Ajahn Sundara (born 1946) is a
French-born Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
sīladhārā in the tradition established by
Ajahn Sumedho.
Life
She studied contemporary dance and worked as a dancer and dance teacher until her early thirties when she had the opportunity to meet
Ajahn Sumedho in
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and to attend one of his
Dhamma
Dharma (; , ) is a key concept in various Indian religions. The term ''dharma'' does not have a single, clear translation and conveys a multifaceted idea. Etymologically, it comes from the Sanskrit ''dhr-'', meaning ''to hold'' or ''to support' ...
talks and then a retreat. She was one of the first four women ordained by Ajahn Sumedho in 1979 as an
anagārikā (an
eight-precept novice) and in 1983 as a ten-precept
sīladhārā. After living at
Chithurst Buddhist Monastery
''Cittaviveka'' (Pali: ' discerning mind'), commonly known as Chithurst Buddhist Monastery, is an English Theravada Buddhist monastery in the Thai Forest Tradition. It is situated in West Sussex, England in the hamlet of Chithurst between ...
in England, Ajahn Sundara moved in 1984 to
Amaravati Buddhist Monastery
Amaravati is a Theravada Buddhist monastery at the eastern end of the Chiltern Hills in South East England. Established in 1984 by Ajahn Sumedho as an extension of Chithurst Buddhist Monastery, the monastery has its roots in the Thai Forest Tr ...
and was instrumental in founding the nuns' community there. She went to Thailand in the mid-1990s, where she spent more than two years, primarily on retreat at forest monasteries. She has been teaching and leading retreats in Europe and North America for many years. She currently resides at
Amaravati Buddhist Monastery
Amaravati is a Theravada Buddhist monastery at the eastern end of the Chiltern Hills in South East England. Established in 1984 by Ajahn Sumedho as an extension of Chithurst Buddhist Monastery, the monastery has its roots in the Thai Forest Tr ...
, whose history and relevance to
women in Buddhism she has chronicled in the book chapter "The Theravada Sangha Goes West: The Story of Amaravati".
Publications
*
*
*
*
*
*
See also
*
Thai Forest Tradition
The Kammaṭṭhāna Forest Tradition of Thailand (from meaning Kammaṭṭhāna, "place of work"), commonly known in the West as the Thai Forest Tradition, is a Parampara, lineage of Theravada Buddhist monasticism.
The Thai Forest Traditi ...
*
Ajahn Chah
*
Ajahn Sumedho
*
Ajahn Candasiri
*
Chithurst Buddhist Monastery
''Cittaviveka'' (Pali: ' discerning mind'), commonly known as Chithurst Buddhist Monastery, is an English Theravada Buddhist monastery in the Thai Forest Tradition. It is situated in West Sussex, England in the hamlet of Chithurst between ...
*
Amaravati Buddhist Monastery
Amaravati is a Theravada Buddhist monastery at the eastern end of the Chiltern Hills in South East England. Established in 1984 by Ajahn Sumedho as an extension of Chithurst Buddhist Monastery, the monastery has its roots in the Thai Forest Tr ...
References
External links
Amaravati Buddhist MonasteryAudio recordings of 19 Dharma talks in Englishon th
Dharma Seedlibrary
a 2011 interview on the TV sho
Sagesse Boudhisteon
France 2
France 2 () is a French free-to-air public television channel. The flagship channel of France Télévisions, it broadcasts generalist programming including news, entertainment (such as dramas, films, and game shows), factual programmes, and sp ...
retrieved from the French on-line magazin
Bouddhisme au Feminina 2013 interview on the TV sho
Sagesse Boudhisteon
France 2
France 2 () is a French free-to-air public television channel. The flagship channel of France Télévisions, it broadcasts generalist programming including news, entertainment (such as dramas, films, and game shows), factual programmes, and sp ...
retrieved from the French on-line magazin
Bouddhisme au Feminin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sundara, Ajahn
1946 births
Living people
French scholars of Buddhism
Buddhist writers
Converts to Buddhism
French expatriates in Thailand
Theravada Buddhist monks
Thai Forest Tradition nuns
French Buddhist nuns
21st-century French nuns
Sundara, Ajahn
20th-century Buddhist nuns
21st-century Buddhist nuns
20th-century French women