Maechee Pittsayaputt Vhititthiranun

Thailand

Maechee Pittsayaputt Vhititthiranun

Thailand

Maechee Pittsayaputt Vhititthiranun was born in 1965. Since her childhood, she wondered, “Who had me be born? Who decided to divide us into males and females? What was I born for? Only to die?”

Ajahn Chah advised her to practice following her breath, and she would understand the answers to her questions. She meditated as he suggested for 13 years, and then in 2007 at the age of 42, she ordained as a white-robed, eight-precept nun. In 2015 at the age of 50, Maechee Pittsayaputt began to build a women’s meditation center in Chiangrai, Thailand, named Pittsaya Dhamma Center. Her goal in creating the Center is to provide women with a safe space in which they can explore their lives and transform suffering.

She constructed the buildings, installed a Buddha statue, drilled for water, and established the Ariya Magga Foundation. Her Dhamma Center is headquarters now for all work activities of white-robed nuns in the north of Thailand. The Center’s daily activities include: chanting, walking meditation, seated meditation, alms rounds, and cleaning. On Buddhist holidays, Maechee Pittsayaputt organizes traditional ceremonial activities. She offers 7-day meditation courses, meditation courses for youth during summer recess, Dhamma teachings for nuns, agricultural projects for self-sufficiency, helps repair the rural village dirt roads, offers educational scholarships to youth, and organizes activities for nuns in the north of Thailand. Maechee Pittsayaputt Vhititthiranun is currently raising two girls who were rescued from being sold into sex trade.

Her 5 year plan is to teach Dhamma and help her village.