One heart one mind: faith and commitment.

On Sunday July 25th 2004 at Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Venerable Sister Sudhira received her higher ordination from a chapter of bhikkhunis and bhikkhus including her own teacher the Most Venerable Rahatungoda Saddha Sumana. The ceremony of Upasampada was the culmination of many years of study, practise, great effort and strong saddha by Sister Sudhira. Many people know Sudhira, now Bhikkhuni Sudhira, from her time at Sangha Lodge as a member of the association and then when she stayed with us as a samaneri (novice nun) some years ago. People will recall the way in which she worked so hard whilst staying at Sangha Lodge and her commitment to meditation practice which was a shining example to others. Sudhira also made a great effort with her studies while at Sangha Lodge and when she finally returned to Sri Lanka was well prepared for her higher ordination.

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I had the opportunity to meet her teacher and monastic community in January this year when I went to Sri Lanka for a retreat and was able to spend some time staying at Sri Tusitaramaya in Eheliyagoda. They are a small but very committed community of women practitioners under the guidance and direction of the Venerable Saddha Sumana. The abbess of this small community is one of the very first women to have received higher ordination in India just a few years ago. Her ordination represents the re-vivification of reestablishment of the bhikkhuni order within the Theravada school of Buddhist practise. This re-founding of the bhikkhuni lineage was and still is quite controversial however there can be no doubting the sincerity, saddha and strong commitment of these women. There are many senior monks who have given their blessing to this undertaking and who have participated in the original and subsequent ordination rites. Despite this, the sad truth remains that there are others who criticise and refuse to recognise the validity of the ordination of these women. Hopefully people will be patient and consider the fruit of their life and practise.

Sister Sudhira came to the Dhamma many years ago and her faith and commitment has grown steadily ever since. Becoming a fully ordained bhikkhuni seems for her the natural outcome of walking the path of the Buddha. In Sri Lanka she is held in high regard and great affection by her community and the local lay people and participates fully in the life of her community and in that of the local lay community which they serve. The nuns have a very large and popular Dhamma school for very young children through to young adults among other activities with which they are associated. Many of you will know that Venerable Saddha Sumana and her nuns have just finished the construction of a sima for the recitation of the Bhikkhuni Patimokkha within the grounds of their monastery.

The Abbess hopes that many other women will be attracted to the monastic life in its newly reconstituted form and will come to join their community in the years ahead.

The ordination ceremony took place in a very historic part of Sri Lanka. Dambulla is in the central part of the island and is a very beautiful area which is famous for some very ancient Buddhist cave temples. These temples and viharas are decorated with exquisitely beautiful frescoes showing scenes from the life of the Buddha which are many many centuries old. Dambulla has long been thought of as a most important Buddhist center in Sri Lanka and so it is most appropriate that the ceremony of Upasampada was held there. Making again a connection to the first Bhikkhuni to come to Sri Lanka, the Most Venerable Sanghamitta in the 3rd century BC. Venerable Sanghamitta was the daughter of King Asoka who came to Sri Lanka at his request in order to establish the bhikkhuni order in that island as did her brother Venerable Mahinda. The ancient bodhi tree which still grows at Anuradhapura is a decendant of the original sapling which they brought from India so long ago.

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Bhikkhuni Sudhira's own sister and niece were able to attend the ceremony and to spend some time with Sudhira as well as visiting other parts of the beautiful island of Sri Lanka. Whilst in Sri Lanka they were greatly assisted by another friend of Sangha Lodge, Mr. Lalith Gunasinghe who also was very kind to me when I was there in January. Mr. Gunasinghe is a very devout Buddhist layman who has helped the nuns at Eheliyagoda for many years.

In Sri Lanka the custom exists that a monk or nun be known by the area from which they have come as well as their ordination name and so Venerable Sister sudhira is now known as Australia Sudhira! What will happen when other women from Australia ordain later on is anyone's guess.

Bhikkhuni Sudhira's ordination or upasampada is very significant. Our own Ayya Santa recently pointed out to me that this is the first full bhikkhuni ordination of an Australian woman in the newly re-founded bhikkhuni order within Theravada. There are other women who have had the upasampada ordination but through a Chinese Mahayana lineage in Taiwan or L.A. for example, such was the higher ordination of the late Venerable Ayya Khema. Bhikkhuni Suddhira then represents a very important moment in the history of the Dhamma in Australia. Our first Australian born bhikkhuni in Theravada. Long may she live to turn the wheel of Dhamma! And may many other women follow her example so that the bhikkhuni order might grow in strength and numbers to once again teach the Dhamma for the well being of the many!

At present Bhikkhuni Sudhira is with her teacher at the bhikkhuni monastery, Wat Songdhammakalyani in Nakhorn Pathom just west of Bangkok, Thailand. This famous temple was established many years ago by the mother of the present senior nun, who is the Venerable Bhikkhuni Dhammanada (formerly know as Chatsumarn Kabilsingh of Thammasat university). They are spending the annual Vassa or rains retreat there in the company of other devout women and will return to Sri Lanka at the end of the vassa in late October or early November. All at Sangha Lodge and the Association send her and the other nuns every good wish and every blessing of the Dhamma for a happy and fruitful rains retreat and many fruitful years of practicing and spreading the Dhamma. May they be free from suffering! May they be well and happy! May they come quickly to the complete freedom of heart and mind which is Nibbana!

With great metta, Bhante Tejjadhammo