Update from the President, Susmita Barua
Alliance For Bhikkhunis
November 11, 2013
Dear friends of Alliance For Bhikkhunis:
It is my great pleasure and privilege as the president of the Alliance For Bhikkhunis (AFB) to connect with you. I’d like to share with you some background information about me, and how I came to serve the bhikkhuni sangha.
My own birth and identity as a vanishing minority of Buddhists in Calcutta, India was very much hidden, as there were hardly any other Buddhists in my neighborhood, school or college. My father devotedly worked for the preservation of the Bengal Buddhist Association, Kolkata, founded in 1892 by my great grandfather Ven. Kripasaran Mahathero. My father also impressed upon me the urgency of upholding dharma and our disappearing family lineage in my own life. Now the twists and turns of life have reconnected me to the rich diversity of Buddhadharma here in the West in unique ways, one of which is my involvement with organizations initiated by outstanding Buddhist nuns and women.
It was at the 12th Sakyadhita Buddhist Women’s Conference in Bangkok, where I came to know AFB founder Susan Pembroke and the first Theravadan nuns from my own Bengali community! Susan Pembroke founded the Alliance for Bhikkhunis in 2006 with the mission of supporting monastic Theravadan women in the United States and abroad who are seeking ordination or are fully ordained. Her journey to understanding the need for bhikkhuni support began in 2006 when she travelled to Malaysia to attend a Sakyadhita Conference. She was also inspired by her teacher Venerable Ayya Khema’s example and her enduring concerns for the revival and support of bhikkhuni sangha.
The four-fold sangha as envisioned by the Buddha for the proper establishment of dhamma in human society for the benefit of all beings, includes both male and female monastics and lay practitioners: bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, upasakas and upasikas. The rich legacy and contributions of the bhikkhuni sangha, especially relating to early-enlightened Arahant Theris from times of Buddha, extending to times of King Ashoka, are not widely known to this day. Forces of materialism, Brahmanism, and patriarchy intensified along with corruption of collective mind through greed, hatred and ignorance. Eventually the dhamma declined in its land of origin along with the demise of the feminine pillars of the sangha.
The nurturing and healing presence of bhikkhus and bhikkhunis in society is a constant reminder to the rest of us that a simple happy life of peace, freedom and benevolence is possible without accumulation, overconsumption, self-harm, exploitation of nature and oppression of people. This sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples is worthy of gifts, hospitalities, offerings, and reverential salutation as they represent the unsurpassed field of merit in a world split by war, violence, poverty, destruction of environment and injustice. I thank each of you for being part of a worthy social cause and vision.
I’m excited to tell you about a couple of important happenings with AFB. First, our newly upgraded our website (http://www.bhikkhuni.net) is fully functioning and live! There you will find new content, uplifted design and easier navigation. A tremendous amount of love and hard work by our volunteers have created this more dynamic, informative and helpful site for you to enjoy and share.
Secondly, I would like to mention International Bhikkhuni Day (IBD), which began on September 21st, 2013 is still happening around the world. I will explain more in detail next week in a follow-up email on the happenings for this year. In the mean time, you can find an interactive map of IBD event locations celebrated by individual IBD ambassadors, sanghas and other participating organizations on our web page here: http://www.bhikkhuni.net/map-international-bhikkhuni-day-celebration-locations/
In closing, I am asking you to support AFB in any way that suits you. Become a volunteer, contribute money to us here at AFB, or find a bhikkhuni monastery near you to donate to directly. AFB cannot provide the critical support to the bhikkhuni sangha without the help of our great volunteers and your financial support. We have made it easy for you to contribute to AFB. Just go to our donation/dana page on our website at: http://www.bhikkhuni.net/support/ . Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
If you wish to contact me, you can do so at: president@bhikkhuni.net. Until next week, I wish you peace and metta,
Susmita Barua, President
Alliance for Bhikkhunis
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