The idea behind the Head Shaving event came about on 20th November 2022, the Meditation Day to mark Ayya Vayama Bhikkhuni Theri’s One Year Death Anniversary. One of our supporters, Dilusha, suggested shaving his head to raise funds for the purchase of a property for Patacara Bhikkhuni Hermitage. I thought that was a wonderful idea. By the end of the Meditation Day, there was already a total of 4 participants in the Head Shaving event!
We are very grateful to Ajahn Brahmali and the monks who, collectively, shaved nine laymen on Saturday, 25th of February 2023. On that same day, I shaved the heads of six lay women.
While shaving their heads, I would occasionally look up and watch all the kind monks, the courageous and inspiring shaven laymen and laywomen, as well as all our supportive and generous friends. It was as if we were paying respect to the bhikkhunis of the past, and inspiring the bhikkhunis of the present and of the future. I was deeply touched by this amazing and joyous occasion. A beautiful seed was planted that day.
The tremendous joint effort that was put together for the Head Shaving event on 25th February raised $40, 991.7 for Patacara Bhikkhuni Hermitage.
At around 11am, Saturday, 25th February 2023, at Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine, Western Australia, five female and six male supporters are going to shave their heads to raise funds for the purchase of a property for Patacara Bhikkhuni Hermitage. Ajahn Brahmali from Bodhinyana Monastery and Ayya Seri from Patacara Bhikkhuni Hermitage are going to do the head-shaving.
The event is a momentous act of renunciation for eleven courageous, kind and generous lay women and lay men. They are Purnima Silva, Lay Har Goh, Hwee Cheng Tan, Tammy Yeoh, Mary Parvarthy, Dilusha Silva, Sachiv Silva (11 years old), Ravi De Silva, Choon Seng Ong, Mark Ang, and Wong Kee Kock.
They are raising funds for the purchase of a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house in the southern suburbs of Perth. The community would prefer a property that is located close enough to the community and that would offer a choice for women practitioners, Bhikkhunis as well as lay women, to practice together.
We are planning to finalise the purchase of the property by April . This is so we can move into the property by June in order to be ready for the Rains Retreat (Vassa) by 1st of August 2023.
Please offer your support to these brave, courageous and kind warriors!
Patacara Bhikkhuni Hermitage 