| Sister Khema,Samaneri | |
|---|---|
| Religion | Buddhism |
| School | Theravada |
| Lineage | Buddhist American Forest Tradition |
| Dharma name(s) | Sister Khema, Samaneri |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | US |
| Senior posting | |
| Based in | Annapolis, Missouri, USA |
| Religious career | |
| Teacher | Most Venerable Bhante Vimalaramsi Maha Thera |
| Website | http://www.dhammasukha.org/ |
Sister Khema,Samaneri (whose Pali name means 'peace-patience') is an American-born novice Theravada Buddhist nun.[1]
Her ordination on September 7, 2006 was a surprise for American Buddhism, not just because the ceremony was officiated by an American Maha Thera Buddhist Monk, but also because this was the first such ordination in America, where an American woman took the Samaneri vows with an American monk presiding. Previously, if a woman wanted to do this she would have to go to a foreign monastery on American soil. But now there is an American monastery where women and men can be trained in an ordination program for a new lineage: Buddhist American Forest Tradition. This tradition follows the Suttas closely, providing a Buddhist center that speaks English and offers a study campus to continue their work with sutta study and developing compassionate service projects.
The verification of sutta information through personal investigation using the practice described in the suttas continues today with the guidance of her teacher, Venerable Bhante Vimalaramsi Maha Thera who has just been appointed as the American representative for the World Buddhist Summit Conference. This is the first time the US will have representation at the World Buddhist Summit Conference, which Sister Khema attended to assist her teacher and to follow firsthand the progress of the development of women in Buddhism at Dhammasukha Meditation Center, Missouri. Note: Sister Ayya Khema is a different person than the above Sister Khema.