Warm Welcome! Fri Nov 15th for Dr Marlai OUCH’s Samaneri Ordination (in Person & Online)
❧ Dhammadharini Monastery
Dear Venerables, Dhamma friends and supporters,
We joyfully welcome you to join us this Friday, November 15th, for the Samaneri Pabbajja (novice ordination) of our incredibly faithful long-time friend and supporter, Upasika Dr. Marlai Ouch, on the auspicious occasion of the Kattika Puṇṇamī (Sri Lanka: Il Poya) Full Moon Uposatha.
A set of new golden-brown patchwork “kasaya civara” Buddhist monastic robes with flowers and alms bowl: the marks of the Theravada Buddhist monastic life
This coming November full moon, the Kattika Puṇṃamĩ is remembered as the day the Buddha sent forth his first disciples with the words: "go forth for the good, the welfare and the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world!" - bahujana hitaya, bahusukhaya. It is also the time of the final preparations for launching Sanghamittā Therĩ & the Bodhi Tree's great journey of compassion from India to Sri Lanka.
The Buddha's words and Sanghamittā's Story being so meaningful to Marlai's dedication, on this full moon she plans to request and undertake the “Going Forth” & Ten Novice Precepts (Sāmanerī Pabbajjā & Sāmanerī Dasa Sikkhā) with the abbot of her local family Cambodian temple, Venerable Bhikkhu (Bhante) Chandara Ñāṇadīpako Mahā Thero as Preceptor, at Wat Meangkolvorn in Santa Rosa, California. Bhante Chandara also joined the Bhikkhu Sangha supporting our Ven. Bhikkhunĩ Thāvirā's higher ordination this past June, and Vens. Dhammānsārī's and Dhammavarā's bhikkhunĩ ordination with Dhammadharini two years ago. As many of you know, there are a small handful of women of Khmer heritage now training as Samaneris and Bhikkhunis worldwide (as some will remember last year Dhammadharini hosting the first Vassa for the international Khmer Bhikkhuni Sangha together)—and Marlai will be the first to receive Samaneri Pabbajja with a full traditional Cambodian Buddhist ordination ceremony. It promises to be wonderful! As part of this ceremony, Marlai will receive her new Pali name, which is tentatively planned to be "Sāmanerī Dhammajĩvī" - to be announced then.
The new Samaneri will then return to our Dhammadharini Monastery, where Marlai has requested to undertake the Sāmanerĩ training in nissāya with a commitment to her bhikkhunī teacher and mentor, Venerable Bhikkhunī (Ayya) Tathālokā Mahātherī. Marlai has been a very regular participant in our Dhammadharini Bhikkhuni Sangha in-person programs for more than 7 years now, with Ayyā Tathālokā (who she first met 17 years ago at the Cambodian temple in San Francisco) as her principal bhikkhunī mentor and teacher. Local friends are warmly welcome to be present at Dhammadharini Monastery for this part together outdoors in our monastery garden Sālā sĩmā.
The ordination, then complete, will then be followed by an opportunity for online greetings, blessings and well wishes with Venerables, Dhamma friends and supporters from afar, in California, and from around the world.
A few words from Ayyā Tathālokā introducing aspirant Marlāi to all our community, for those who don’t know her yet, and for those who do, to better know who we expect to soon be the newest monastic with us:
Dr Marlai came to the United States from Battambang, Cambodia, as a child with her parents escaping the Khmer Rouge; her education was in the United States, and she was the first member of her family to earn a doctorate, here in California, in Leadership. During her education, Marlai regularly undertook meditation retreats in the Goenka tradition.
Marlai is the founder of the Cambodian School of San Francisco, and of Global Compassion and Engagement through which she has been an ardent supporter of her Theravāda Bhikkhu Sangha in the US, in India, and in Cambodia. One of her adopted sons became a Buddhist monk nearly ten years ago. Five years ago, after meeting the first Khmer bhikkhunĩ Ayyā Mettājĩvĩ, and with the support of Ayyā Tathālokā, Upāsikā Marlai co-founded the Cambodian Bhikkhuni Sangha Initiative, through which she has been a powerful voice and advocate for the revival of the Cambodian-Khmer Theravāda Bhikkhunĩ Sangha, and supporter of both our Dhammadharini bhikkhunĩs, Cambodian Bhikkhunĩs and Sāmanerĩs around the world, and the international Bhikkhunĩ Sangha.
Following our International Bhikkhunĩ preceptors’ pilgrimage to Cambodia in the 2019-2020 winter, one of Marlai’s female cousins entered monastic life as a sāmanerĩ in Malaysia, together with a slowly increasing number of other Khmer donchee women renunciates. Since then Marlai’s senior leading bhikkhu teachers have repeatedly recommended that she should enter monastic life and ordain as a bhikkhunĩ.
After visiting Aranya Bodhi on day trips once or more weekly during the 2023 Vassa, and undertaking daily training and Dhamma and meditation with her father, a 2-time former monk, during the 2024 Vassa, her determination to go deeper to focus on the Dhamma and path of practice, and to be able to share with her beloved global Buddhist community not only material support, but the highest gift of the Dhamma, has arisen strong and clear in her mind and heart and not faltered.
Dear community, we warmly welcome you to join us for any or all parts of the day: At Wat Meangkolvorn in the morning and early afternoon, at Dhammadharini Monastery in the early evening, or online in the later evening.
The approximate planned schedule for Marlai’s ordination day will be:
9am: Beginning of festivities at Wat Meangkolvorn (including head shaving)
11am: Meal offering to the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Sangha (the Dual Sangha will be present)
1-3pm: Afternoon program including Sāmanerĩ Pabbajjā & Precepts Ceremony
- New sāmanerĩ and bhikkhunĩs travel from Wat Meangkolvorn to Dhammadharini Monastery (5 miles) -
5-5:45pm: Nissāya ceremony at Dhammadharini Monastery (open to all, outdoors in Sālā pavilion)
6:15-7:00pm: Online blessings & well wishes on Zoom (online only, inside monastery)
Please register on our website
if you would like to join for any part of the day!
For those who can’t join live, and who wish to offer a written or video message of congratulations, you may upload your message to our Google Drive folder here.
If you would like to offer a “going forth” ordination gift, a list of things which would be useful for the new Samaneri is in process of being filled in here; you are welcome to email or tag the monastery at the email below to inquire about or pledge your gift. If you would like to offer a financial ordination gift dedicated to Marlai’s ordination, or to join in supporting our Bhikkhuni teachers, Bhikkhuni Sangha & the ordination candidate, please note: the new Sāmanerĩ will no longer be receiving, keeping, or using money(!); donations will be kindly stewarded by Dhammadharini Support Foundation - warm welcome to visit dhammadharini.net/support.
“Anumodana!” and thank you very much for all of your support!
With mettā to all,
the Dhammadharini Community
❧ Dhammadharini Monastery
Dear Venerables, Dhamma friends and supporters,
We joyfully welcome you to join us this Friday, November 15th, for the Samaneri Pabbajja (novice ordination) of our incredibly faithful long-time friend and supporter, Upasika Dr. Marlai Ouch, on the auspicious occasion of the Kattika Puṇṇamī (Sri Lanka: Il Poya) Full Moon Uposatha.
A set of new golden-brown patchwork “kasaya civara” Buddhist monastic robes with flowers and alms bowl: the marks of the Theravada Buddhist monastic life
This coming November full moon, the Kattika Puṇṃamĩ is remembered as the day the Buddha sent forth his first disciples with the words: "go forth for the good, the welfare and the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world!" - bahujana hitaya, bahusukhaya. It is also the time of the final preparations for launching Sanghamittā Therĩ & the Bodhi Tree's great journey of compassion from India to Sri Lanka.
The Buddha's words and Sanghamittā's Story being so meaningful to Marlai's dedication, on this full moon she plans to request and undertake the “Going Forth” & Ten Novice Precepts (Sāmanerī Pabbajjā & Sāmanerī Dasa Sikkhā) with the abbot of her local family Cambodian temple, Venerable Bhikkhu (Bhante) Chandara Ñāṇadīpako Mahā Thero as Preceptor, at Wat Meangkolvorn in Santa Rosa, California. Bhante Chandara also joined the Bhikkhu Sangha supporting our Ven. Bhikkhunĩ Thāvirā's higher ordination this past June, and Vens. Dhammānsārī's and Dhammavarā's bhikkhunĩ ordination with Dhammadharini two years ago. As many of you know, there are a small handful of women of Khmer heritage now training as Samaneris and Bhikkhunis worldwide (as some will remember last year Dhammadharini hosting the first Vassa for the international Khmer Bhikkhuni Sangha together)—and Marlai will be the first to receive Samaneri Pabbajja with a full traditional Cambodian Buddhist ordination ceremony. It promises to be wonderful! As part of this ceremony, Marlai will receive her new Pali name, which is tentatively planned to be "Sāmanerī Dhammajĩvī" - to be announced then.
Janet O'Flynn
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Janet O'Flynn, OTD: Dean of FSRL 315-708-5820 / de...@haitirehab.org
Université Épiscopale d'Haïti / Faculté des Sciences de Réhabilitation
Address: FSRL / Rue Barrière Rouge 2 / Léogáne, Haiti509-2817-9518 / adm...@fsrluneph.org
Haiti Rehabilitation Foundation (HRF) www.haitirehab.org
Anandabodhi Bhikkhuni
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