![\"\"](\"http:\/\/santifm.org\/santi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/BhanteSujato2.jpg\" "\\"BhanteSujato\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nThis year Santi will see its greatest change in many years, the departure of Bhante Sujato<\/strong>\u00a0after leading this community for nine years. His last day at Santi will be 27th July 2012; he plans to give the Friday night talk at the Well Awareness Center in Sydney one last time that evening. \u00a0Bhante leaves to let go of the weight of duties, and says that he does not plan to return to Santi; but he cannot answer the frequently raised question of whether he will resume any teachings in Sydney in future. “That would be a plan<\/em>!” he protests, making it clear that a plan<\/em> would be a bad thing. \u00a0Bhante assures everyone that he will remain a monk, just one who is more free.<\/p>\n You may wonder what will change at Santi with Bhante’s departure; will this be the same place that you love and want to visit? Yes! \u00a0Santi will remain familiar and welcoming, and will continue as a meditative Forest Tradition monastery that you can visit freely, to meditate, support monastics, learn the Dhamma, or just enjoy the beautiful bushland. However, the upcoming 3-month Vassa will see the usual annual shut-down for intensive meditation.<\/p>\n Other monastics departing before Vassa will be the ever-peaceful\u00a0Ayya Pasada Bhikkhuni<\/strong>, who will join her bhikkhuni Preceptor in California; our whiz-kid genius\u00a0Bhante Nandiya Samanera<\/strong>, who goes to a monastery in New Zealand; and delightful visitor from Thailand\u00a0Ayya Munissara Bhikkhuni<\/strong>. \u00a0Our dear friend\u00a0Ruwinie\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong>plans to leave next week but hopes to visit often. (See photos below.)<\/p>\n Who’s still at Santi??<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 you may be asking.<\/p>\n Of all the past longterm residents, only the talented\u00a0Ayya Patacara Samaneri,\u00a0<\/strong>Santi’s beloved Chandra<\/strong>, and our longterm friend\u00a0Jeanette<\/strong>\u00a0remain at Santi. Of course I will remain here (Ayya Sudhamma<\/strong>) as well, along with the learned\u00a0Ayya Dhammananda Bhikkhuni\u00a0<\/strong>who kindly returned to Santi recently to help with the transition.<\/p>\n Two additional bhikkhunis,\u00a0Ayya Phalanyani\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Ayya Marajina<\/strong>, will soon arrive for their first visit here. A young 8-precept Thai nun,\u00a0Mae Jii Faa,<\/strong>\u00a0plans to accompany Ayya Phalanyani if it works out with her visa.<\/p>\n And a number of longterm lay supporters who are like family will soon arrive for Vassa \u2014 including the lovely\u00a0Annie<\/strong>\u00a0(previously Ayya Analaya Samaneri), counselor\u00a0Maria Lopez,\u00a0<\/strong>and the great supporters Tam Ngan\u00a0<\/strong>&\u00a0Gia Hieu<\/strong>. Affectionately known as “Yahoo<\/strong>“, Gia Hieu\u00a0and wife Tam Ngan have deep roots with Santi and are embraced like parents by the local Vietnamese Buddhist lay community.<\/p>\n More about the bhikkhunis who will together manage Santi during this Vassa:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ayya Phalanyani<\/strong>, a German citizen and dedicated meditator for 30 years, trained as a bhikkhuni in Thailand and at Aranya Bodhi under Ayya Tathaaloka before her Teachers granted independence and blessings for her to teach monastics. Ayya Phalanyani graciously agreed to give up her planned quiet retreat at her monastery in Thailand, Wat Ram Poeng, to be of service to the Santi community; Ajahn Brahm personally contacted her Abbot, Ajahn Suphan, to encourage her to come.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ayya Marajina<\/strong> is a newly ordained bhikkhuni, an American who ran her own ranch in a remote area of Tennessee — often going for days without breaking meditative silence — \u00a0before giving up everything a couple of years ago to go forth under Ayya Tathaaloka. \u00a0Her \u00a0presence will add a quiet calm feeling, and will round out our full quorum of four bhikkhunis; we thank Ven. Tathaaloka for graciously allowing her to join us.<\/p>\n We thank both Ven. Phalanyani and Ven. Marajina\u00a0for travelling so far, taking a chance on a long visit despite never having seen the place, simply to be of service to the Bhikkhuni Sangha and to Santi. \u00a0Ven. Marajina\u00a0comes on a 3-month visa, departing at the end of October, but Ven. Phalanyani may be able to stay longer, perhaps through December or January.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n People often ask whether I will take over Santi as Abbot. I believe that no one can fill those big shoes of Bhante Sujato’s! But four bhikkhuni friends, a complete Sangha working together harmoniously, can guide the Santi community in a good way, I believe,\u00a0at least for now.\u00a0Bhante Sujato says that it is up to the bhikkhunis to step up to the plate, to develop a model of leadership that works. He and Ajahn Brahm feel inspired and excited by our intention to bring ideas from early Vinaya of leadership by the Sangha group, rather than the hierarchy of an abbot which was a later development in Buddhism.<\/p>\n Bhante wants to turn this place over to bhikkhunis, and explains that he has been building up Santi all these years with this plan in mind. \u00a0He leaves behind a wonderful place with beautifully preserved bushland, excellent monastery infrastructure, a strong lay Committee of directors, and many devoted supporters like you. \u00a0It would be a great gain for the Bhikkhuni Sangha: finally giving English-speaking Theravada bhikkhunis a forested refuge, free from the worries of trying to build the infrastructure & the community support from the start. Perhaps this decision by Bhante will make the difference in whether the world sees Buddhist nuns 200 years from now, and beyond.<\/p>\n A question remains, however: We know that’s what Bhante wants, but what does everyone else<\/em> want? \u00a0You see, the Bhikkhuni Sangha will not come in like a group of bandits. We will offer our assistance, and see how things go, feeling our way to discover what will serve the Dhamma. We will seek your honest feedback, and remain open to other visions for Santi.<\/p>\n Bhante Sujato’s longterm supporter Renee, who works professionally in Change Management — that is, helping corporations to undertake large-scale structural changes with minimal losses — kindly offers her expertise to Santi residents & supporters. She led our first Change Management workshop last Sunday, starting the work to help make the upcoming transitions go as smoothly as possible.<\/p>\n I say transitions<\/em>, plural, because the upcoming changes will have at least a few phases:<\/p>\n The overall process of recovering and moving on from such a big change as Bhante Sujato’s departure, Renee states firmly, shall take Santi at least a year<\/em>, if not longer.<\/p>\n So how are things going at Santi right now? \u00a0Bhante Sujato seems weary of all the goodbyes and the efforts to wrap up many projects, but underneath the tiredness he shines with joy at his anticipated new freedom. We cannot begrudge him his soaring happiness at this time, even though we feel our loss keenly. As usual at Santi, we continue laughing more than grieving; yet still, this is an emotional time for residents, as it is for everyone who views Bhante Sujato as their spiritual guide. \u00a0We will miss him terribly, along with our other excellent companions who shall soon depart.<\/p>\n Kindly be patient with those of us who remain in residence as we learn how to look after Santi. We appreciate your support and your help to enable us to develop Santi in the best direction possible over this challenging period.<\/p>\n Metta,<\/p>\n Ayya Sudhamma Bhikkhuni<\/p>\n 18 July 2012<\/p>\n August- October 2012<\/p>\n Ayya Sudhamma Bhikkhuni Ayya Marajina Bhikkhuni<\/p><\/div>\n Ayya Patacara Samaneri<\/p><\/div>\n Upasaka Chandra<\/p><\/div>\n Jeanette (who avoids photos so this is the best we’ve got)<\/p><\/div>\n Tam Ngan<\/p><\/div>\n Gia Hieu<\/p><\/div>\n New resident Marty may stay for Vassa<\/p><\/div>\n Mae Chee Faa hopes to come from Thailand (wish well for her to get the visa!)<\/p><\/div>\n Bhante Santitthito (Bhante Santi) of Germany, Australia’s most senior Western monk, plans to arrive at Santi sometime after Vassa.<\/p><\/div>\n Ayya Adhimutta will arrive in mid-November.<\/p><\/div>\n Sayalay Santacari likely will arrive by December.<\/p><\/div>\n RESIDENTS DEPARTING BEFORE VASSA:<\/p>\n Bhante Sujato Bhikkhu<\/p><\/div>\n Ayya Pasada Bhikkhuni<\/p><\/div>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Ayya Dhammananda<\/strong> made significant sacrifices to come to Santi, as she was already torn between conflicting duties elswhere: her Dhamma sisters struggling with a new Theravadan bhikkhuni monastery in her homeland of Vietnam expected her to return to help them; and many devotees in Hawaii, including women who wish to ordain, begged her not to leave. \u00a0To appease these devotees she continues to give regular teachings by Skype, with a group gathering in Hawaii each week to listen. She returned to Santi at Bhante Sujato’s urging to help with the transition; she can stay at least through November.<\/p>\n<\/a>I myself have resided at Santi since mid-February and plan to stay through 2nd December. \u00a0I came intending to learn from Bhante Sujato, and his teachings have vastly expanded my horizons. \u00a0How amazing to me that my visit coincided with Bhante’s departure. As a senior bhikkhuni I will gladly try to repay Bhante by serving his beloved community during this fragile time, helping to bridge the period from his departure until a new management structure beings to form. \u00a0If you need me to return to Santi after my December visit home to the USA, I will do that gladly, as well.<\/p>\n<\/a>After the Vassa, by the way, you can look forward to seeing our dear friend the irrepressible\u00a0Ayya Adhimutta Bhikkhuni<\/strong>\u00a0(whom you may recall as Ayya Adhi Samaneri who went AWOL from Santi a few years ago). \u00a0We spent a Vassa together at Aranya Bodhi in California, and I helped in her ordination ceremony in California; we can all look forward to her return home to Santi.<\/p>\n\n
MOST RESIDENTS FOR VASSA<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 Ayya Dhammananda Bhikkhuni<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>INCOMING AFTER VASSA:<\/h3>\n
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