United Kingdom Nuns' Communities:

There are presently 17 Sīladharā (nuns) who were ordained by Ajahn Sumedho, the spiritual director of Amaravati Monastery in England. The nuns who have been ordained for ten or more years are listed below.

Ajahn Sundarā

Ajahn Sundara was born in France. Her early studies were in dance in both France and England. In her early thirties, after working for a few years as a dancer and teacher of contemporary dance, she had the opportunity to attend a talk followed by a retreat led by Ajahn Sumedho…. read more

Ajahn Candasirī

Ajahn Candasiri was born in Scotland in 1947 and was brought up as a Christian. After university, she trained and worked as an occupational therapist, mainly in the field of mental illness. In 1977, an interest in meditation led her to meet Ajahn Sumedho… read more

Ajahn Upekkhā

Ajahn Upekkha was born in 1949 in Provence, France. As one of thirteen children growing up in a small village, she had her first taste of community life. Her experience in India in 1974 was life transforming. After that, she spent time living in a Gandhi community…. read more

Ajahn Kovidā

Sister Kovida's lay name was Laura Bridgman. She is English, and grew up in the country, the youngest of six raucous children. In her early years she had a spontaneous interest in Christianity. Her first contact with Buddhism was through a TV documentary about reincarnation ... read more

Ajahn Thitamedhā

Ajahn Thitamedha was born in 1961 in Ryasan, Russia, near Moscow. She graduated as a medical doctor in 1986, from Ryasan Medical University and worked for four years. Facing human pains, suffering and deaths, brought her a strong sense of urgency…. read more

Ajahn Bodhipala

Ajahn Bodhipala was born in Southeast Asia in 1940, married, has three children and five grandchildren. She was ordained as an anagarika in 1998 and as as siladhara in 1999. Venerable Ajahn Sumedho was her Preceptor. Her daily life in the monastery…. read more

Ajahn Cittapala

Born in Germany in 1949, Ajahn Cittapala worked for nearly 20 years as a teacher and artist in Hamburg. In 1990/91 she went to Indonesia to study awareness movement (Amerta Movement - The River of Life) with Suprapto Suryodharmo—a practice which connected her… read more

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