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A Guide for the Lay Community;

Offering Support

Updated May 12, 2012

Overview

A fully-ordained Theravada Buddhist nun in the Forest Tradition has chosen to live in a way that may mystify many people raised in the West. Amma Thanasanti Bhikkhuni’s lifestyle of renunciation not only requires her to live on faith — utterly dependent on others for basic needs for survival — but also offers a unique opportunity for laypeople to deepen their understanding of the Dhamma through direct service.

While supporting monastics is an integral part of life in a Buddhist country like Thailand, it demands an adjustment for Westerners culturally attuned to self-reliance and independence. You can experience what a relationship with a monastic feels like and what effect it has on your sense of community and practice. Through drawing near, you can feel the effects of giving. You can see how others benefit from contact with the Dhamma. These are all contexts for learning how and when it is most helpful to support Amma personally or the mission of Awakening Truth as an organization.

Monastics are trained to be content with what is offered, whether it is shelter for a night, a meal, medicine or robes. Due to recent health issues, Amma’s needs for accommodations with food and housing have changed.

The following suggestions are intended to help laypeople feel at ease when hosting or visiting Amma Thanasanti. In all cases, if you have a question about anything, please feel free to ask her for guidance.

Shelter

•    Amma has recently become chemically-sensitive and needs accommodations in homes that are free of mold, fragrances, chemicals, and cigar/cigarette smoke. Hosts are asked to provide simple private sleeping accommodations in any household that includes a woman unless Amma is traveling with an attendant or another nun, in which case they can share a room, if necessary. A private bathroom, while not essential, is ideal. When weather isn’t inclement, a tent or other outdoor sleeping space is often welcome. Please do not inconvenience yourselves by, for example, giving up your own bedroom.

•   Accommodations with pets are welcome.

•    Amma travels with her laptop and is happy to have WiFi access. She may also occasionally need to do printing or faxing, so these resources are most welcome if you have them.

•    Amma is highly attuned to when she’s available for interaction or needs to rest; do let her know when you may also need quiet time.

•    Please do not feel that you need to entertain her!

Meals & Afternoon Tea

•    In the Forest Tradition, monastics may eat meals only between dawn and noon (1:00 pm during daylight savings). This requires the nourishment most people get during an entire day in two early meals! The level of intake varies from day to day. Monastics cannot consume any food or drink, other than water, unless it is explicitly offered.

•    The Buddha lived with his Sangha of monastics in a culture that had been used to supporting alms mendicants for hundreds of years before the Buddha’s dispensation appeared on the scene. Our contemporary society is neither used to alms mendicancy nor has provisions to readily support it. For this reason, it is important to continue to support the interdependence the Buddha thought was a cornerstone of the relationship between the monastics and the lay community in a way that retains the spirit of the relationship and is easeful for the host.

•    Current dietary needs are to refrain from gluten, garlic, and most sweeteners. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian protein is welcome. As Amma’s dietary needs change as her health improves, it is advisable to double check to find out her current needs.

•    There are certain traditional ‘medicinal allowances’ (or ‘allowables’) that can be offered after noon. From the traditional list there are also a few adaptations that support health. These include tea, high-oxidant juice, hard and soft cheese, miso, coconut, almond, rice milk or kefir. Either hard cheese and vegetable or fruit juice (e.g., carrot juice) or kefir in the afternoon is ideal.

Etiquette

•    What is most important is that you feel at ease and relaxed. All monastics are human beings first and foremost. While gestures of respect are welcome, what is most appreciated is your own ease and well being that bring forth gestures of respect that come naturally. ‘Añjali’ is a lovely gesture of respect that can be used when greeting any monastic. The gesture consists of placing the palms together at the heart level. If this gladdens your heart please feel welcome to use this.

•    You may use the titles ‘Amma', 'Sister,’ ‘Ajahn,’ or ‘Ayya, all terms of respect for a nun. Ajahn is used when there is more than ten years standing. (When Amma received Bhikkhuni ordination in 2010, she had been a nun for 19 years.) ‘Ayya’ distinguishes Bhikkhunis from Samaneris (novices). One of the meanings of ‘Amma’ is ‘dear one.’ As this is friendly, mutual, and both easy to spell and pronounce, this is Ayya Thanasanti’s preferred way of being addressed.

•    The monastery standard is that a nun should have another woman with her, if at all possible, when conversing with a man in a private or secluded place — including while driving — and during interviews. However, until there is sufficient support to maintain this standard, exceptions are being made as necessary.

Teaching & Receiving Dhamma

•    According to the Buddha’s instructions Theravada monastics may teach Dhamma only when invited to do so.

•    The encouragement when listening to a Dhamma talk, to sit a way that is attentive and dignified and to remove any headwear (unless for health reasons one needs to cover the head) is for a few reasons. When someone pays attention in a relaxed but dignified posture, it maximizes the possibility that an opening can occur when something resonates. When gestures of respect are shown for the teachings and the teacher who transmits them, then an environment is created that is conducive for a community to flourish. What is considered respectful is dependent on the culture one is in. While adapting to North America, some gestures of respect from traditional contexts are maintained as a way of creating an environment that is welcoming to people of many cultures.

It is customary for the teacher to sit on a slightly raised mat or chair.

Traditionally it is considered polite to avoid pointing the soles of the feet toward a Buddha image or any person when sitting.

•    Ask if you or someone in your group is interested in an individual interview.

Transportation

•    Often hosts are asked to arrange for transportation to/from Dhamma talks, daylong retreats, interviews, etc. This is both practical and gives Amma the welcome opportunity to spend time with members of your community.

•    When possible, it’s best for a solitary female monastic to travel in the company of at least one woman.

•    Sometimes after a lot of teaching silence is welcome when driving so it is a kindness to check about what is needed.

Rejuvenation & Entertainment

•    Nature and meditation are key healing resources. Offers to go to beautiful natural places to walk and/or be still are deeply appreciated.

•   Bike riding is allowed only for transportation.

An Economy of Generosity

A unique feature of Shakti Vihara and all Awakening Truth activities is that we operate on the principle of dana, a Sanskrit and Pali term meaning "generosity" or "giving".

In accordance with the monastic lifestyle set out by the Buddha, Amma Thanasanti Bhikkhuni lives solely by donations. There is no charge for teachings or use of the facilities. However, operational expenses for rent, maintenance, travel, and health insurance need to be paid.

You are able to have access to these teachings because previous recipients of teachings gave generously so that the Awakening Truth would continue. Similarly, your generous giving – dana – will enable Amma to continue teaching and other people to come to benefit from the Dhamma just as you will.

There are several aspects to dana:

1. Commitment to do no harm: Your effort to refrain from harming any living being, including yourself, creates a powerful field of goodness  for the world.

2. Commitment to put the teachings into practice: The highest form of generosity is to take the teachings to heart and put them into practice; that is the greatest way that the teachers can be repaid for their teaching.

3. Dana for sustaining Shakti Vihara: Monetary offerings enable the hermitage to continue to exist and to be able to provide not only a home and basic needs for the monastics in residence but also retreats, interactive inquiry, vigils , and other events for you and many others to attend in the future. This is possible solely due to your and others' kind donations. Tax-deductible donations are most welcome and can be made online via PayPal or sending a check to Awakening Truth, c/o Treasurer, 101 Soquel Avenue, apt #405, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA

4. Food dana: As monastics, we do not buy food. Everything we eat and share with our guests is offered by the lay community. Food offerings and meal purchases can be made by contacting Darcie at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or checking to see what is needed on the Dana list.

5. Offer of requisites: If you wish to offer something for personal use, the item can either be offered directly or funds can be given to a layperson who can then purchase the item and offer it later. Ask directly if there is anything needed that you could offer. It’s helpful to be specific about what you have in mind, e.g., “Please let me know if you need transport to the retreat center,” or “I would like to offer to take you anywhere you need to go during the time of your stay,” or “Please let me know if you need any medicines/sandals/a toothbrush.” Monastic discipline prohibits receiving, carrying, or using money, although money substitutes, such as transit tickets, frequent flyer miles, gift cards, and stamps are acceptable and most welcome.

6. Your time and talent: There are many ways to help. Offerings of knowledge, skills, and contacts to help develop the infrastructure, funding base, and organization (including committee and board members, graphics, web development, computer support, data base management, logistics) are welcome! Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to offer your support.

Just as monastics in the Buddha's time were sustained by the offerings of the lay community, Shakti Vihara residents and the Awakening Truth organization depends on the kindness of others. When you make a contribution to support either the monastics or the organization, you nurture your own virtuous aspiration and help create a field of blessings that supports others to do the same.