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24 EASTERN HORIZON | FACE TO FACE
Learning Dhamma from Nature
By Venerable Ayya Ānandabodhī
Benny Liow interviewed Ayya on had a deep impact on me. These
what inspired her in Buddhism, are: The Noble Truth of dukkha
her role in supporting the female (suffering or unsatisfactoriness);
monastics in the US and the dukkha has a cause; dukkha ends;
challenges she encountered, and and there is a path leading to the
what lessons from the Dhamma we ending of dukkha.
can learn from nature.
I was deeply touched by the
Benny: You mentioned you were Buddha’s compassion in
attracted to Buddhism when acknowledging the existential
you first heard of the Four Noble suffering that I was experiencing
Ayya Ānandabodhī has Truths. What was it that inspired
practiced for over 30 years as you so much? and showing a way out. While I
a monastic in the Theravada didn’t fully understand the teaching
on the cause and the ending of
Forest Tradition, which Ayya Ānandabodhī: As a teen, I suffering, knowing there was a path
emphasizes ethics, meditation, fell into a deep depression. It was that leads to the ending of suffering
and studying the Buddha’s a very difficult time and I was just broke open the trappedness that
teachings, both in scripture about making it through each day. I had been in for so long. I was
and in nature. Ayya, who is I felt despair for the world, saw confident there was a way out.
originally from Wales, UK, co- no hope for the future and wanted It was like an inner revolution,
founded Aloka Vihara Forest to end my life. This went on for changing everything. It literally
Monastery in California, and many months, getting increasingly saved my life.
in 2024, founded Pārāyana intense. Then one day, the words
Vihāra in Port Townsend, WA, came to me–– “It’s not the world You first trained as a Buddhist
USA. Ayya Ānandabodhī is part that’s the problem, it’s your mind nun in the UK and now you
of the worldwide revival of that is unwell.” This surprised are helping to develop female
Theravada Bhikkhunis (fully me and gave me a little hope, so monastics in the US. What are
the major challenges in trying
ordained Buddhist nuns) and I asked–– “If my mind is unwell, to create more opportunities for
loves to practice and share the what’s the medicine?” and the female monastics?
answer came–– “Meditation.”
Dharma, reminding people of
their highest potential. At that time I lived in rural Wales. One of the challenges for female
There was no one around who monastics is that we are often
could teach me meditation, but I starting from scratch, drawing
was given a book that had basic from the Buddha’s teachings and
meditation instruction and the vinaya texts, but often without the
core teachings of the Buddha. I living lineage of Bhikkhunī elders
wasn’t able to understand how who have wisdom and experience
to meditate from the book, but in the robes.
reading the Four Noble Truths
