Venerable Rohini is particularly happy to share years-long experience as a
Buddhist nun in Sri Lanka with special reference to ‘mindfulness’ meditation.
Venerable Rohini participated at the first meeting of potential trustees of the New Zealand Bhikkhuni Sangha Trust at Churton Park, Wellington in 2015 as a laywoman, expressing her interest in ordaining as a Buddhist nun in future.

Prior to her ordination, she spent 2 years as an Anagarika in the forest sangha sect of Sri Lanka under the advice of most Ven. Uda Eriyagama Dhammajiva Maha Thero. Subsequently she was ordained as a Buddhist nun at Samatha Vipassana Meditation Center, Pallekele, Kandy, Sri Lanka, under the guidance of the most Ven. Uda Eriyagama Dhammajiva Maha Thero as her spiritual teacher. She had stayed as a 10 precepts nun (Sil-matha) though vowed to live by the 311 vinaya codes.
She hails from Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, obtained her B.Sc. (Agric. Sc.) from Sri Lanka and M.Sc. (Irrigation Engineering) from KUL, Belgium and practiced as a high school teacher before migrating to New Zealand with her family, where she was engaged as a early childhood teacher. She was a devoted practitioner of the Buddhist way of life throughout and later decided to ordain as a Buddhist nun with the permission and blessings of her husband and children and the extended family.

After ordination Ven. Rohini adhered to a solid practice of mindfulness meditation under the instructions of most Ven. Uda Eriyagama Dhammajiva Maha Thero of Meetirigala forest Sangha sect. She was actively involved with mindfulness school programmes conducted for school children in Sri Lanka. Ven Rohini currently resides at a serene location on the outskirts of Christchurch, preferring to live a solitary existence. She is blessed with the kind patronage from most Ven. Makuldeniye Somarathana Thero, the current chief incumbent at Samadi Buddhist Vihara in Rolleston and the devoted support from the Christchurch Buddhist community. With the advice of most Ven. Makuldeniye Somarathana Thero she conducts meditation programmes for children, attends and helps with activities of the Dhamma school at Samadhi Buddhist vihara.
We will forward a tentative programme in a few days and cordially invite all interested parties to make good use of this opportunity to support bhikkhuni in New Zealand and to foster your own spiritual lives.

Previous vists:

20 June 2023 – 5 July 2023

14 November – 21 November 2023

21 May – 4 June 2024

Please email nz.bhikkhunitrust@gmail.com to be kept up to date.