Saturday Morning Dhamma Talk and Q&A with Ven. Candā (Online & In-Person)

Saturday, March 16, 9:30 – 11:00 am in Saint Mark’s Cathedral main sanctuary, 1245 10th Ave E, Seattle. Those unable to attend in-person are also welcome to tune in via Zoom or YouTube livestream. To participate in chanting, use this online Chanting Book.

Join us for a morning of meditation, Dhamma, and a Q&A with honored guests Ven. Candā, visiting from the England, & Ayyā Ānandabodhī, visiting from nearby Port Townsend! The gathering will begin with a guided sit from 9:30 – 10 am, and continue with a Dhamma teaching and Q&A from 10 – 11 followed by a chance, for those who want, to discuss life and practice over coffee from 11 – noon. In the spirit of Dhamma, all teachings are offered completely free of charge, with nothing expected in return, though those inspired may give online to the Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project in support of Ven. Candā’s vision of a bhikkhuni monastery in the U.K.

For directions and information on what to bring, see below. Additionally, if one wishes to offer food for the monastics’ daily meal, they may arrive at 9 am to do so. As alms mendicants, they accept what is offered, though some try to maintain a vegetarian or vegan diet. Those unable to attend in-person are welcome to tune in via Zoom or YouTube livestream. Welcome!  . 

What to Bring
A cushion to sit on if you want, though chairs will be available as well, and your love of practice!

Parking
Those driving may enter the campus at the north between the cathedral and the St. Nicholas Building – the location of the Gage Academy and Seattle Amistad School. They may then drive all the way to the back of the cathedral. Parking is free for Clear Mountain attendees even though signs in the lot indicate payment is required. If the “carriage gateway” behind the St. Nicholas building is open, participants are encouraged to park there. We encourage the use of public transportation when convenient, and the Seattle bus #49 stops at the corner of 10th Ave. and E Galer, just north of the meeting place. 

Zoom Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82909114254?pwd=Sm1RVWxYdWp0aldibENoOHJscTQvQT09
Meeting ID: 829 0911 4254 / Passcode: 917562

Zoom Link for Remote Participants

Biography
Ayyā Ānandabodhī
Ayyā Ānandabodhī was born and raised at the foot of the sacred Preseli Mountains in Wales, UK. They first encountered the Buddha’s teaching in her early teens while reading a book on Buddhism. Reading the Four Noble Truths was life-changing and from that moment they experienced a deep confidence in the Buddha’s insight, and a wish to understand his teachings more deeply. At the age of 24, Ayyā Ānandabodhī began monastic training at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in England. Seventeen years later, in 2009, they moved to the USA with a wish to create more opportunities for women monastics. In 2011 they took full Bhikkhuni Ordination, joining the worldwide revival of the Theravada Bhikkhuni Order. Ayyā Ānandabodhī’s practice and teaching are guided by early Buddhist scriptures, living in community, and through nature’s pure and immediate Dhamma. They currently reside in Port Townsend, Washington. To learn more, visit Aloka Vihara’s website.

Venerable Candā
Ven. Candā began meditating in 1996 with SN Goenka and practiced intensively in India for many years. In 2006, she was ordained in Burma as a Buddhist nun and, in 2012, went to Australia to learn under the guidance of Ajahn Brahm and receive full bhikkhuni ordination. Ven. Canda’s teachings emphasize kindness and letting go as a way to deepen samadhi (stillness) and insight. Her style is warm, engaging, and richly informed by the pragmatism and compassion of the early Buddhist texts.

In 2016, Venerable Candā founded Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project with her Teacher Ajahn Brahm – a UK charity aimed at establishing the first “Forest Monastery” in the UK where women can take full ordination. You can read more about this worthy community project here: www.anukampaproject.org.

For news of upcoming retreats and teachings, subscribe to our YouTube channel, Facebook page, Discord Server, or newsletter. If you live in the greater Seattle area, you may join our “Mitta Meetups” Community Calendar and WhatsApp group for locals. Photos of in-person or Zoom attendees may be used in Clear Mountain social posts.