Bhikkhuni Sudarshana

Sri Lanka

USA

Bhikkhuni Sudarshana dedicates her life to the Buddha-Dhamma. Born in 1968, ordained as a nun in 1985 and as a Bhikkhuni in 1997, she holds the honor of having been in the first group of Bhikkhunis ordained in Sri Lanka .

Educated at Peradeniya University in Kandy , then at Colombo University , she received her Bachelor’s Degree and Diploma in Education respectively, and set out as a high school teacher for 12 years. Bhikkhuni Sudarshana loves learning and continued for a Master of Arts Degree at The Buddhist and Pali University and a Master of Education Degree at Colombo University . Bhikkhuni Sudarshana intends to further her education to the Ph.D. level.

Bhikkhuni Sudarshana has promoted the status of women in Buddhism by organizing three international higher ordination ceremonies: in Taiwan in 2001, Sri Lanka in 2002, and in Sri Lanka in 2003. She also published a book entitled, Bhikkhuni Patimokkha and Vinaya Karma, 2001.

Bhikkhuni Sudarshana has traveled widely: Taiwan , Korea , Thailand , India , Cambodia , New Zealand and the USA . She resided in India for 2 years at the Maha Bodhi Society in Sarnath. Since 2003 the she has resided in the USA , and is now the Abbess of the Samadhi Meditation Center of Pinellas Park, Florida, USA.