Sister Khanti-Khema* is an American woman who decided one day
to find out what the Buddha actually did about suffering by surrendering to
a total immersion program of training through Buddhist teachings. Training
with a very respected teacher and doing the experiment of personal
investigation for herself was the advice of some Bangladeshi elders she
consulted before starting! Having spent three years in Asia in a Karate
dojo when she was younger, this was not such an unusual request to take on
one teacher for the perfection of one specific skill for whatever time it
takes to learn it. “They told me to keep going, not to stop until I got it.”
She also knew what that meant having previously owned an employment agency
business for 14 years and having had three children helped her persistence.
The year 2007 will mark in April seven years of study with
the same teacher and over five years of fulltime pursuit to discover what
the Buddha did, how he did it, what his teachings actually were, and whether
the instructions are still here to do the same investigation today. The
other important point was whether or not you can use this practice today and
make a difference in daily life. How relevant is it today?
September 7, 2006 marks the date of having totally left
society for her first novice ordination. After 2 years of 8 precepts in
place while studying that date marks a big first step by committing to 10
precepts. Her hope is to find other women who would dare to do a similar
search and experiment in a supported deep forest environment and be willing
to start an American Buddhist Forest Nuns Tradition at Dhamma Sukha
Meditation Center with her teacher as the Spiritual head.
Her ordination on September 7, 2006 was a hallmark for
American Buddhism because the ceremony was officiated by an American Maha
Thera Buddhist Monk. This was the first such ordination in America where an
American woman took the Samaneri vows with an American monk presiding. Up
til now, if a woman wanted to do this they would have to go to a foreign
monastery on American soil. But now there is an American Monastery where
women and men can be trained in an ordination program for a new American
Buddhist Forest Tradition. The tradition follows the Suttas closely and the
Vinaya very precisely. This is especially good news for those abroad in
robes who wish to come home to this country to live in an Buddhist center
that speaks English, supports the vinaya and offers a study campus to
continue their work with sutta study and developing compassionate service
projects.
The verification of sutta information through personal
investigation using the practice described in the suttas continues today
with the guidance of her teacher, Venerable Bhante Vimalaramsi Maha Thera
who has just been instated into the position of the Head of the Buddhist
Monastic Sangha in the United States of America. This is the first time the
US will have representation at the World Buddhist Summit Conference. Sister
Khema will attend the conference to assist her teacher and to follow
firsthand the progress of the development of women in Buddhism in this
century.
Working fulltime both physically and mentally building a
meditation and study center where others can do this same experiment in
isolation in the forest of the Ozark Mountains in Missouri is not an easy
task. Life on these 30 acres of forestland while living on a steady set of
precepts declared daily along with administrative duties for the center
keeps one very busy. Winters are usually spent travelling the country doing
various Dhamma talks and retreats at Universities and various locations and
raising money for the center. This whole adventure has been like a
concentrated Masters program in Buddhism with the primary guiding professor
on site and available for questions 24/7! In her own words, the beginning
was like this:
“It is said that when the student is ready, the teacher will
appear. I didn't know I was ready but the universe did.”
“Along the way, many students and other people have asked me
how I came to be a Kappiya/assistant for Bhante Vimalaramsi ? What led me to
make this decision? How did it happen? A small part of the story is here
below.
"I found Bhante Vimalaramsi as a teacher over 6 years ago in
Washington , DC and it was then that the journey began that is still going
strong today and it is suspected that it will continue for some time into
the future. That
year a friend had noted to me that astrologically 7 or more planets were
aligned in a way that indicated a most powerful time in my life was at hand.
Astrology, by the way, was a subject I never put much credence in. At the
time, I had made a decision to attempt to go back to work after a
rather serious disability had occurred in my life. In general, life with
its twists and turns, seemed difficult and, though my humor was still
intact, I was not a smiling person as often as I would have liked. Because
of family circumstances, even though disabled, the challenge arose to
consider moving from the mountains in central Virginia to the City (the
belly of the beast, as some called Washington, DC) . I had no desire to
leave those mountains but for a family responsibility that was at hand. The
family was financially in need at the time. I felt it an obligation to leave
and so I did.
“It was while waiting to begin a job, in a new city
atmosphere, with some stress, fear and trepidation, that a someone
encouraged me to begin practicing meditation to help me sleep and calm my
nerves. Having once lived in the Metro area, he assured me that I could find
a teacher there. While in temporary quarters in the area called Adam's
Morgan, as I fell asleep one night just before my birthday, I had a vivid
dream. I watched myself take a bike ride and stop and knock at the door of a
Buddhist Temple and find a teacher of meditation! Dreams do not occur often
for me and this was particularly unexpected, appearing vividly in color.
“Considering how clear this dream had been, the next morning,
after cancelling a morning appointment to see a small house with a realtor,
I went for a bike ride to find a teacher down 16th St. This was known as the
avenue of churches. As I looked at the structures along the way, I thought I
was right in the dream. I had to knock at more than one door, which was
comical in its own way, to find this teacher. The comedy in this is a
subject for a full story another time. As a biker, I was inappropriately
dressed to go knocking at the doors of any temple! That’s for sure.
“The important thing here is that I did find the teacher! I
was told by Bhante Dhammasiri, the head monk at the Washington Buddhist
Vihara, with a little smile on his face, that this teacher I sought was
co-incidentally just arriving into the city that night! Sometimes the
Universe provides exactly what we need when we need it if we just let it be,
and we are awake enough to see it.
“Returning to the temple the next night, I was expecting to
see a little tiny dark-haired monk from Asia walk in to talk with me. But
there was surely a surprise when a tall, smiling, mild mannered monk of
Scottish decent, obviously at one time in the past a redhead, began to share
with those attending what he had uncovered in the texts about Buddhist
meditation. It was fascinating. Never had I expected to meet a teacher who
would instruct me so directly from one of the oldest sources of Buddhism,
the Pali Suttas, which contain the closest thing to what the Buddha said.
These texts preserved for us the original instructions the Buddha personally
followed and how this ascetic performed his own experiment which led him to
deep states of insight into the true nature of the workings of mind and the
way things actually are.
“ Bhante Vimalaramsi 's gift is his ability to guide you to
find out for yourself what the Buddha did by repeating the experiment for
yourself. This guiding teacher persistently urges his students to confirm
for ourselves through direct observation what the Buddha taught. Upon
completing a session of meditation, one always comes away wanting to learn
more! The entire process remains fascinating and never ceases to hold the
attention of the meditator. It's always a question of what will be seen next
and how can one apply the meditation in daily life. This is eye-opening
stuff! It’s challenging! Its fun! It brings up a wholesome joy and
happiness! You really can’t help but smile.
“This has been such a wonderful gift in my life, changing my
whole perspective of the way things actually are. Oh yes! I did change my
mind about astrology! You see, the powerful thing which happened in my life
was not the job but finding the Dhamma.”
A summary of the past 6 years and ongoing work:
After two years
of meditation and study a hugh light went off and loads of reading and
research began by request. Other monks were introduced and many discussions
began to take place, even with scholars. A used 24 ft trailer was purchased
to live in fulltime and all household things were let go of. At three
years the Missouri project was incorporated into a non-profit church
organization got into full swing when a 30 acre property was purchased by
the group. Known at that time as Khanit- Khema, she became the first
Chair-person for that Corporation: United International Buddha Dhamma
Society was essentially was set up like any educational/charitable/church
with the ability to work on international projects that would move toward a
more peaceful society. At Four years the internet work began. The
land was cleared and he roads were cut out of the forest. During that year
and part of the fifth year, wearing white the entire year and keeping 8
precepts all the time, heavy study and writing began in addition to
meditation and practice teaching with the beginnings of the present list of
worldwide students online. At the center during Rains Retreat that year, a
seed of a development program began for Dhamma English for foreign monks
and some other monastics came to the center for the Retreat. A test was
given about many of the aspects of the meditation practice and the
teachings. The teacher’s log cabin (kuti) was completed. A septic system was
put in (although there is no bath house yet to attach it to) and a new well
was dug with a pump and generator system so the water could be used. The
old house at the base camp was barely operating and provides all amenities
until other new buildings can be built. Near the end of the rains retreat in
that year the robes were taken on fulltime as a kind of personal test. This
was the second year keeping 8 precepts fully. Then Purple was determined to
be the color for the forest nuns of this order. Early in the sixth
year, 2005, while still in California, online retreats were created for
the first time. Dhamma transcript gathering was started for a future book
and online coaching was offered to students who were far away.
Transcriptionist began popping up all over the country with offers of help
for the online talks. Bhante’s Anapanasati book reached an estimated over
1,000,000 copies distributed worldwide with 6 language translations
completed. Attendance on the website tripled. Downloading of information
quadrupled. A second edition is now on its way back to us from Taiwan
compliments of the Buddhist Association of the United States out of New
York. We are still in search of a cooperative publisher to print it and
place it into stores and may well choose to do this through LuLu.com
online. A book about the Fruition is in the works by Bhante Vimalaramsi and
many other articles for printing have material ready for the asking from
both Sister Khema and Ven. Vimalaramsi. Gathering in for the first calendar
book has begun. The material has been collected but not edited for printing
quite yet.
The study center continues a search for an administrative
adviser/resident manager, for other monastics and novices who want to be in
the forest, and for an endowment or more monthly financial
support for building a proper campus of which there is plenty of room for.
A small library and a memorial pagoda is planned to be built on the property
in memory of Bhante Vimalaramsi’s teacher, the Venerable Sayadaw U Silinanda.
Local meditation classes began and sutta study continues on both at the
center and with a group in Cape Girardeau who share an interest in how the
human mind operates.
“ The Dhamma is the greatest gift anyone can find in this
life. I cannot imagine a better way to spend ones life than to help others
to be able to learn for themselves this amazing truth that the Buddha
uncovered. This wonderful understanding of Anatta which is an Impersonal
perspective, if circulated to enough people could change the shape of the
potential for real peace in the world today. In many ways it could be a door
to the transcendence of man into a Peaceful existence. But you have to walk
through the door!”
“Not everyone would go for training quite like this, of
course. Any degree of understanding is can change how you live your life and
bring more happiness into it. My daughter, Katie, once asked me about two
years into this, what I was doing. I told her I was learning about Buddhism.
While studying at the University, of course her reply was, “ Mom. You could
have gone to the Library!” I told her, “It wasn’t there.” <smiles>
J
Email comments to Sister Khema email at
Sisterkhema@yahoo.com
Or Write to her at:
Jeta's Grove, Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center, RR 1 B0X 100,
Annapolis, MO 63620
Donations for the project can be given directly to Sister
Khema or sent to Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center, RR 1, Box 100, Annapolis,
MO 63620
They can also be given to the center through the main website
at
www.dhammasukha.org by connecting to Donations and using the Paypal on
line. Pay pal donations cannot exceed $1000 per donation please.
last updated: // Saturday, July 9, 2006
* Sister Khema is presently ordained to the Samaneri (novice-
10 precept) level as a Buddhist nun.and is on a tour attending Ven. Bhante
Viamalramsi on the West coast. Her ordination which occurred in a forest
setting, can be seen at
www.dhammasukha.org/purplepearls
which is the nuns site for Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center. Her full
ordination will take place at some time in the future, when it can occur on
American soil, and when she can be relieved of many of the administrative
duties for the center so she can keep her precepts completely as a full
Bhikkhuni. Her first Pali name given by her teacher was Khema which meant
Peace. The name “Khanti” meaning patience was later added and that is
something needed to live in the forest. So she was Khanti-Khema. Upon her
first ordination she became Sister Khema, although she will tell you that
she still needs her patience!
Dhamma Sukha
Meditation Center
Jeta’s Grove/Anathapindika’s Park
RR 1 B0X 100, Annapolis, MO 63620
