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Goals

Sakyadhita Sri Lanka is promoting the following goals:

1. To work in harmony with all Buddhist traditions and the Sanghas;

2. To create a network of communication for Buddhist women

3. To provide guidance and assistance to Buddhist women and those aspiring for ordination.

4. To support nuns who are studying at the Universities.

5. To encourage meditation and spiritual growth and the Dhamma way of life.

6. To empower nuns to be teachers, work as leaders in the community by supporting their education and training enabling them to serve as Change Agents in Society.

7. To train them as trainers in Social Development Work, leadership, communication and counselling of women and children.

8. To train nuns in health education and environment as these nuns live in rural areas and can serve the community at grassroot level.

9. To promote peace and harmony among all living beings.


Activities

First President of Sakyadhita Sri Lanka, Dr. Kusuma Devendra, decided to become a nun and was fully ordained as one of the first Bhikkhunis in 1996. She is presently living and practicing in Colombo under the name of Bhikkhuni Kusuma and is invited now worldwide to give talks.

She was followed as President of Sakyadhita Sri Lanka by Ranjani de Silva. Her efforts are mainly focussed to assist those aspiring for ordination. Under her guidance also the

Sakyadhita Training and Meditation Centre

was established and set up 15 miles south of Colombo with residential facilities for the use of national and international nuns and lay-women.
With the financial support of the Heinrich Boell Foundation, Germany, a training of trainers programmes for nuns in social work, health and nutrition were launched in 1999.
The training in social work conducted by the Association of Professional Social Workers, Sri Lanka, includes theory and field-work, and aims to provide the knowledge and skills of organizing development activities in their localities, so that they could better serve their communities. The training component in health and nutrition is conducted by the Sri Lanka Saukyadana Movement. After the first training, it was found that the trainees were equipped with the necessary skills and self-confidence that enabled them to serve the communities more efficiently, and to encourage the communities to live in peace and harmony.

Sponsorship of Student Nuns

Increasing numbers of nuns take to higher education as the monks do. Some of them undertake university education; others prepare for the religious examinations conducted by the Ministry of Buddhist Affairs. Under the Sakyadhita Nuns Sponsorship Programme, nuns who are desperately in need of financial assistance to continue their studies, are provided a monthly allowance.

Education and Training

Organization at district level Dhamma classes that prepared the nuns for examinations are conducted by the Ministry of Buddhist Affairs.
Conduct of pre-school training for nuns is supported and we are closely working with the Ministry of Buddhist Affairs in the promotion of their educational activities.

Official recognition of the Bhikkhuni Order

Although the Novice and Higher Ordination of Nuns under the guidance of Theravada Monks in Sri Lanka is a fact, the official recognition by the Sangha is still outstanding.

Donations

We are inviting everybody inside and outside Sri Lanka to help to continue our activities, especially:

1. the monastic training and education of nuns at the Sakyadhita Training and Meditation Centre

2. to pay the stipends to student nuns – i.e. 20 nuns must be supported by giving them a pocket-money of Rs. 500 per month and 80 nuns for other examinations at Rs. 300 per month. ( 1 Euro is about 100 Rs.!)

3. to teach English and computers.


We are happy to inform the public in Europe that the "Buddhistische Akademie Berlin Brandenburg” in Berlin has agreed to promote our need for help and is collecting donations for us on the following bank account:

Buddhistische Akademie
Acc.No. 640588-102
Postbank Berlin BLZ 100 100 10
under the Reference: "Project Sakyadhita Sri Lanka”

For German citizens these donations going to the Buddhistische Akademie will be tax deductable.

For donations coming from Sri Lanka or other parts of the world, please use our following bank account in Sri Lanka:

Sakyadhita
Acc.No. 003160000359
Sampath Bank, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Swift Code: BSAMLKLX

All sponsors are requested to state clearly their name and address to be able to communicate with you and thank you for your help.

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