Embracing Simplicity Hermitage celebrated its first Kathina Robe Ceremony in November 2008. This special ceremony was the second huge milestone in our new dhamma hall (the first was the ordination ceremony held last April. About 40 of our dhamma friends were present to help celebrate this festive occasion. Bhanate U Jotika presented a special dhamma teaching and led the sangha in meditation.

Traditionally during this ceremony the Kathina Robe is presented to a designated monk who has given special service to the sangha. In respect and gratitude, Ven. Pannavati and Ven. Pannadipa offered the Kathina Robe to Bhante U Jotika, a Burmese monk (30+ years as a monastic), who came to stay with them during the 3-month period of the Rains Retreat, to teach and interpret Pali suttas so that they could complete their first official "Vassa" (rains retreat) and be qualified to hold the ceremony.

After the ceremony everyone gathered for a pot luck meal where all enjoyed good food, good fellowship and good friends.

See photos of this special occasion.

Rare Multi-yana Buddhist Monastic Ordination Ceremony

On Sunday, April 13, 2008, Embracing-Simplicity Buddhist Hermitage, Hendersonville, North Carolina held a Dual-Platform Grand Ordination for Buddhist monks, nuns, and dharma teachers. This ceremony was a rare opportunity for qualified Buddhists seeking ordination. It was particularly significant because the ordination included all traditions, and females as well as males were ordained. A quorum of bhikkhu and bhikkhuni Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana masters and teachers from Burma, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the United States gathered at the Hermitage to ordain the qualified male and female candidates. Officiating monks and nuns were:

Ordination Masters

Ven. Karuna Dharma (U.S.) and Ven. Rathvita Wimalajothi (Sri Lanka)

Deputy Ordination Masters

Ven. Gunasari (Burma) and Ven. Sujatha (Sri Lanka)

Vinaya Masters

Ven. Sudarshana (Sri Lanka) and Ven. Kanan Bodhi (Bangladesh)

Witness Masters

Ven. Pannavati (U.S.), Ven. Jinananda (Sri Lanka), Ven. Pannadipa (U.S.) and Rev. Chitta (U.S.)

Ven. Dr. Karuna Dharma (Thich Tu-An), Abbess of International Buddhist Mediation Center in Los Angeles CA, the first American woman to take full Buddhist monastic vows in the United States (1976), officiated as the ceremony master. Ven. Dharma remarked, “Buddhist monastics of all traditions hold the hope that the Buddhadharma (teachings of Buddha) will flourish in the west and their communities will enlarge to meet the growing need for qualified teachers. Respecting the fact that Americans live in such a diverse society, I share that hope and I have continued the tradition of my teacher who desired to have a multi-yana ordination for monks and nuns.” Ven. Karuna Dharma is one of the few ordination masters in the world who has received the continuing respect and support of elders in all three schools.

This Grand Ordination did not decree ordination into a particular school or tradition. The candidates received the dharmagupta vows, took on the robes of their own tradition and the name their own teacher chose for them. They were admitted into the Order of the Noble Sangha with the understanding they were to remain with their own teachers and traditions for five years. This rare multi-yana ordination ceremony adds to a list of firsts for Embracing-Simplicity Buddhist Hermitage, a contemporary Theravadan and Chan community led by female and male African-American co-abbots, with all Caucasian sangha. Said Ven. Pannavati, Co-Abbot of the hermitage, “Being heavily committed to interfaith work, I thought it strange that those of various Buddhist traditions should not also come together. I was introduced to the extremely qualified Ven. Dr. Karuna Dharma by Karma Lekshe, President of Sakyadhita, Int’l. Being unqualified to convene it myself as a junior bhikkhuni, I gave Ven. Karuna Dharma a lengthy explanation of why I thought this should happen. She responded with just three words: ‘How's April 13th?’ A very moving and powerful moment.”

Currently, three monastics reside permanently at the hermitage. Seven of the nine ordinees are now associated with the community and the preceptors have pledged their continuing support to the hermitage to train all who ordained.

See the ordination photos.