International Bhikkhuni Day, 2014 (Part 15)

Honouring Eminent Asian Buddhist Women in the Modern Era
D. Courage and Resilience in Spiritual Practice in Challenging Conditions

1. Mongolia – Ven Amaa (1905-2010)

Spiritual Development

Ven Amaa’s father and grandfather were accomplished lamas. She was a forest meditator since her twenties. During Stalin’s communist regime, Buddhists were persecuted and many Lamas were killed or disrobed. Ven Amaa and a group of yogis, lead by Tibetan master, Lama Zundui, had to practice secretly for two years in caves and cemeteries, hiding under the cover of darkness and dressed in lay clothing.

Renowned Master

Ven Amaa was renowned as the only person in all of Mongolia’s three eastern provinces who could do the complete proper chanting and ceremonies for those who passed away, based on the text by Padmasambhava, now popularly known as ‘The Tibetan Book of the Dead.’

Although devotees daily visited her non-stop to ask for advice, prayers and blessings, she did not have a sacred space of her own. All her activities were conducted in her family ger. On auspicious days, she and her students chant in a nearby temple. In 2008, at the age of 104, Ven Amaa finally had her own tent, which became a meditation and chanting shrine. It was sponsored by an American male devotee, Batbaatar who had never met her before.

Sakyadhita Conference

Also in 2008, Ven Amaa travelled 200 miles from Khenti Province to Ulaanbaatar to attend the 10th Sakyadhita Conference. Everyone present gave a standing ovation when she walked up the stage, aided by a walking stick, to welcome us. She was overwhelmed to see several hundred Buddhist women and men of different nationalities and traditions, speaking different languages, coming together to speak with one heart. She declared, “I have been waiting for this moment my whole life!” Amaa passed away in 2010, nearly 106 of age.