PatacaraBhikkhuniHermitage

AjahnVayama

AjahnVayamainfrontofhercaravanatDhammasarainDecember1998

ABRIEFHISTORYOFAJAHNVAYAMASLIFEASATHERAVADABUDDHISTNUN
byPeaceWeekes

FromanearlyageAjahnVayamawasverykeentoofferhelpandsupporttoothersinneed.Sheoftenreflected
ontherealityofsufferingandwasinvolvedincollectingfundsformanyaidorganisations,includingRedCross
andFreedomFromHungerFund.
AfterfinishinghighschoolshestudiedattheUniversityofSydneytobecomeasasocialworker.Compassionfor
otherssufferingalwaysmotivatinghertotakeaction,shepioneeredthefirstwomensrefugeonthenorthcoast
ofNewSouthWales.Throughherexperiencesasasocialworker,shewitnessedmuchemotionalandphysical
suffering.Yetinspiteofalltheeffortsshemade,thesufferingseemedendless.Attimesshefelttherewaslittle
shecoulddotoreallyhelppeople.Evenwhenherhelpwaswelcomedandwellutiliseditwasstilllargelyupto
thoseindividualstocontinuetomaintainanylastingchangesintheirownlives.
Attheageof25,AjahnVayamatravelledtoSriLanka,whereshemetherfirstBuddhistmonk,Venerable
NyanaponikaandbeganreadingBuddhistliterature.Thiswastheturningpointforher.Shedecidedtotakeup
theBuddhasNobleEightfoldPath.
Inhermidtwentiesthesuddendeathofherfatherwassoonfollowedbynewsthathermotherhadbeen
diagnosedwithbreastcancer.Thankfullyhermotherrecoveredfromthisfirstboutofcancer,leavingherfreeto
travelagain.
HavingbeeninspiredbytheworkofMotherTeresa,in1980AjahnVayamaworkedinCalcuttaasavolunteer,
helpingpeoplewhoweredesperatelysickandpoor.Althoughdeeplyfulfillingatonelevel,atadeeperlevelthe
longingtofindanendtoallsufferingcontinuedtoagitateinsideofher.
Caringdeeplyforbothherparents,AjahnVayamawasalovinganddevoteddaughter.Whenhermotherscancer
returnedin1981,shequicklyreturnedfromCalcuttatomakesureshewastheretoprovidehermotherwith
comfortandcareeverystepofthewayuntilhermotherpassed.

In1982shediscoveredWatBuddhaDhammaamonasteryontheoutskirtsofSydney.ItwasestablishedbyAyya
Khema,awesternTheravadanunfromGermanyaninternationallyrenownedBuddhistteacherwholedmany
retreatsandwroteseveralwellknownBuddhistbooks.HearingtheBuddhasteachingsfromafemaleteacher,
AjahnVayamascommitmenttotheBuddhasPathdeepened.
In1984AyyaKhemaestablishedanunsmonasteryinSriLanka,andinvitedAjahnVayamatojoinherthere.
Welcomingtheopportunity,AjahnVayamasoonbecameananagarikaaunderAyyaKhemastutelage,andin1985
sheordainedasaTenPreceptNun,wherebyshegaveupallhermaterialwealthandpossessionstobecomeafull
timealmsmendicant.Buddhismseemedtoansweralltheimportantquestionsshehadbeenseekingtoanswer
sincechildhood:Whatisthenatureofsuffering?Whatareitscauses?Andisthereawaytobefreedfrom
suffering?
ShespentthenexttenyearslivinginSriLanka.FortwoyearsshelivedatParappuduwaNunsIslandin
Dodanduwa,SriLanka,togetherwithherteacher,AyyaKhema,andseveralothernunsandanagarikaas.Therest
ofthetimewasspentlivingwiithoneotherSriLankannunamongthevillagersinDodanuwa,Ambalangodaand
Dickwella.
TherewasmuchpoliticalunrestinSriLankaatthattime,andsincethenunswerebeingsupportedbypeople
frombothsidesoftheconflict,shewitnessedthatsufferingwaswidespreadamongstallthepeoplewhoshared
theirstorieswithher.ThisconfirmedtheBuddhasteachingthattherootsofsufferingnamelygreed,hatredand
delusionarewithintheheartsofeveryonenooneisexcluded.
UponleavingSriLanka,shespentoneyearatAmaravatiMonasteryinEngland,livinginacommunityofnuns
andmonks,undertheguidanceofAjahnSumedho.
In1997shereturnedtoSydney,Australiatoparticipateinaretreatandtoonceagaintakeupresidencehere.In
herheartsheheldalongtermvisionofmakingBuddhismmoreavailabletopeopleinAustralia.
Herdreamwassoontoberealised,whenshewasinvitedbyAjahnBrahmavamso(spiritualdirectorofthe
BuddhistSocietyofWesternAustraliaandabbotofBodhinyanaMonksMonasteryinSerpentine)toinauguratea
nunsmonasteryinGidgegannup,WesternAustralia,locatedapproximately45minutesdriveawayfromPerths
citycentre.AjahnVayamadidnotshyawayfromthechallenge.Shesawitasawonderfulopportunitytohelp
createaspacewherewomencouldcomefromallovertheglobetotraintobecomeBuddhistTheravadannuns.

AjahnVayamaandtheoriginalopeninghourssignin2000.Thesignwasletteredby
Cara.

On583acresofruggedbushlandAjahnVayamaspentherfirst2yearslivingaloneinasmallwellusedcaravan.
Withoutrunningwater,withoutelectricity,shewascompletelydependentonthekindnessandgenerosityof
faithfullaysupporters,mostofwhomwerecompletestrangerstoherinthebegining.Hertoiletwasaholeinthe
ground,andtheonlywayshecouldcontactotherpeoplewastowalktothehighestpointsonthepropertyinthe
hopeoffindingaspotwhereheremergencymobilephonemightbeabletopickupsomereceptionthosespots
werefewandfarbetween.Thereweredayswhennoonecametoofferdana,andshewaslefttofast.Othertimes
itwasbitterlycold,orboilinghot,andtherewasnowherecomfortableshecouldescapeto.

AjahnVayamainsidetheoriginalbluedanatentinDecember1998

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Therewasmuchworktobedone,andmanypracticalmatterstodealwithinordertodevelopafullyfunctioning

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trainingmonasteryfornuns.Untilthecompletionofthenunscottageinearly2001,laysupportersmadedaily
foodofferingstoherinasmalltent.Thiswaslaterreplacedwithasmallgardenshed.

Bhikkhuni
Hermitage

AjahnVayamadescribedhersolitarylifeinthebushasphysicallydemanding,sometimesfrightening,yetmost
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oftensoothingandpeacefulbecauseshewaslivingsocloselywithnature.Shefeltdeeplyconnectedtotheland,

thetrees,theanimals,therocks,thewaterwaysandthebirdlifethere.

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AjahnVayamaandthefamousFridaydanagroup,duringtheirfirstdanaattheNunsCottagein2001

InJuly2001alongtermAustralianfemalepractitionerandbenefactorshavedherheadandbecameAjahn
Vayamasfirstanagarikaas(trainee).Afteratotaloftwoyearstrainingontheeightprecepts,sherequested
ordinationandbecameAjahnVayamasfirstTenPreceptmonasticdisciple.Thenunscommunitythencontinued

togrow,withwomenfromaroundtheglobemakingtherequeststocomeandstaythere.Withtheverylimited
accommodationandAjahnVayamasbusyscheduleitwasnotpossibletoalloweveryonewhotookaninterestin
themonasterytocomeandstaythere.Carefulconsiderationofpeopleslifecircumstances,healthconditions,
familycommitments,workcapacities,andthelikewerenecessarytoensureboththecandidatesandthe
monasterywouldbothbenefitfromthesituation.Applicantsneededtohaveenoughstrengthofbodyandmindto
endurethechallengeofadevelopingmonasteryinaveryruggedenvironment.

AjahnVayamaandVenerableSeriatDhammalokajustbeforeVenerableSerisTenPreceptNunsordinationon
4thofJuly2004

AjahnVayamaprovideddailyteachingsandprovidedanswerstopeoplesDhammaquestionstoalldanavisitors
atthemonasterywhorequestedit.ShealsogavepublicteachingsattheDhammalokacitycentre,ledweekend
retreatsatSafetyBay,ledtheyouthgroup,participatedininterfaithdialoguesandseminars,acceptedinterviews
frommembersofthemedia,andrespondedtoallphonecallsandlettersrequestingherspiritualcounsel.

AjahnVayamaandVenerableSerionpilgrimagetoIndiain2006

AjahnVayamawasinstrumentalinthegrowthandworldwiderecognitionoftheDhammasaraNunsMonastery.
ThismonasteryisthefirstofitskindintheSouthernHemisphereaplacewherewomencantraintobecome
nuns,livingaccordingtotheVinaya,andremaininglargelyselfgoverning,livingautonomouslyfrommonks.
Priorto2009BhikkhuniordinationwasnotavailableinAustraliaandAjahnVayamawascontenttoremainasa
TenPreceptnunandwasdeterminedtokeepherpreceptsandcontinueherpractice.

YetshecontinuedtomakeeffortstomovethefemaleBuddhistsanghaforward.Eventhoughunacknowledged,
shekepttherulesasshecouldoftheBhikkhuniVinaya,andshewasactiveincontributingtotheglobaldialogue
aboutthefutureofTheravadannuns.
Asthemonasterygrewanddeveloped,tasks(suchasremovingweedsorpruningtrees)thatareprohibitedfor
Bhikkhuniscouldbedelegatedtothegrowingnumberoftraineesanddedicatedlaysupporters.Andwiththe
flourishingsupportandencouragementforwomentotakehigherordination,on22ndOctober2009,conditions
finallycametogethertoallowAjahnVayamatotakehigherordinationandbecameafullmemberoftheSangha,a
Bhikkhuni.ThisordinationceremonywasadeeplyauspiciousoccasionasitreestablishedtheBuddhasfourfold
assemblyofnunsandmonks,laywomenandlaymeninWesternAustraliaandformallyelevatedBuddhist
TheravadannunstofullmembershipoftheBuddhistSangha.ThisoccasionwasthefirsttimeTheravadannuns
hadeverbeengrantedhigherordinationontheirhomegroundinthewesternworld.
AjahnVayamaisaveryknowledgableteacherandcaringadvisor.Forher,theaimofBuddhistpracticeistolive
simply,harmlesslyandcontentedlyfreefromtheentanglementsofmaterialandphysicaldesires.Hersole
purposeanddirectioninlifeistowardsspiritualgrowth.Thosewhoknowhercannothelpbutbeinspired.

AjahnVayamaandherdevotedsupporterandfriendIndiiatthedanashedatDhammasara,in2000

Herwayoflifeisverydisciplined,andhasbeenattimesaustere,asshehasattemptedtolivepurelyaspossible
accordingtotheNobleEightfoldPathlaiddownbytheLordBuddhasome2600yearsago.Therulesprevent
nunsandmonksfromhandlingmoney.Sotheyarecompletelydependentonlaysupporterstoprovidethemwith
allfood(theyareprohibitedfromgrowingtheirownfood),clothing,shelterandmedicines.Thustheirlives
dependonthegenerosityoflaysupportersinexchangeforsharingtheirknowledge,guidance,wisdomand
insightsgainedfromtheirfulltimestudyandpracticeofDhamma,theteachingoftheBuddha.
Monksandnunsarenotallowedtodrivemotorvehicles,drinkalcohol,visitplacesofentertainment,oruse
anythingtobeautifythebodysuchasmakeup,fragranceorjewellery.Moreovertheyareprohibitedfrom
spendingtimealonewithamemberoftheoppositesex.
Manyoftherulescouldbepreceivedasrestrictionstolaypeople,yetAjahnVayamaseestheserulesastraining
guidelinesofferedbytheLordBuddhatohelpsimplifyoneslifestyleandkeepthemindcalm,clearandtranquil.
Theyencouragethemindtoletgoofworldlywaysandfindpeacewithinsimplicity.
AjahnVayamawasthefoundingabbotofDhammasaraNunsMonastery.Asabbotshewastheveryefficientand
extremelyhardworking.FortwelveyearsshewasatrailblazerintheBuddhistSocietyofWesternAustraliashe
wastheverybackboneofthenunsmonastery.Sadly,howeversinceillhealthbegantoovertakehercapacityto

fulfilallherduties,in2011shehadnochoicebuttoresignasabbot.
TogethersheandVenerableBhikkhuniSeri(hercareranddisciple)nowresideatPatacaraBhikkhuniHermitage,
locatedapproximately25minutesdriveawayfromPerthcity.
ForhergreatcontributionstotheSasanaandtoallwomeninBuddhism,Sadhu!Sadhu!Sadhu!
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