visited Wesak 13 July – 10 October 2022

Ayya Suvijjana Bhikkhuni was born in California in1952, a  licensed   nurse from 1989 to 2006, has been practicing meditation since 1976, starting with Zen meditation. In 1998 she was introduced to Vipassana at Santa Cruz Insight. Shortly after became a lay student of Ajahn Amaro and Ajajn Passano and spent a lot of time at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery. She was called to monastic life herself and became a student of Ayya Tathaaloka in 2006 when she took up residency and training at the first Dhammadharini Vihara in Fremont, CA. She received full ordination as a bhikkhuni August 2010 at Aranya Bodhi Hermitage. She has played a supportive role in establishing Dhammadharini and Aranya Bodhi Hermitage. She spends time in residency both at Dhammadharini Monastery in Penngrove, CA and at the Aranyabodhi Hermitage in Jenner CA.