkhuni Sangha are welcome connections. I hope this site may provide information, inspiration, encouragement and support to both women interested in Buddhist Monastic Life and those who are living it.
on order to receive the guest one must be at home this home can not be localized who is host and who is guest can not be known neither can one say to whom this space belongs yet, we are in this together
love says, "I am everything." wisdom says,"I'm nothing." between the two my life flows (--- by Shri Nisargadatta)
today on a note was written the following "no one" - is one when we are
ONE - not even one as a thought - not even this nor that - as this is
that is something other than that - other than peace - under true peace
- not even knowing - this peace with knowing - this peace beyond
thought says "no one is HERE" - and, "we all are HERE" - "no one is
ONE" and "we all are ONE" - will you go to NOWHERE and EVERYWHERE with
me?- The Koan of paradoxes are the greatest miracles.
"The friend who is a helpmate, the friend in happiness and woe, the friend who gives good counsel, the friend who sympathizes too — these four as friends the wise behold and cherish them devotedly as does a mother her own child."
thank you so much for the gift of your friendship much peace and love to you always
the diamond of the heart shines empty into the lake of love overflowing tender affection renders life to become fresh and new the golden lotus of the blue sea spreads its light into the stars what is there to want... when the core of the golden lotus frees the shadow of minds to align sun and moon and hearts?
THANK YOU SO VER YMUCH FOR THE ADD! IM LOOKING IN YOU: LOVE, COMPASSION, RESPET & ARMONY THANKS FOR YOUR FILLINGS MARTIN
ESPAÑOL: HOLA, MUCHAS GRACIAS POR AGREGARME. PARADISE FUTURE ES UNA PRODUCCIÓN DISCOGRÁFICA REALIZADA DESDE ARGENTINA. TE MANDO UN ABRAZOTE Y SALUDOS QUE ANDES DE MIL! MARTIN
INGLISH: Hi!, tank you very much for the add!! PARADISE FUTURE is a new musical production for the argentine people. a big hug and greetings! MARTIN
I have studied Buddhism formally and am doing part of my thesis on it and practice as much as possible...would love to chat with you further...be blessed with truth, vanessa.
