An ordination - and a death

During a public ordination ceremony held on January 31st at the Stockholm Buddhist Centre, Sweden, Sanna Frost became Nagajyotis (Sanskrit, long first ‘a’). Her name means‘light, splendour, radiance of the nagas (literally serpent-demons)’. Ratnadharini was private and public preceptor. Nagajyotis ordination was especially significant as it was (we believe) the first ordination to be held in Sweden.

Sadhu!

On January 17th at 1.50pm, ex-Order member Gunavati died peacefully at Homerton Hospital in London. Padmaketu and Barbara, a fellow nun of her present order, were with her. Gunavati was 80 years old and had been in hospital for 4 1/2 weeks. She must have been one of the most visited patients there ever. Friends from her FWBO days came, as well as from the Jamyang centre in South London, where she had practised in recent years, including her teacher Geshe La. The name she received in that ordination was Lobsang Choedron.

The person who took most care of her over these weeks was her old friend Ingrid Kerma who looked after her tirelessly, if needed spending nights there as well.

The nurses commented how much Gunavati/Choedron had given to people in the ward and the nurses over the time she was there. And while getting progressively weaker there were many times where she radiated love for us visitors and her fellow patients and the staff. She was extraordinary until the end, including having her humour and cheekiness - and never complaining despite the pain she was in at times.

Gunavati was ordained in 1976 and resigned from the Order in 2001.

FWBO News would like to thank Jayacitta for this report.

Ven Myokyo-ni

Visvapani's obituary of Ven Myokyo-ni appeared in The Guardian on April 23 2007. Ven Myokyo-ni was one of the first Westerners to undertake Zen training in Japan, and brought an uncompromising spirit to her teaching. She had been head of London's Zen Centre, which began life as the Zen group within the Buddhist Society, and is located in the house bequeathed to them by Christmas Humphries.

The Buddhist Society website says that there will be a memorial for her sometime in the future.

Death of Maha Ghosananda

The Guardian Newspaper recently published an obituary written by Vishvapani for Maha Ghosananda the Cambodian Buddhist leader and peace activist.

He was a leading figure in the revival of Buddhism in Cambodia following the period of the Khmer Rouge killing fields. Vishvapani comments, 'I approached The Guardian about writing obituaries of Buddhist figures just before Maha Ghosananda died. I knew a little about his work and his reputation as a very saintly and compassionate man, but I was moved to learn more in writing this piece. He deserves to be as well known as figures like Thich Nhat Hanh, but he never taught in the West and wasn't a writer.'

Maha Ghosananda was also the spiritual head of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists

Vishvapani's article on Dr Ambedkar and recent dalit conversions to Buddhism is published in the most recent issue of Tricycle magazine. An article on Buddhism in Tamil Nadu will be in the next issue. He will be broadcasting on BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day on Wednesday 11 April at 07.45, and will be doing three more broadcasts on 2, 9 and 16 June.

Death of Dharmacari Jnanajit

We have received the very sad news from India that Dhammachari Jnanajit died on Saturday March 24th. Jnanajit was ordained in 2003 and was a Mitra for many years before that. He was resident in Pimpri (adjacent to Pune) and leaves behind his wife, a son and a daughter.

Lokamitra has sent us the following information: "Jnanajit had just celebrated his 50th birthday on 3rd March 2007. On 4th March he was knocked over when riding his small motorbike and suffered two fractures in the leg. He was operated on, on 9th March, and discharged from hospital on 19th March with his leg in plaster. On the evening of Friday 23rd March he was uneasy and while being taken to the hospital went into a coma. A blood clot from the leg had reached the lungs. He died on Saturday 24th March at about 5.30 pm. His funeral was conducted the same evening.

Jnanajit was very keen on study, especially of Bhante's writings. He had recently translated "The Meaning of Conversion to Buddhism" into Marathi and was keen to translate more of Bhante's writings."

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