International Bhikkhuni Day, 2014 (Part 16)

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

 2.  India - Venerable Visakha (1918 - ) from Patlipur, Maharashtra State, Ven is among the renunciants who received full bhikkhuni ordination at the first Theravada bhikkhuni ordination held at Bodhgaya in 1998.  Ven was then aged 80. She was greatly moved and expressed her deep gratitude to Ven Hsing Yun of Foh Guang Shan, Taiwan for reviving the Bhikkhuni Order in India. She is committed to support equal rights and improving the status of women in Theravada societies.

In her youth, Ven Visakha did Dhamma volunteer work and was greatly inspired by Dr Ambedker. She became an anagarika in 1964 and a samaneri in 1967 under the guidance of Ven Saddhananda Samadhi who taught tranquility meditation. She then started to share with the villagers about the Dhamma and also volunteered for six years, in the publishing of Dhamma materials.

With the help of her teacher, she built a temple in Thiroda village which took them four years to complete. In 1990, they built the Mahaprajapati Bhikkhuni Vihara, also known as the All Indian Bhikkhuni Centre and completed it in 2006. She was assisted by Ven Katyayani and Ven Seelachara and other devotees. She became the President of the All Indian Bhikkhuni Sangha.