by Ayya Niyyanika | Apr 14, 2024 | Uncategorized
In March, desert winds tugged my robes as I walked through the Spring blooms and greeted bunnies and birds looking for their nesting places, some right outside the kuti door. This sign of searching for their new homes signaled the end of Winter Retreat and the start...
by Ayya Niyyanika | Feb 26, 2024 | Uncategorized
Sitting in the desert with the gentle Winter sun I appreciate Ajahn Brahm’s words that meditation is just being present with one in breath and one out breath and then doing it again for the next breath and the next. The days of Winter Retreat at Dhamma Dena are...
by Ayya Niyyanika | Jan 15, 2024 | Uncategorized
Today I enter Winter Retreat at Dhamma Dena in Southern California. (See the end of this blog for more about Dhamma Dena and how to support.) I feel so ready for this opportunity for deepening practice – warm hearted, rightly directed, and internally resourced....
by Ayya Niyyanika | Dec 20, 2023 | Uncategorized
Tongdosa: The Buddha Treasure Temple The Buddha Treasure (Tongdosa) Temple was the first of the Three Jewel Temples we visited. We visited on a moon day so the grounds were filled with devoted practitioners when we arrived, which was during the day’s big service...
by Ayya Niyyanika | Dec 4, 2023 | Uncategorized
I celebrate six years since Bhikkhunī ordination, Upasampadā, today. This anniversary finds me in South Korea with its rich heritage of Buddhist teaching and practice. at Maha Vihara with Ayya Sucitta and two of the four resident bhikkhus I arrived in South Korea on...
by Ayya Niyyanika | Nov 21, 2023 | Uncategorized
Before starting the second half of the tour, here is a picture for the Patimokkha recitation. We had four bhikkhunis at Wat Pah Subthawee Dhammaram including Ayya Camala from Malaysia. Ayya Cittananda took the picture so it is just Ayya Santussika, Ayya Camala and I...
by Ayya Niyyanika | Nov 20, 2023 | Uncategorized
Visiting Thailand with Ayya Santussika, Ayya Cittananda and some of the Karuna Buddhist Vihara community has breathed even more faith and confidence into my practice in a way only possible in a Buddhist country and in the presence of deeply practiced, Dhamma sharing,...
by Ayya Niyyanika | Nov 3, 2023 | Uncategorized
During this Vassa. I explored what is the right rhythm of meditation and exercise, study and project work, and being alone and with others. This is the first time I’ll had a stretch of months where I lived without other monastics. It was very interesting to...
by Ayya Niyyanika | Oct 11, 2023 | Uncategorized
Sunday, October 22nd Meditation Daylong The sharing of a day of meditation on the beautiful land of the Vassa dwelling was well attended and nourished our hearts in September. Sunday, October 22nd, let’s do it again! The schedule is flexible and may be something...
by Ayya Niyyanika | Aug 28, 2023 | Uncategorized
Warm greetings Dhamma practitioners, Sunday, September 24th is an opportunity to practice meditation and have forest time together. Ayya Niyyānika is in a Vassa Dwelling on Bainbridge Island with a lovely meditation garden and next to the Grand Forest. They have found...
by Ayya Niyyanika | Jul 13, 2023 | Uncategorized
During my visit to Tilorien Monastery in Belgium, I encountered a new way of practice for the Full Moon Uposatha Nights. Rather than sitting all night, most of the night is spent walking, mostly in forest. About half way through the walk about an hour is given to...
by Ayya Niyyanika | May 16, 2023 | Uncategorized
Coming out of about four months of retreat, I find myself uncertain of what to share here. In this time of retreat, and even before, I’ve fallen away from journaling, finding that conditions move so quickly and, often, but not always, are leaving less residue that...
by Ayya Niyyanika | Apr 12, 2023 | Uncategorized
Between retreats, I had the good fortune to spend a week at Mahapajapati Monastery. The community there is gearing up for growth and Sangha development in a beautiful way. I was deeply impressed by the friendly open welcome and sharing of Dhamma practice. Ayyā...
by Ayya Niyyanika | Mar 21, 2023 | Uncategorized
The retreats in Wisconsin and Alberta were nourishing. The time in the cold nature of snowy Winter helped me slow down and be with the body as it responded to the elements. Overall I would characterize the retreats with the word “happiness.” Certainly,...
by Ayya Niyyanika | Jan 13, 2023 | Uncategorized
Aloka Vihara is ending at its Placerville, California location (where the picture above was taken during a visit by the Clear Mountain Monastics) and, with such an ending, it was necessary to begin some other phase or place of monastic life. This gives me the...
