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20 EASTERN HORIZON | FACE TO FACE

our children, we essentially become
Learning to
their first spiritual teachers.

Through teaching our children, in direct
and indirect ways, we find ourselves Live with
becoming deeper and more intentional
in our practice.
Uncertainty

Which brings us to the final point.
Someone told me that Chogyam By Venerable Ayyā Adhimuttī
Trungpa said that, at some point, a
student’s path plateaus: to deepen Ayyā Adhimuttī was first
further, the student must then begin
ordained as a mae chee at Wat
to teach. That has certainly been
Ram Poeng, Thailand 2005. She
true for me. I became a much better
then went forth as a samaneri in
student of the dharma once I began
2008 at Santi Forest Monastery,
teaching, about eight years ago. The
Australia with Ayyā Tathālokā
same holds true when we serve as our
as preceptor and Bhante Sujato
children’s first spiritual friend and
as her achariya, and had her
guide. Through teaching our children,
bhikkhunī upasampada in 2010 at
in direct and indirect ways, we find
Aranya Bodhi Hermitage in California with Ayyā Tathālokā as
ourselves becoming deeper and more
intentional in our practice. pavattini and Bhante Henepola Gunaratana as Ovadakacariya.
She has spent about five years practicing in Thailand, Sri Lanka

Parenthood can radically transform and Myanmar. Ayyā Adhimutti has returned to Aotearoa New
the path, revealing our limited Zealand to establish a centre in Hamilton and will be the first
preconceptions about proceeding resident bhikkhunī.
as a Buddhist, and opening up new
possibilities. In the end, we may find
we have a more dynamic, engaged, and
complex understanding of our own
Buddhist life as we nurture the lives of
our children.

Reprinted with kind permission of the
author and Lion’s Roar, https://www.
lionsroar.com EH

L-R: Ayya Tathaaloka, Ayya Sobhana, Ayya Adhimutti, & Ayya Suvijjana
at Aranya Bodhi Hermitage, California, USA.