Proud to be Irish and Catholic? (Bible)

(Channel 4 Comedy) Sister Michael's Guide to Not Giving a F**k! | Derry Girls | Channel 4

.

The beautiful Black Irish in the US

Now, WoQy, w' don't mind if y' rite 'bout tha beyootifull Catholick Shurch as a wondrous institution of goode in the Emerald Isle that saved it from Snakes under St. Paddy 'n the scallywag Protestant-Royalists up North, but ye best not be sayin nuthin harsh or rude about that holy mother superior Headmistress Sister George Michael of TV's Our Lady Immaculate College (Siobhán McSweeney) on the teen British sitcom Derry Girls. And if'n y' do, we might forgit to pray fer yer eternal Souls during vespers. D'ya understand? An' der might be a knuckle-ruler  waitin' fer yous to halp y'all see da error uv yer wayz, too. Right?

• 

  Irish beauty from aos sidhe, Tuatha de Danann

  May we post a wee short Family Guy documentary cartoon about our beloved Isle and its traditions?

Well, that should be just fine, Laddys and Lassies. Seth McFarlane is a right good Irish Catholick boy hisself, tizn't he?

• The first Western Buddhist monk in history was an Irishman (U Dhammaloka born Lawrence Carroll, Laurence O'Rourke, or William Colvin with the nom de plume "Captain Daylight")
• The Irish lass Maura O'Halloran who became a Zen Buddhist saint
• Ireland’s forgotten witnesses to the Faith | The Irish Catholic
• Luck of the Irish spreads to all Catholics this Lent | The Catholic Sun

Irish Heritage and History

(Gooz Chos) Family Guy: Irish Heritage and History and Science

A good Christian Bible? Far better to read the original Un-Roman Ethiopian version

Seminarians from Pontifical Irish College, Rome ordained deacons | Irish Catholic Bishops' Con

(Abyss Archive) The final words of an Ethiopian Christian monk (relying on his church's 88-book Ethiopian Bible) about Jesus Christ is raising questions for Western Christians.

Beware the mermaid creatures: Selkies

(Kiki Rockwell) "Selkie" has been spotted in Ireland. Do not ask to marry one, do not consent.

Many Irish cartoon stock photos and royalty-free pictures | iStock

Well that's one way of putting it 👀 #QI #iPlayer

Subscribe to The Irish Catholic...or you may end up in hell. (You really want to chance it?)

• Pat Macpherson, Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Sutra Study with Bhikkhu Bodhi (8/8)

Teacher: American scholar monk Bhikkhu Bodhi

Dharma students, on Saturday, August 8th, 2026, Bhante (Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi) will be holding his Sutta Study class in two modes, in-person (in NY) and online (on Zoom).

We will study The Book of Eights. See a PDF of this chapter here. To participate through Zoom, interested parties must register on the BAUS website here.

Class begins at 9:30 am ET with a 40-minute meditation: 30 minutes of mindfulness-of-breathing (ana-pana-sati) and 10 minutes of cultivating loving-kindness (metta bhavana).

Meditation is followed by sutta (discourse) discussion, starting at 10:10 am and running until 11:20 am ET. To determine the time in your own time zone from anywhere in the world, use The World Clock. (Zoom link below).

• An Online Course on the Anguttara Nikaya
• Numerical Discourses, The Book of Eights, Sutta Nos. 36-39
• We continue our exploration of this bundle of suttas dealing with giving (dana) and other aspects of a layperson's Buddhist practice.
• Monk Mode vs. 'Sicko Mode' Challenge

The schedule will be as follows:

• 9:30 to 10:10 am: Meditation
• 10:10 to 11:20 am: Sutta Study
• The Sutta Study class will be conducted over Zoom at the link given here:

Zoom link for Sutta Class

• Passcode: Sambodhi
• Meeting ID: 812 2960 9505
• Passcode: Sambodhi

One tap mobile

+16468769923,,81229609505#,,,,*26115386# US (New York)

+13126266799,,81229609505#,,,,*26115386# US (Chicago)

Dial by location

+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)

+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)

+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

• Meeting ID: 812 2960 9505
• Passcode: 26115386
• Find local number: us02web.zoom.us/u/kIeabgixD

Virtual meditation over Zoom

Wednesdays 7:00–8:00 pm (ET) with Bhikkhu Bodhi

Dharma students are invited to join Bhante at 7:00 pm (ET) for a Buddhist meditation session over Zoom by clicking here.

Each Wednesday evening, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, Bhikkhu Bodhi leads a meditation session on Zoom. The session consists of a 15-minute vandana (chanting verses of homage as Buddhist music), followed by a 45-minute guided meditation. All are welcome to join in. The sacred Pali texts for recitation are attached separately. Please see class page on website for chanting text.

With metta,

Bhikkhu Bodhi, Chuang Yen Monastery (BAUS.org)

• DONATION (both are free, but dana is accepted)

ZOOM

Passcode: 368764

Note: This is a recurring meeting from 7:00pm to 8:00 pm Wednesdays.

Join Zoom Meeting us02web.zoom.us/s/83540900862...

Meeting ID: 835 4090 0862

Passcode: 368764

One tap mobile

+16468769923,,83540900862#,,,,*368764#

US (New York) +13017158592,,83540900862#,,,,*368764#

US (Washington DC)

Dial by location

+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)

+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)

+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

Meeting ID: 835 4090 0862

Passcode: 368764

Find local number: us02web.zoom.us/u/kcYniDdmfU

The Buddhist Association of the U.S. (美國佛教會)

Chuang Yen Buddhist Monastery

2020 Route 301, Carmel, New York 10512

contact@baus.org

• Bhikkhu Bodhi (BAUS.org); Dhr. Seven, CC Liu, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Sheldon S. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Narrow is a Fragile Heart: Western nun

Episode 62: A Narrow Heart is a Fragile Heart | How to Stop Feeling So Alone

 

(Handful OfLeaves) Handful of Leaves Podcast. Support British Bhutanese Vajrayana Buddhist nun Ani Pema Deki's charity fundraiser: openingyourhearttobhutan.com.

• Buddhism in Bhutan

"Opening Your Heart to Bhutan" is a registered UK charity, whose work is providing education, medicine, and shelter to children facing the greatest challenges in Bhutan.

In this episode, Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven. Emma Slade) — a former London investment banker who left after a near-death experience in Jakarta (Indonesia) to ordain as a Buddhist nun high in the Himalayas of Bhutan — explores what it means to widen the heart and become truly unbreakable.

She contrasts fleeting, manufactured happiness with the effortless joy that arises from practice, explains how small acts of kindness build resilience, and reflects on faith, karma, and why some people in Bhutan seem less vulnerable to life's ups and downs.

Perfect for listeners curious about practical spirituality, courage, and living with greater purpose.

Key Takeaways:

• 🧭 Choose Liberation, Not Comfort — Why training the mind matters, and how practice aims for freedom from samsara rather than temporary ease.
• 💫 Real Joy vs. Manufactured Bliss — The difference between practice-born joy (stable, effortless) and short-lived worldly pleasures.
• 🤝 Small Acts, Big Heart — Two-minute kindnesses, widening our circle of care, and the role of faith/teacher in sustaining practice.

⏱Timestamps:

• (00:00) – Introduction to Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven. Emma Slade), former banker turned Buddhist nun
• (01:00) – The challenge of practicing Dharma in a busy modern life
• (02:31) – Are we seeking comfort in samsara or liberation?
• (02:51) – What happiness really means from a Buddhist perspective
• (03:40) – Joy and bliss: natural results of Dharma practice vs. worldly joy
• (05:28) – Reflections on Bhutan and why happiness can’t be measured easily
• (06:20) – Mental resilience and faith in Bhutanese life
• (07:17) – Small daily acts of kindness in a busy life
• (07:53) – Expanding motivation beyond yourself and loved ones
• (08:52) – Why bother about anyone else besides your loved ones?
• (09:20) – Why widening your heart supports resilience
• (10:24) – The Bodhisattva path: stretching beyond your comfort zone
• (11:14) – How British Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven. Emma Slade) became a Buddhist and later a Buddhist nun
• (11:40) – Meeting her teacher in Bhutan
• (12:24) – Moments of clarity and deep spiritual connection
• (14:27) – Karma and how Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven. Emma Slade)’s path ripened in Bhutan
• (15:18) – Sneak preview of Part 2

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: 👤 Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Venerable Emma Slade) was born in Kent, England, and was educated at Cambridge University and the University of London, where she gained a First-Class degree. She is a qualified Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and worked in Fund Management in London, New York, and Hong Kong. A deep-seated yearning to enquire into the deeper aspects of humanity arose following a life-changing business trip to Jakarta, where she was held hostage at gunpoint. She resigned from her financial career and began exploring yoga and meditation and methods of wellbeing with the ultimate aim of turning a traumatic episode into wisdom and conditions for thriving. She qualified as a British Wheel of Yoga teacher in 2003 and, over the last 19 years, has run numerous yoga workshops and retreats. ​ Her interest in Buddhism as a science of the mind strengthened after meeting a Buddhist lama (teacher) on her first visit to Bhutan in 2011.

This crucial chance meeting led to her studying Buddhism with this lama and, eventually, led to her becoming the first and only Western woman to be ordained in the last Himalayan [Buddhist] Kingdom of Bhutan as a Buddhist nun. #OpeningYourHeart #BuddhistWisdom #MindfulLiving #FaithAndPractice

• 📄 Transcript: bit.ly/hol-ep-62

Resources:

• Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven. Emma Slade) website: emmaslade.com
• Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven. Emma Slade) charity fundraiser: openingyourhearttobhutan.com

Special thanks to sponsors:

Buddhist Youth Network, Lim Soon Kiat, Alvin Chan, Tan Key Seng, Soh Hwee Hoon, Geraldine Tay, Venerable You Guang, Wilson Ng, Diga, Joyce, Tan Jia Yee, Joanne, Suñña, Shuo Mei, Arif, Bernice, Wee Teck, Andrew Yam, Kan Rong Hui, Wei Li Quek, Shirley Shen, Ezra, Joanne Chan, Hsien Li Siaw, Gillian Ang, Wang Shiow Mei, Ong Chye Chye, Melvin, Yoke Kuen, Nai Kai Lee, Amelia Toh, Hannah Law, Shin Hui Chong, Dennis Lee

• 🙏 Become a sponsor: handfulofleaves.life/support

🎬 Editor: Hong Jiayi ✍️ Transcribers: Cheryl Cheah, Tan Si Jing, Bernice Bay 🎨 Visuals and Sound: Anton Thorne, Tan Pei Shan, Ang You Shan 📱 Get connected: Telegram: bit.ly/hol-telegram. Instagram: bit.ly/hol-instagram-podcast. Facebook bit.ly/hol-facebook-podcast. Spotify spoti.fi/3w2jfQ1.

• Handful OfLeaves, Sept. 23, 2025; Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Jen B. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly, orig. 12/19/25

Why 'meditation' feels hard (Dr. Ricard)

(Study Buddhism) Why "meditation" [striving, straining, struggling to get into absorption] feels so hard (and what to do about it) | [Western scientist and Vajrayana Buddhist lama] Ven. Matthieu Ricard [known as "the happiest person in the world"*]. "There is no Samsara 2.0."

Who is he?

Sure, I'm happy, but the happiest?

Matthieu Ricard (French matjø ʁikaʁ, Nepali माथ्यु रिका, born Feb. 15, 1946) is a French Nepalese writer, photographer, translator, and Buddhist monk (lama) who resides at Shechen Tennyi Dargyeling Monastery in Nepal.

Dr. Matthieu Ricard grew up among the personalities and ideas of French intellectual circles. He received a PhD degree in molecular genetics from the Pasteur Institute in 1972.

He then decided to avoid a common scientific career and instead did the daring thing and took up the practice of Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana Bon), living mainly in the Himalayas.

Matthieu Ricard is a board member of the Mind and Life Institute. He received the French National Order of Merit for his humanitarian work in the East with Karuna-Shechen, the non-profit organization he co-founded in 2000 with Rabjam Rinpoche.

Since 1989, he has acted as the French interpreter for the 14th Dalai Lama. Since 2010, he has been traveling and giving a series of talks with and assisting in teachings by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, the incarnation of Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche....

*Matthieu Ricard has been called the "happiest person in the world" [4, 5]. Why?

It is because Matthieu Ricard was a volunteer subject in a study performed at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on happiness. He scored significantly above the average of hundreds of volunteers [4].

Matthieu Ricard, however, has called the label "absurd" and untrue [6, 7]. More

English Buddhist Monk live from Asia

(English Buddhist Monk) English Buddhist Monk is LIVE

Dogma or Freedom?

Eight added rules for nuns are untrue

Ayya Tathālokā: Venerable Bhikkhunī Tathālokā Mahātherī is an American-born Theravada Buddhist nun (bhikkhunī), scholar, and teacher.

She is the co-founder of the Dhammadharini monastic community in California, which includes Dhammadharini Monastery [Nunnery, Abbey, Hermitage] (formerly Dhammadharini Vihara), and Aranya Bodhi Hermitage [1].

She was the recipient of the 2006 Outstanding Women in Buddhism Award, a presenting scholar at the 2007 International Congress on Buddhist Women's Role in the Sangha, and was appointed preceptor for the historically-significant 2009 Bhikkhuni Ordination held in Perth, Australia [2, 3].

Early life

Born Heather Buske in Washington, D.C., in 1968, Ven. Tathālokā’s parents encouraged her to develop the skills necessary to look for what is true. She had early exposure to the texts of the Pali canon and was inspired by reading about the bhikkhunīs at the time of the historical Buddha. At the age of 19, she left college to pursue monastic life in Europe then in India... More:

• Tathālokā Bhikkhunī (Biography Ayya Tathaloka | Dhammadharini)
• The Eight Garudhammas (additional rules for nuns) are not true:
• Non-Historicity of the Eight Additional Monastic Rules for Women (alokavihara.org)
• Bhikkhunīs at the time of the Buddha

• Present Magazine (Alliance for Bhikkhunis)
• The Great Inquiry Interview with Venerable Ayya Tathaaloka by Jacqueline Kramer

New Zen Meditation Community, Pasadena

All things are as empty as the enso

For years, Zen came to Pasadena through PasaDharma under the auspices of Founder Roshi Jeff Albrizze (Rev. Lotus Peace), successor Meditation Guide Seven, and PasaDharma's friends at:

• Neighborhood UU Church
• Pasadena Library (Rose Bowl)
• Ahiah Center for Spiritual Living
• Mindfulness Meditation Center
• Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara
• Vipassana Meditation Center (Tha Bar Wa) until the Panda from Wuhan stopped our weekly sangha ("spiritual community") from meeting in person.

Art by Rev. Seigaku Amato

But there's a new Zen Sangha in Pasadena, a practice community affiliated with a teacher who also works and/or meditates at Long Beach Buddhist Church, Yokoji Zen Mountain Center of Idyllwild to serve the Los Angeles Foothills of the Angeles National Forest and all of the San Gabriel Valley:

• Weekly Zen Meditation
• Pasadena Zen Sangha (free/dana)
• Every Thursday from 7:00-9:00 pm
• Orange Grove Friends Meeting House
• 520 E. Orange Grove Bl., Pasadena, 91104

The Bodhisattva of Compassion: Kanzeon

TEACHER: Sensei Seigaku Amato

Seigaku Amato, Hossenshiki ceremony, Japan

Sensei or Reverend Seigaku Amato, who was educated in a Sōtō-Rinzai Zen blend, leads us every Thursday in:

• shikantaza or "just sitting" (zazen),
• mindful walking (kinhin),
• perplexing riddles to help us overcome rigid and limiting habits of mind and get us thinking outside the box (koans),
• questions and answers, and
• an open group discussion.

Sensei completed his Hossenshiki ceremony in Japan, a necessary step for a Sotoshu novice to take toward becoming a full-fledged Zen Buddhist priest, as he became Zagen (pictured above), then Osho. He is also the author of a very helpful Guide to Zen:

• PHOTO GALLERY (Facebook)

BOOK: Complete Illustrated Guide to Zen

The Complete Illustrated Guide to Zen

With 4.3 out of 5 stars (38 reviews), this 2021 Simon & Schuster introduction to Zen is unlike any readers have ever seen — inspired by manga and graphic novels. It offers a comprehensive overview of Soto Zen Buddhism in a delightfully captivating way.

Complete with dynamic, detailed illustrations, American Soto Zen Priest Seigaku Amato uses a semi-narrative style to take readers on a visual tour of Buddhism and, using specifics to illuminate universals, dives deeply into the practices and forms of Soto Zen.

In honor of our teacher the Buddha Shakyamuni

Whether we are just taking our first step or have been practicing Zen for years, this creative and profound book can serve as a constant companion and guide on the journey as it explores topics such as:

• a brief history of Buddhism
• an iconographic overview of various buddhas and bodhisattvas
• an introduction to the various practices of Zen, including
• meditation (zazen)
• work practice (samu)
• meditative eating (oryoki)
• a what’s-what of:
• holidays
• ceremonies
• temple instruments
• religious vestments
• a how-to guide for setting up a home altar.
• BOOK: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Zen (Simon & Schuster)
• Seigaku Amato's ART — Pasadena Zen Sangha

OTHER LOCAL PRACTICE OPPORTUNITIES

• Zenshuji Soto Misson, in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, the first Soto Zen temple in North America, established in 1922
• Taichi (Calendar - Neighborhood UU Church) Feb. 7, 2026, 8:00- 9:15 am
• (Japanese) Pasadena Buddhist Temple (of Altadena)
• New Science of Spirituality Meditation Center opens in Pasadena (former home of the LA Buddhist Vihara)| Science of Spirituality
• Buddhist groups increasingly taking root in Latinx communities | Lion’s Roar
• Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven, Jen Bradshaw, Wisdom Quarterly

Curing the Five Hindrances of mind/heart

(Venerable Gotami) Stuck in life? These Five Things (Hindrances) are hold you back

1. Sense craving (kāmacchanda): seeking pleasure through the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and physical feeling.
2. Ill-will (vyāpāda): feelings of anger, hostility, vengefulness, resentment, hatred, and bitterness.
3. Sloth-and-torpor (thīna-middha): mental and physical lack of energy with little to no ability to make effort toward samadhi or concentration.
4. Restlessness-and-worry (uddhacca-kukkucca): the inability to calm the mind and bring it to stillness (samadhi) and focus one's energy.
5. Skeptical doubt (vicikiccha): lack of confidence, conviction, faith in the practice and one's ability to succeed in calm and insight toward enlightenment and liberation.

• The Five Hindrances (pancha-nívarana)

Etymology

According to Gil Fronsdal, the Pali term (nīvaraṇa) translated as "hindrance" actually means "covering." What these hindrances cover over are: the clarity of our mind, as well as our ability to be mindful, wise, concentrated, and stay on purpose [1].

According to earlier translations by Rhys Davids, the Pali term nīvaraṇa (Sanskrit nivāraṇa) refers to an obstacle or hindrance in the ethical sense, usually enumerated in a set of five [7].

In Pali language literature: Pali canon

In the Pali canon's Samyutta Nikaya, several sutras or discourses juxtapose the Five Hindrances with the Seven Factors of Enlightenment (satta-bojjhanga) [a].

For instance, according to SN 46.37, the Buddha states: "Meditators, there are these Five Hindrances, obstructions, corruptions of mind, weakeners of wisdom. What are the five?

1. Sensual craving...
2. ill-will...
3. sloth-and-torpor...
4. restlessness-and-remorse...
5. skeptical doubt...

"There are, meditators, these Seven Factors of Enlightenment, which are nonhindrances, nonobstructions, noncorruptions of mind/heart. When cultivated and developed, they lead to the realization of the fruit of true knowledge and liberation. 

"What are the seven? The enlightenment factor of mindfulness... equanimity... [8][b]."

Ven. Anālayo emphasizes: To overcome the hindrances, to practice satipatthana [the Four Foundations], and to establish the awakening factors [the Seven Factors of Enlightenment] are, indeed, according to several Pali discourses, the key aspects and the distinctive features common to the awakenings of all buddhas of the past, present, and future [9].

Ven. Anālayo supports this by identifying that, in all extant Sanskrit and Chinese versions of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse (Satipatthana Sutta), only the Five Hindrances and Seven Factors of Enlightenment are consistently identified under the dhamma contemplation section.

Contemplations of the Five Aggregates clung to as self, Six Sense Bases and Four Noble Truths are not included in one or more of these non-Pali language versions [9].

In terms of gaining insight into and overcoming the Five Hindrances, according to the discourse on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the Buddha proclaimed:

 

"How, meditators, does a meditator live contemplating mental objects in the mental objects of the Five Hindrances? Herein [within this Doctrine and Discipline], meditators, when sense-craving is present, one knows, "There is sense-craving in me."

When sense-craving is not present, one knows, "There is no sense-craving in me."

One knows how the arising of the non-arisen sense-craving comes to be; one knows how the abandoning of the arisen sense-craving comes to be; and one knows how the non-arising in the future of the abandoned sense-craving comes to be [10]. More: The Five Hindrances

How one woman changed Buddhism

Sanghamitta Day Celebrations

Sanghamitta and the Bodhi Tree

Saṅghamittā (Sanskrit Saṅghamitrā, "Friend of the Sangha") with the nun's name Ven. Ayapali Theri [1], who lived from 282 BC–203 BC [1].

 

She was a fully enlightened (arhat, arahant) Indian Buddhist nun and the eldest daughter (as recounted in Sri Lankan tradition as recorded in the Dīpavaṃsa) of Indian Buddhist Emperor Ashoka (304 BC–232 BC) with his first wife Queen Devi (302 BCE–242 BCE).

Together with her monastic brother, Ven. Mahinda Thero, she entered the order of Buddhist monastics. The two siblings later went as Buddhist missionaries to the island of Sri Lanka to spread the Dhamma, the teachings of the Buddha, at the request of Sri Lankan King Devanampiya Tissa (250 BC–210 BC), who was a contemporary of King Ashoka.

• (Theravada) Buddhism in Sri Lanka
• Buddhism was first missionary faith

Emperor Asoka at Nava Jetavana Temple, Shravasti, for the Third Buddhist Council

 

From Emperor Ashoka's India to Sri Lanka

Ashoka was initially reluctant to send his daughter (according to the Sri Lankan tradition) on an overseas mission, even one of only 35 miles, the distance between the subcontinent (India) and the island (dipa or dvipa).

However, because of the insistence of Ven. Sangamitta herself, he finally agreed. She was sent to Sri Lanka together with several other nuns to start the Buddhist nun's lineage of (Bhikkhuni Sangha or order of fully ordained female Buddhist monastics) at the request of King Tissa.

• 

  Sangha incomplete without women

  THERE ARE MANY GREAT WOMEN IN BUDDHISM: Many come to mind like the Buddha's enlightened wife (Bimba Devi, Yasodhara, Rāhulamātā, Bhadda Kaccana, Subhaddakā, and called by many other names to dilute her magnificence and prominence in the Bhikkhuni Sangha, as if she were the "Mary" so often mentioned in Christianity); Ven. Mahā Pajāpatī Gotami, the Buddha's mother and history's first Buddhist nun; Western German Jewish Buddhist nun Ayya Khema, who restarted full ordination in Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka; Khema Theri, foremost in wisdom; Uppalavanna, foremost in psychic powers; Ven. Sundarī Nanda, the Buddha's fully enlightened sister (possibly the same as the "Belle of the Land," the most beautiful Janapada Kalyani); Kwan Yin Bodhisattva, Goddess of Compassion; Prajnaparamita, Goddess of Wisdom (Buddhism's Sophia); the various colored Taras; Ambapali the Wise Courtesan; Ven. Kisa Gotami; Dipa Ma; modern American greats like Tara Brach, Ven. Tathālokā Bhikkhunī, Sharon Salzberg, Sylvia Boorstein, Shaila Catherine, Tina Rasmussen; and the many advanced ones like Beth Upton, Sayalay Susila, Sayalay Dipankara, and so on.

There she ordained Queen Anulā and other women in King Tissa's court at Anuradhapura who desired to be ordained as nuns after Mahinda converted them to Buddhism [2, 3, 4, 5, 6].

After Sanghamittā’s contribution to the propagation of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and her establishing the Bhikkhunī Sangha or Meheini Sasna ("Order of Buddhist Nuns") there, her name became synonymous with "Buddhist Female Monastic Order of Theravāda Buddhism" that was established Sri Lanka, Burma, China, and Thailand, in particular.

The day she brought the most revered Bodhi tree as a sapling to Sri Lanka and planted it in Anuradhapura, where it still survives, is still celebrated annually on the Full Moon Day of December as Uduvapa Poya or Uposatha Poya and "Sanghamittā Day" by Sri Lankan Theravāda Buddhists [3, 5, 7]. More

• Venerable Gotami (video), Dec. 22, 2025; Amber Larson and Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit

Dalai Lama, is Buddhism any different?

(DalaiLama.com) What makes Buddhism different from every other religion in the world?

(Venerable Gotami) Western Buddhist nun talks about the Kalama Sutta on what to not believe