Page 25 - EH74
P. 25
FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 23
On UNESCO Day 8 March 2024, Ven.
Sumangala Bhikkhuni was also awarded
the Outstanding Women of Buddhism Award
2024 in Taiwan
Living
Skillfully
by the
Dhamma
By Venerable Ayya Sumangala
Ven. Ayya Sumangala is the Puay Liu: Can you tell us how you deepened as an undergraduate at
President of Ariya Vihara became interested in Buddhism? the National University of Malaysia
Buddhist Society, and an advisor (UKM), where I joined Fellowship
of Gotami Vihara Society in Sumangala: When I was young, & Meditation Camps, serving as a
Malaysia. She was ordained I was interested in religion, and committee/sub-committee member
in 2008 at the Sri Mahabodhi often participated in meritorious in Buddhist societies such as UKM
Temple in Bodhgaya, India, and activities. I was born into a Buddhist Fellowship and Buddhist
received her higher ordination Buddhist family. From my earliest Gem Fellowship (BGF). Later, I did
in 2015. Venerable Sumangala recollection, we always had Kuan some formal studies in Buddhism
studied at the Universiti Yin and other deities at home. I and obtained a Master’s Degree,
among others.
would also participate in temple
Kebangsaan Malaysia where prayers and ceremonies on behalf of
she graduated with both a B.A. my parents in my village. I thought You have been a nun since 2008,
in Psychology and a M.A. She that was Buddhism. I was often what sustains you?
also has a M.A. in Philosophy invited to help in my village temple.
(Buddhism) from International Actually, I left household life in 2005
Buddhist College, Thailand. However, I became curious about when I was 39, although I already
who the Buddha was when my had a strong aspiration to renounce
Dr Ong Puay Liu interviewed 10-year-old cousin brother died of when I was 29. At the time, I was
Venerable Sumangala on various fever, and my schoolmate, who was unaware of the “actual process of
topics, from her initial interest 26, died of cancer while pursuing achieving higher ordination for a
in Buddhism to her ordination, a master degree in the United bhikkhunī in the Saṅgha.” I saw
her activities to support the Kingdom. I wondered why people females wearing white called mae
ordination of nuns, and creating had to die young. When I was 19, I chee (maechi) in Thailand, wearing
opportunities for young minds saw a serene-looking Theravādan brown called maniyo in Sri Lanka,
to learn Buddhism, as well as monk by a stream, and people and wearing pink or brown in
meditating with him. This piqued
Myanmar called tilashin or sayalay.
learning meditation, for this my interest to find out who they They either lived in the monastery
issue of Eastern Horizon. were and what Buddhism was or sometimes at home. I thought
about. My exploration of Buddhism they were monastics like “monks”
