Adventures in Orissa

Shakyajata, well known to readers of Triratna News as an intrepid traveller, fundraiser and organiser, writes with news of her latest adventures - in Orissa, far north-eastern India, where there are a number of small Triratna groups run by graduates of the Nagaloka training institute in Nagpur. She says -

“Orissa (now Odisha, more in line with the way it is pronounced) is an extraordinary place. We were there for 12 days in January. It’s very old-fashioned and underdeveloped, and quite a stronghold of Hinduism, with many famous temples. It is the first place in India in which I have felt like a mleccha, an outcaste from across the Black Water (i.e. outside India) whose touch pollutes; people seemed actually a bit afraid of contact with us; apart from our 'own people' of course, who were overjoyed to see us. They are would-be Buddhists or political followers of Dr Ambedkar, great leader of the Scheduled Castes, now known as Dalits (oppressed people.)

“At one point we visited a remote village and had a meal with the local group, and they were so delighted that they came to meet us with traditional instruments and dancing, and processed us through the village. They had never seen a white person before, except on TV...it was like going back 1000 years into India's history - until our hostess, sister of one of our friends there, pulled a mobile phone out of her blouse! They were so hospitable and kind, and Helen, who is rather Indian-looking apart from her colouring, was a great hit with the younger women (and men!) especially.

“In another village, we were treated to a programme of traditional dancing by young people, women and men. It was terrific - wild and energetic and beautifully done, with costumes just like the ones we had viewed earlier in the State Museum at Bhubaneshwar, great chunky barbaric-looking jewellery and short skirts to free the dancers' strong and lively legs. So different from the traditional Hindu image of women, demure and retiring!

“The museum is very good indeed, with lots of Buddhist stuff and excellent displays of the way of life of 'tribal' people; again we were given some amazing insights by Trinath, who comes from a similar background. His descriptions of instruments were especially good, through them I recognised the ones in the villages, later.

“There is loads more to say about Odisha, but I am running out of time. Today may be the last time I can get on the internet before going to Chhattisgarh, where I am attending a big retreat run by Saddharaja. So this is a sort of half-blog, with a second instalment to follow, after which I will be back to chilly England - but at least the air may be fresh!

best wishes
Shakyajata

Returning to Ladakh - an opportunity to travel with Jayacitta

Last year a group of pilgrims from Triratna and other Buddhist traditions accompanied Jayacitta as she led them on a two-week journey though the magical landscapes of Ladakh and Kashmir. She’s returning there this summer ( August 2011) and has created a blog to give an idea of what’s on offer - www.ladakh2011.wordpress.com. Here she describes some of what happened last year, saying -

“Ladakh is all about space - the sense of openness can be almost overwhelming. And at sunrise and sunset even the mountains seem to lift off and become diaphanous and made of light.

“Last year in September a small group of travellers set off with Jayachitta to visit Ladakh, its many monasteries, lakes and mountain passes. The group was made up of people practicing within Triratna and also in the Dzogchen tradition. Elizabeth Ebbutt, a Mitra from Triratna’s North London centre commented "Ladakh is possibly the most beautiful and peaceful place I have been and one that I will never forget. Ladakh touched my heart; the people are very gentle and I had the most amazing and exciting road trip ever."

“A highlight was visiting Alchi Monastery, outside Leh, with its ancient wall paintings in the ancient Kashmiri style, and Buddha figures three storeys high. Also walking in the mountains, travelling over the highest motorable road in the world, and a valley with turquoise rivers running through it.

“But Ladakh had suffered a great tragedy, just 6 weeks before the trip. A massive cloudburst had erupted above the eastern side of Leh, unheard of in this high mountain desert. The rain that poured down swept away houses, people, cattle and farmland. The mudbrick houses were not built for water and could not withstand it. So for some weeks it was unclear if the trip could happen at all.

“After much deliberation and searching out news from many sources we decided to proceed, having come to the conclusion that we would be safe, and also, very importantly, would not be a burden to people there. In fact, by then, the Ladakhis were eager for visitors to come back, as in the short summer season tourism is very important in the region. They asked people not to stay away, but come and support them by giving them work.

“It was a decision we did not regret, even though signs of the disaster were visible around us. A lot of work had already taken place to repair roads and houses. Even better, the group was able to support the Ladakhi people with some contributions and donations. There’s a Facebook page if you also want help the Ladakhi people.

“Our time there passed quickly, and we had time, really, for only a taster of that magical country, where Buddhism is still alive in its original roots, and has been for 100s of years. Time was of a premium as winter comes early, and the passes are closed after October, and then winter comes with its sub-zero temperatures.

Jayachitta will be returning to Ladakh and Kashmir this summer (August 2011) - details at www.ladakh2011.wordpress.com

calling young Triratna Buddhists - June weekend announced

Mat New and Vidyaruci write from Birmingham UK with news of a special weekend for Young Triratna Buddhists to be held in June. Entitled ‘The New Society in Principle and Practice’, they plan to -

* Investigate the social implications of the Buddha's teaching, as expressed through the ideal of the New Society
* Learn how this ideal has manifested in practice through the institutions of the Triratna Community
* Explore how we can benefit from these institutions, and how best to support them.
* Receive encouragement and guidance in the development of new initiatives
* Practise and inspire one another in the spirit of Sangha.

Dates are 17-19 June, place is the Birmingham Buddhist Centre, and the weekend will be led by Vajragupta and others from the Triratna Development Team. Payment will be by voluntary donation; participants will include students of the Triratna Dharma Training Course.

If you are interested please contact Vidyaruci: matt.notmatt@yahoo.co.uk or check the Facebook event at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=167405576643651

Minding The Breath - an offering from Amsterdam

Gunabhadri writes from Holland with news of a generous offer from André Douw, a mitra at Triratna's Amsterdam Buddhist Centre.  He’s a composer, teacher and former chair of the Composition Department at the Amsterdam Conservatory and is now, via a page on his website, offering 189 on-line melodies for the Pan flute, with guidance and applicable to other woodwind instruments

She says - “The nice thing about this page is that it is offered in the spirit of Dana (generosity)!  You can download music of the various melodies and (if you wish) donate some money to the Amsterdam Buddhist Centre and/or ‘De 3 Juwelen’ (a Triratna project which supports translations of Triratna texts into Dutch)”.

In André’s own words: “The learning method offered here has been composed in the spirit of the Buddhist principle of ‘Dana’ or Generosity.  If you support this principle you may donate to the Triratna Buddhist Order in The Netherlands…”

You’ll find his page at http://andre-douw.nl/  

Metta from Gunabhadri

Introducing: FBA Dharmabytes

Spreading the Dharma
Sharing our Practice
Connecting our Community Worldwide

Dharmabytes – The New Podcast from Free Buddhist Audio

What’s a Dharmabyte, you ask? Why, it’s a little bite-sized piece of Dharma! A pithy few minutes from one of over a thousand full-length Dharma talks in the Dharmachakra digital archives. Hand-selected by our team twice a week, they're great for inspiring, reminding and sharing with friends. And, as ever, it's all completely free!

Beginning February 3rd with the theme of The Arising of the Bodhicitta – and moving into themes of Parinirvana and Death, and then the Four Mind-Turnings – we invite you to join us, by subscribing here: Dharmabytes (opens in iTunes online).

The Gift of the Dharma – delivered wherever you are!

Take a Dharmabyte with you on the train, in the car, on your daily walk. Digest it with your breakfast, sip it with your morning coffee or tea. Pass it on to others… These little nuggets are sure to inspire meaningful reflections throughout the day.

Not sure what a podcast is? Check out our podcast infomation page, or take a look at this Wikipedia entry.

As always, we are passionately committed to maintaining free access to our talks, so that you and other practitioners can tune into the Dharma whenever you want, wherever you are, for as long as you like. We’d like that to be the case for generations to come…

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(The Dhammapada)

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On-Line Buddhafield Dharma: part III

In the last of our three-part series featuring essays from the newly-released Buddhafield Dharma Series I, Triratna News brings you three more essays from Order Members in the Buddhafield Sangha.

Khemasuri, in ‘Building an Ethical Underworld’, undertakes a fascinating exploration of the synergies between modern Systems Thinking and the Dharma, asking the question “how can we set up the conditions for change?” Provocatively subtitled, ‘Lessons from the Mafia’, she draws parallels between the Mafia and the Sangha: both originate outside the traditional institutions of civil
Society, and being ‘outside the box’ are not bound by convention or traditional values and behaviour - the difference being, of course, that the Sangha exists to promote what she calls an ‘ethical underworld’ rather than a criminal underworld!
(click here for the PDF version)

Kamalashila, in ‘Community, Nature, and Reality’, offers a set of guidelines for creating effective and satisfying community - which he defines as perhaps the most urgent and difficult challenge facing our individualistic, disconnected world. Significantly, this comes out of his eighteen-month solitary retreat in the Welsh hills, where he discovered that “being close to nature provides wings for my fledgling understanding of things”.
(click here for the PDF version)

Finally, Lokabandhu, in ‘Shouting Out Beauty - listening to the Wisdom of Nature’, explores how the natural open-air settings of Buddhafield retreats provide the perfect - though challenging conditions to explore the Buddha’s classic teaching of the Noble Eightfold Path.
(click here for the PDF version)

Buddhafield Dharma Series I is a collection of on-line essays exploring Buddhafield’s approach to the Dharma and its application of the Dharma to the great issues of our time, both individual and collective.

Colchester and Ipswich Sanghas make Pilgrimage to India

Amalaketu, the new chairman of Triratna’s Colchester Buddhist Centre, writes with news of their recent Pilgrimage to the Buddhist Holy Places in India and Nepal - one of several this winter.  He says -

“28 Pilgrims from the Triratna Colchester and Ipswich Centres (plus a few interlopers from Brighton and Cambridge!) went out to India and Nepal this New Year, to visit the Buddhist Holy Sites.  These are the four  places where the Buddha was born (Lumbini, Nepal), Enlightened (Bodh Gaya), first taught the Dharma (Sarnath) and entered Paranirvana (Kusinagar).  We also fitted in trips to Nalanda, Vulture’s Peak, and the Bamboo Grove, the first land ever donated to the Buddhist Sangha.

"After arriving in Delhi (and making a quick visit to the Taj Mahal) we spent New Year’s Eve on the Ganges, fortunately not losing anyone to Hinduism!  Varanasi was in fact enough to put anyone off for life - it’s one of the craziest places on Earth; Sadhus attempting to put red spots on our foreheads, and charge 100 rupees for it!

"We spent time in Sarnath, doing an outdoor Puja where the Buddha first met his old followers, the Five Ascetics. While there we visited Dhammaloka, Triratna’s land in Sarnath, probably completely surprising  the two mitras living there by just turning up and doing Puja in their shrine room. They are probably still in shock...!

"We spent time on our land in Bodh Gaya, meeting Buddhavajra who introduced us to the site. Jane King of the Ipswich Sangha became a Mitra, and we felt very fortunate to be able to have such a meaningful ceremony there. We also visited Shashi’s Thangka School, Shashi being an Indian mitra very much associated with the Triratna community in Bodh Gaya. 

Over the course of the pilgrimage we visited all of the Holy Sites, but the highlights were going out to Kapilavastu (the Buddha’s birthplace in Nepal) and doing Puja at Rajgir on the Vulture’s Peak. We also headed out to Padmasambhava's meditation cave in Pharping, and did Puja to the amazement of the Tibetan Monks there.

"Fitting in a quick safari at Chitwan Safari Park, and finishing off in Kathmandu, the Pilgrimage Sangha returned to the UK in the middle of January, mostly sick (Pilgrims Plague?!) but after having a most amazing experience. It was such a harmonious trip, with a real sense of community, and we’re all still absorbing it..."

If you would like to know more please contact Amalaketu at the Colchester Buddhist Centre.

Community At Work: part II of Windhorse video now released

Sugarbha writes from Windhorse:Evolution with news that the second part of their new series of short videos, Community At Work,  has just been released and is available for viewing.  He says -

“Four sangha members are interviewed regarding their experience of working in the business, including Nandavajra, a senior Order Member working with us for two months after stepping down from many years as Chairman of the Newcastle Buddhist Centre.  So a somewhat fresh perspective! People give personal and sometimes lively, humorous accounts”.

Windhorse are Triratna’s largest and most successful Right Livelihood business.  Based in a large and beautiful purpose-built warehouse just outside Cambridge UK, they’ve an annual turnover of over UK £10m and currently have two vacancies.  You’ll find an advertisement on our sister blog Triratna Jobs. 

The direct video link is www.vimeo.com/19742477

Death of Dhammachari Dhammaratna in India

Karmavajra,  an Indian Order Member working in Triratna’s Order Office in Pune, writes with news of the unexpected death of Dhammachari Dhammaratna.  He says -

“We regret to inform you that Dh. Dhammaratna died suddenly at his residence at Ulhasnagar (near Mumbai) at 4.00 am on the morning of Thursday February 3rd.

“Dhammaratna was ordained in 1987 and his Public and Private Preceptor was Kamalashila. He was 71 years old.  The funeral and cremation were held on the same day.

“Yours in the Sangha, Karmavajra (Maitrijal - Indian Order Office)”.

On-Line Buddhafield Dharma: part II

Last Sunday Triratna News began a three-part series featuring essays from the newly-released Buddhafield Dharma Series I, a collection of on-line essays exploring Buddhafield’s approach to the Dharma and its application of the Dharma to the great issues of our time, both individual and collective.

Our second instalment features three more essays -click any of the title links to read on-line with Issuu.

Myth, Poetry and the Goddess, by Dhiramati, is a passionate and evocative call to follow him and simply “give up, relax a little” - and thereby enter a very different realm. As he describes one of his early Buddhafield retreat experiences - “I lay down and looked up into the canopy of trees above me. The light was like brilliant silver shimmering and dancing between the leaves which were illuminated from within and glowing, all swaying in a gentle whisper as the wind breathed. It’s hard to describe but I knew Tara, I wasn’t thinking, but I sensed directly something there in that beautiful place. An unfolding, a presence, alive in nature, singing, calling, to everything, in everything, to me, to my body, my breath, my senses...”  (click here for the PDF version)

Akuppa , author of the much-loved ‘Shambala Warrior Mind-Training verses’ asks us to ‘Strive On’ and offers ‘Five ways to stay Sane and True and survive Global Meltdown’, drawn from the five ethical precepts of Buddhism. He asks us to keep a vision of humanity, give ourselves to community, avoid being implicated in systems that cause harm and division, speak out, and keep the broadest possible perspective - and promises that in doing those things, we survive, in the deepest, fullest sense of the word, and what is most precious about our humanity will not be lost.  (click here for the PDF version)

In 'The Living Elements’ Kamalashila sets out his thesis that seeing what really happens in experience will enable anyone to liberate themselves from ever-present, deeply held assumptions – views that are false and undermining - and that if we could connect much more fully with the basic elements of life, we would more easily cut through the accumulated cobweb of our complex delusion. (click here for the PDF version)

Enjoy!  And look out for Part III (and last) next Sunday...

Sangharakshita Land Project - the latest near miss

Mokshapriya writes:

A few of members of the Land Project development team went down to visit a 200+ acre site near Bristol last week. This was followed by a second visit with a few more of us as it showed considerable potential. The renovated Georgian house offered almost immediate use and the fantastic mature woodland presented retreat and camping opportunities. It was worth serious consideration and so took two visits to realise that it’s drawbacks meant it could never quite work for us.

There are some issues that only become apparent when you visit and traffic noise is one of them. The nearest road is classed as a minor road but the regular fast usage ensured an almost constant drone which, combined with the sloping geography, proved to invasive and made the pasture area impractical for our activities.

Given that this is a personal blog I can also say that I was the least inspired by the site partly because it was too far south but mainly because the main house itself is a quite delightful Grade II listed Georgian property. The search has going on for the best part of a year now and it seems the search reveals farm after country house after stately home after farm. Consequently the likelihood of being able to create our own significant buildings that can fulfil the greater vision becomes diminished. 

There has always been a tension between finding a property that will allow us provide accommodation and retreat facilities as soon as possible and a site that will offer potential for exciting architectural development that might express, in some way, Buddhism in the modern world. That tension is somewhat lessened by the fact that land offering build potential in an appropriately beautiful setting has simply not appeared so far. So no conflict! 

Well, personally I remain unconvinced that buying a beautiful country house even if set in lovely countryside will ever prove appropriate for who we are and how we want to be represented. The question is at what point do we have to accept the harsh realities of what’s actually available and how long we can afford to delay.

See Mokshapriya’s blog to keep up with the latest developments.

New Triratna group takes off in Lewes, Sussex

Akasati writes with news of a booming new Triratna group in Lewes, Sussex. She says - “In November 2009 Sraddhadipa, Dharmavajra and I moved to Lewes, a lively county town 7 miles out of Brighton. Towards the end of 2010, together with Amodana and Don Watts, I set about organising a local meditation course.

“We found a spacious room run by a local health clinic, Dharmavajra made us a poster featuring a Lewes scene and we sent the word out. Buddhafield kindly loaned a couple of large sacks of cushions, blocks and blankets. We were ready to go. We were concerned that maybe the room we were taking on was too big and too expensive - what if we only got a handful of bookings and ended up and saddled with the bill?

“A trickle of bookings started to roll in and I breathed a sigh of relief, confident that we'd be able to cover costs. Over December the booking list grew, hitting 20 towards the end of the month. Sraddhadipa said she'd like to be involved too, making the idea of a large group seem a lot more manageable. Over the New Year period not a day went past when there wasn't an email, a phone call or a booking dropping onto our doormat, peaking with a flurry of last minute interest. Including our team of 4, there are now 33 of us on the course - quite a crowd! There's a good spread of ages and around a third of them are newcomers. Many are people who've already learned to meditate and are looking for the ongoing support of a local sangha.

“We needn't have worried about money. In fact we have enough to set up our group with our own cushions, blocks and blankets, ready for when we need to return the Buddhafield gear in a month or two. We've brought a big rupa with a beautiful face from Evolution and a flip chart stand. It's felt a bit like setting up a mini centre. And I'm in a position to cover the room hire for the next 6 weeks - a continuation course.

“Watch this space!”

Akasati

Reviews for Windhorse's new books - ‘The Art of Reflection’ and ‘The Poet's Way’

Two books newly published by Windhorse Publications have been garnering some great reviews recently, and we’re pleased to feature two of them - Ratnaguna’s ‘The Art of Reflection’ and ‘The Poet's Way’ by Manjusvara.

Both are available in full on the Reviews section of Triratna News but we include excerpts from both below.

Of The Art of Reflection, Advayacitta says -

“Ratnaguna has the knack of approaching complex or difficult issues and making apparently simple but not so obvious points that elucidate matters. In doing so he discusses spiritually vital practices that might just not occur to people. Thus he emphasises the important art of doing nothing as a basis for reflection. He discusses ‘talking to oneself’ in a manner that is actually a rigorous and honest debate that deliberately challenges one’s own assumptions. He looks at owning up to one’s own foolishness, and other difficult aspects of self-reflection. Such practices can be crucial in the cultivation of ethics, psychological integration and wisdom. The fact that Ratnaguna explicitly discusses them, and recommends them, is likely to be of much benefit to people.

“It is likely to be very helpful for many people in establishing and maintaining an effective reflection practice. It is also a delight to read. It is written with clarity and love, and is grounded in Ratnaguna’s own practice and experience”.

And of The Poet's Way, Padmacandra, herself a poet, writes -
“As I write this, the snow is falling outside the window, and leaving a tablet of pure white on the grass. Reflecting on Manjusvara's new book about writing and the spiritual path, The Poet's Way, I immediately think of the blank white page that the poet or aspiring writer must face before setting off on their journey.

“For some this white page may be terrifying, for others exciting, and for many both of these things, representing as it does the unknown, the not yet come into being. If I were to be setting out into the unknown through the snow, or through facing a blank page for the first time -and it always feels like the first time, indeed is new and unique each time - I would like to have the voice in my ear of someone who has already travelled the way: a voice that is trustworthy and intimate, humorous, enthusiastic and never patronising.

“Whilst reading the book I also felt the generosity of someone who was willing to share the tools of his trade in detail and without jargon, what he has learned through hard work along the way, both as a poet and experienced Dharma practitioner”.

Both books - and many others from Windhorse - are available in local Triratna Centre bookshops or direct from Windhorse - or your local bookseller.

Triratna Paris expands with retreats for men and women

Triratna Paris' Three Jewels logo

Christian writes from the Centre bouddhiste Triratna de Paris with news of a significant development in their program of activities. He says -

“What’s important in this title is the “s” at the end of “retreats”! Yes, for the first time, the Paris Triratna Centre has managed to organise two retreats – one for women and one for men. This stepping into the “single-sex principle” is new for the Paris Sangha – and it has been welcomed by all who took part in our two retreats.

“Altogether 7 women took part in the women’s retreat, co-led by Vassika and the newly-ordained Manibhadri. It was the first retreat that Manibhadri led since her ordination last summer and she was pleased that it went very well.

“I was one of the 7 men who took part in the men’s retreat, which was led by Mahasiddhi. It was also the first retreat he lead, and a great way for him – who is English and lives in Birmingham, but speaks fluent French – to start to deepen his connection with the Paris Sangha.

“In both retreats, all retreatants enjoyed the fact that it was a single-sex situation, and especially the freedom this gave in communicating with one another and the depth of sharing oneself that was gained from this freedom. One thing is certain – the additional work involved in organizing not one but two retreats is worth the effort and there will be more single-sex retreats in the future for the Paris Sangha!

Details of the Centre’s program are available at www.centrebouddhisteparis.org - along with a substantial collection of essays introducing the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha in French.

On-Line Buddhafield Dharma: Series 1 now available

Lokabandhu writes from Glastonbury to say - “I’m delighted to let you know we’ve just published “Buddhafield Dharma - Series I. This is a collection of essays by Buddhafield teachers in which they begin to articulate Buddhafield’s special approach to the Dharma; developed over 15 years and more of Dharma teaching.

"Buddhafield’s special approach comes from its close contact with the elements - all their retreats being held under canvas - and the annual Buddhafield Festival, which brings together an unprecedented breadth people active all across the alternative-eco-social-political spectrum in the UK”.

The nine essays are published in an easy-to-read interactive format at http://issuu.com/buddhafield; we’ll be featuring three weekly for the next three Sundays.

 First off this week is ‘On Retreat with Buddhafield’ by Paramananda, well-known for his best-selling books on meditation, in which he skilfully evokes the transformative power of meditating and practicing outdoors.  (click here for the PDF version)

Akasati, the original driving force behind this project, and for many years a key organiser within Buddhafield, follows with ‘Ecology, Buddhism and Buddhafield’, laying out the raison-d-etre of the project: which she defines as the “fertile ground between urgent contemporary issues and timeless Buddhist wisdom”, a dialogue that was able to grow out of the ‘Untamed Dharma’ of the early Buddhafield experiments.  (click here for the PDF version)

Maitrisara rounds off this week’s selection with a beautiful essay entitled ‘Gracing the Earth: Buddhist Reflections on a Damaged Planet’, drawing out the crucial importance of Awareness, deepening into Equanimity - which she characterises as ‘Sustaining the Gaze’, then Simplicity, Energy, Effectiveness, Strength – and finally even Anger. She closes with four possible actions in response to what we see around us: Intervene, Exemplify, Ignore, and Make Magic...  (click here for the PDF version)

Enjoy!

new Triratna jobs and volunteering opportunities

There’s a number of Job and Volunteering opportunities coming up around the Movement, and we invite Triratna News readers to check our sister blog Triratna Jobs for more details.

Top of our list is Cambridge-based Windhorse:Evolution who seek women for the two key full-time posts of Personnel Advisor and Customer Service Advisor.

Meanwhile over at Windhorse Publications - also based in Cambridge - they’re seeking a full-time Publishing Controller to organise and oversee the entire book production process, from draft manuscript to finished book - among other things!

Karuna are recruiting volunteers for their Fundraising as Spiritual Practice campaigns - the classic (and very challenging) door-to-door appeals, the second year of the One Year Appeal (men only); Six week telephone campaigns (men and women); and finally the opportunity to practice Solo door-to-door fundraising as a livelihood. More about all these at www.appeals.karuna.org.

And last but by no means least, Buddhafield are gearing up for their summer season and especially looking for cafe volunteers. Check their website www.buddhafield.com/index.php?cafe=volunteer. Hard work, but a great opportunity to get to some of the UK’s best alternative festivals!

if you would like to announce a job or volunteering opportunity andwhere in the worldwide Triratna Buddhsit community please email us at lokabandhu@fwbo.org

Names for 15 women recently ordained in India

We’re finally able to bring Triratna News readers the names of the following 15 women ordained at Bordharan Retreat Centre, central India on Sunday 9 January 2011. Their ordinations brought the number of Indian women ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order over the 100 mark for the first time - to a total of 103!

Nirmala Jadhav from south-west Nagpur becomes Amalachandra – She who has the moon of purity and peace.

Sunita Patil from south-west Nagpur becomes Jayachandra - She who has the moon of victory.

Tarabai Lohkar from Hinganghat (first Dhammacharini from there) becomes Sanghasakhi - She who is the friend of the Sangha.

Chaya Tamgadge from Yavatmal becomes Samyaka - She who is trying to be perfect (one of the first two Dhammacharinis from here).

Nanda Meshram from Wardha becomes Dipamala - She who has a line of lamps - her light is very powerful.

Jaya Mhatre from Yavatmal becomes Jayakirti - She who has a famous victory (one of the first two Dhammacharinis from here).

Jnanasuri was the Private Preceptor for all the above.

Vaishali Wasnik from north Nagpur becomes Vidyadharini – She who keeps in mind the understanding of the wisdom of the Buddhadhamma.

Nina Uke from north Nagpur becomes Kalyanadharini - She who keeps in mind the beauty of the Dhamma life - especially friendship.

Sunita Ramteke from north Nagpur becomes Sugatadharini - She who keeps in mind the Sugata (the Buddha).

Vajrasuri was the Private Preceptor for all the above.

Vaishali Patil from north Nagpur becomes Bodhimodani - She who delights in Awakening

Dwarka Tembhurne from Phulgaon becomes Buddhadassini (Pali) - She who has the vision of the Buddha.

Shobha Gedam from north Nagpur becomes Danaratna - She who has the jewel of generosity.

Ratnamala Tembhurniker from north Nagpur becomes Jnanavajri - She who has the Diamond/Thunderbolt of wisdom.

Chandha Chinchkhede from north Nagpur becomes Suddhahadaya (Pali) - She who has a pure heart.

Mala Jawade from Wardha becomes Vidyadarshini - She who has wise vision.

Karunamaya (shown left) was the Private Preceptor for all the above, also functioning as the Public Preceptor for all the new order members.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!