Background story for Sister Khema-
first written December 2006

 VITA UPDATE 

Venerable Sister Khema* is an American woman who decided one day to find out what the Buddha actually did about suffering by surrendering to a total immersion program of training through Buddhist teachings under the guidance of a trained Buddhist monk.  Training with a very respected teacher, she began performing the same personal investigation that the Buddha did.  She also followed the advice of one Bangladeshi elder whom she consulted before starting! 
Having previously spent three years in Asia and having followed the discipline of a Karate dojo when she was younger, the request of staying with one teacher to learn a skill was not something odd. “The elder took the time to tell me keep going in the same way as practicing karate, to not to stop until I got the skill own right.” 
Having previously owned an employment agency business for 14 years, she knew what it meant to be determined.  To succeed you cannot jump around here and there tasting this or that. You must remain in one spot doing one thing to master it.  Also, there had been three children to test her persistence over the years.
The year 2011 marks 11 years of study with the same teacher to investigate and discover what the Buddha actually did, how he did it, what his teachings actually were, and whether his instructions could still be deciphered and practiced in the same way today.  Is this practice still relevant and can it make any difference in this fast paced technological world of today?  That is the question.
Having given all her worldly good away, September 7, 2006 marked the date of her totally leaving society for her first level novice ordination and a commitment to 10 precepts.  It is her fondest hope to find, along the way, other women who would also dare to take on this search and experiment in a supported deep forest environment under the tutelage of an American monk to help bring into being an American Buddhist Forest Nuns Tradition at Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center in Missouri- USA.
Her September 7, 2006 ordination was a a kind of hallmark for American Buddhism because it was the first such ordination in America where an American woman took Samaneri vows through a ceremony officiated over by an American Maha Thera Buddhist Monk who was willing to teach women equally as any man their monastic training. Up until that time, if an American woman wanted to do this they would have to go to a foreign monastery on American soil, you would have had to appeal to a foreign monk for help. 
This meant that now there is an American Monastery where women and men can be trained equally within an ordination program for a new Buddhist American Forest Tradition. 
This is especially good news for American monastics abroad too. It means they can come homd now if they want to into the US to live in an Buddhist center that speaks English, follows vinaya and offers them support on a study campus with a library to continue their own sutta research study. This is one of the goals of DSMC.
The verification of sutta information through personal investigation using the practice described in the suttas [ now called Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation or TWIM] continues today under the guidance of Most Venerable Bhante Vimalaramsi Maha Thera. Bhante Vimalaramsi has been installed into the position of the first US representation at the largest World Buddhist Summit Conference in Asia which gradually adds to his credibility too. He was the first monk ever to be dually nominated for that position. 

Working fulltime both physically and mentally building a meditation and study center where others can do this meditation experiment in  in a supported forest location is not an easy task.  Life on the now 103 acres of forestland while living on a steady set of precepts declared daily along with other administrative duties for the center keeps Sister very busy.
Winters are either spent travelling the country doing various Dhamma talks and retreats at Universities and various locations and raising money for building the center or on site surviving in the winter cold, meditating, and continuing to edit and write for Bhante Vimalaramsi.  This whole adventure is a rather interesting way to spend one’s fifties and now sixties and has been like a concentrated Masters program in Buddhism with the primary guiding professor on site and available for questions 24/7!
In her own words, the beginning was like this:
“It is said that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. I didn't know I was ready but the universe did.”
“Along the way, many students and other people have asked me how I came to be a Kappiya/assistant for Bhante Vimalaramsi ? What led me to make this decision? How did it happen? A small part of the story is here below.
"I found Bhante Vimalaramsi as a teacher over 11 years ago in Washington, DC quite by accident, or, maybe not. It was then that the journey began that is still going strong today and it is suspected that it will continue until the end of this existence.  That year 2000 my Uncle in Virginia and another friend advised me to try meditation. One friend noted to me that astrologically 7 or more planets were aligned in a way that indicated a most powerful time in my life was at hand. Astrology, by the way, was a subject I never gave much credit to.
At the time, I had made a decision to attempt to go back to work after a rather serious disability had occurred in my life.  In general, life with its twists and turns, seemed difficult and, though my humor was still intact, I was not a smiling person as often as I had once been. There had been a lot of pain in life for me then.  Because of family circumstances, even though disabled, the challenge arose to  move from the mountains in central Virginia to the City of Washington, DC  (or the belly of the beast, as some called it) .
“I had no desire to leave those beautiful mountains but a family need was at hand. I felt an obligation to try to go back to work and so I left.   
“It was while waiting to begin a new and challenging job, in a new city atmosphere, with some stress, fear and trepidation, that my Uncle Joe encouraged me to find a teacher and begin practicing meditation to help me sleep and calm my nerves. Then a friend, who had once lived in the DC metro area assured me that I could find a teacher there.  So, while in temporary quarters in Adam's Morgan, as I fell asleep one night just before my birthday, I had a vivid dream. I watched myself take a bike ride and stop and knock at the door of a Buddhist Temple to find a teacher of meditation!
“Now, Dreams do not occur often for me and this was particularly unexpected, appearing vividly in color.  Considering how clear this dream had been, the next morning, after cancelling a morning appointment to see a small house with a realtor, I went for a bike ride to find this teacher down 16th St. This was known as the avenue of churches and people said it was similar to what I described in the dream.
“As I looked at the structures along the way, I thought I was right in the dream. I had to knock at more than one door, which was comical in its own way, to find this teacher. The comedy in this is a subject for a full story another time.  I had to knock at several doors of various temples before getting a good response.
“The important thing here is that I did find the teacher! Sometimes the Universe provides exactly what we need when we need it if we just let it be, and we are awake enough to see it.  After several other tries, I was invited into the Washington Buddhist Vihara by Venerable Dhammasiri who was the head monk there.  With a little smile on his face he informed me that this teacher I sought was co-incidentally just arriving into the city that night!
“Returning to the temple the next night, I  was expecting to see a little tiny dark-haired monk from Asia walk in to talk with me. It was surely a surprise when a tall, smiling, mild mannered monk of Scottish decent, who obviously at one time in the past a redhead, began to share what he had uncovered in the texts about Buddhist meditation. It was fascinating.
“Never had I expected to meet a teacher who would instruct me so directly with such simple words from one of the oldest sources of Buddhism, the Pali Suttas, which contain the closest thing to what the Buddha said. These texts had preserved for us the original instructions the Buddha personally followed and could still show us how he performed his own experiment which led him to deep states of insight into the true nature of the workings of mind and the way things actually are. The instructions were still there!
“ Bhante Vimalaramsi's gift is his ability to guide you with simple words to find out for yourself what the Buddha did by repeating the experiment for yourself. He persistently urges his students to confirm for ourselves through direct observation what the Buddha taught. Upon completing a session of meditation, one always comes away refreshed and wanting to learn more!
“The entire process invites further inspection and never ceases to hold the attention of the meditator. It's always a question of what will I see next and how can this be applied to daily life. This is eye-opening stuff! It’s challenging! Its fun! It brings up a wholesome joy and happiness! You really can’t help but smile.
“This practice has been such a wonderful gift in my life, changing my whole perspective of the way things actually are. Oh yes! I did change my mind about astrology! You see, the powerful thing which happened in my life was not the new job but finding the Dhamma!”

Over the past 11 years the center keeps on developing:

After two years of meditation  practice a huge light went off and loads of reading and research soon followed. Other  monks were introduced to me by Bhante Vimalaramsi and many Dhamma discussions began to take place, even with scholars.  I began living in a 24 ft trailer fulltime on a remote ridgetop in Missouri.  After three years the Missouri project was incorporated into a non-profit church organization and it got into full swing when a 30 acre property. Today this has grown to 103 acres. 
Known at that time as Khanit- Khema, I became the first Chair-person for that Corporation: United International Buddha Dhamma Society  (UIBDS). As a nonprofit church organization UIBDS performed  strictly  religious/charitable/educational works for all people. It also worked on international projects that would move toward a more peaceful society. 
At Four years an internet website was begun. Land was cleared and better roads were cut into the forest.  Worldwide students began taking interest in the Meditation practice. In the fifth year, at the center during Rains Retreat that year, a program began for Dhamma English for foreign monks and some other monastics came to the center for the Retreat.  A test was given about many of the aspects of the meditation practice and the teachings. The teacher’s log cabin (kuti) was completed. A septic system was put in (although there is no bath house yet to attach it to) and a new well was dug with a pump and generator system so the water could be used.  The old house at the base camp was barely operating but provided all basic amenities until other new buildings could one day be built.
Near the end of the rains retreat in that year the robes were taken on fulltime as a kind of personal test. This was the second year keeping 8 precepts fully. Purple was determined to be the color for the forest nuns of this order.  Early in the sixth year, 2005, while still in California, online retreats were created for the first time. They were successful and many students then came to the center. 
Dhamma talk transcript gathering began for a future book and online coaching was offered to students who were far away. Transcriptionists began popping up all over the country with offers of help for the online talks. At one time there were 9 active people working on this.  Bhante’s  Anapanasati book reached an estimated over 1,000,000 copies distributed worldwide with 6 language translations completed.  There are now 12 language translations.
Attendance on the website tripled. Downloading of information quadrupled. A third edition was on its way back to us from Taiwan compliments of the Buddhist Association of the United States out of New York.  A fourth edition will go into stores by 2012 with for meditations included in it.
There are many other articles for printing that are available from Bhante and Sister waiting for requests for publication.  There is enough information collected to make up 2 full calendar years of questions and answers about meditation practice!
The study center continues a search for an trustworthy reliable administrative/resident manager who can work with the Abbot to oversee the running of the center.
We now seek other monastics and novices who want to be in the forest, and also seek a support endowment while we continue on with this work.
A new an larger library is being dedicated by this fall 2011 for future monastics to live, study and write here in the future. A full PTS English Tipitika was donated and much of the Nikayas in Pali are here also along with other valuable books for research. 
A memorial pagoda for the late most Venerable U Silinanda is planned to be built on the property in memory of Bhante’s Upachaya and teacher. 
Local meditation classes began and sutta study continues on both at the center and with a group in Cape Girardeau who share an interest in how the human mind operates.
“ The Dhamma is the greatest gift anyone can find in this life. I cannot imagine a better way to spend ones life than to help others to be able to learn for themselves this amazing truth that the Buddha uncovered. This wonderful understanding of Anatta through taking on an Impersonal perspective in life, if circulated to enough people could change the shape of the potential for real peace in the world today. In many ways it could be a door to the transcendence of man into a more Peaceful co-existence if it can reach enough people!  But you have to walk through the door!”
“Not everyone would go for training quite like this, of course. Any degree of understanding this teaching can change how you live your life and bring more happiness into it.  I know going into the woods like this may seem a bit much sometimes. My daughter, Katie, once asked me about two years into this, what I was doing. I told her I was learning about Buddhism. While studying at the University, of course her reply was, “ Mom. You could have gone to the Library!” I told her, “I did. But it wasn’t there.” <smiles> J
Email comments to Sister Khema  email at Sisterkhema@yahoo.com
Donations for this ongoing Dhamma project can be sent directly to
UIBDS 
Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center
8218 County Road 204
Annapolis, MO 63620 
They can also be given to the center through PayPal at the main website  www.dhammasukha.org  by connecting to Donations link.

this section was re-edited  and affirmed on Feb 20, 2011

* Sister Khema is presently planning a teaching tour in Thailand, Insonesia, and South Korea from June- August of 2011. She continues to reside and work with the development of DSMC and all connected projects.
  Her ordination occurred in a forest setting and can be seen at: http://purple-pearls.org/2006_ordination.htm, part of  www.purple-pearls.org/index.html which is the nuns' site for Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center. Her first Pali name given by her teacher was Khema which meant Peace.  The name “Khanti” meaning patience was later added.  Many learned of her writing first when she was Khanti-Khema. Upon her first ordination she became ‘Sister Khema’, although she will still tell you that she needs her patience [Khanti] in the forest !

Updated  background history Vita for
Venerable Sister Khema at DSMC
Updated on February 20, 2011

Venerable Sister Khema was American born in April of 1949,  just outside of  Philadelphia, PA  - USA in the small town of Erdenheim. Her parents were of German/Irish and German/English extractions.

She went to school in Plymouth Meeting, PA and was basically raised up around the farming communities in Blue Bell, PA

·        Studied Music, Theatre Arts, Figure Skating, Sailing, Opera, and Music Conducting in Philadelphia, PA; Boston, MA; and in Lynchburg, VA colleges. She sang professionally for nearly 7 years.

·        In her twenties she spent 3 Yrs in Tainan, Taiwan - taught English conversation, studied Karate, and briefly visited Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. Later on she also lived in USA in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virgina, Arizona, and spent about 6 yrs in Washington, DC where her house turned out to be one block from a Buddhist Temple. She was a natural seeker for the truth about life from an early age and only accidentally avoided becoming a major in philosophy! Haha.

·        After a debiliating car accident, for  14 years she owned and operated a Personnel Placement Service company which placed over 5,000 people in positions all across the USA.

·        Has 3 Grown children

·        Spent 4 ½ years in Mental Health legal advocacy work as a Citizen Consumer Advocate defending others Human Rights.

·        3 years Public Speaking and served 3 years as president of the Amherst, VA Chamber of Commerce

·        4 1/2 yrs. fulfilled the Music Director’s position for a large 600 family church in Virginia.

After several deaths in the family over a short 10 months and some stress-based illnesses, she sold her business and then  upon the advice of her Uncle, she began to search for a Meditation teacher while living in Washington, DC.  It seemed like a good idea to calm the mind at this time and to exercise and strengthen the body.

It was at that time, under some interesting cicumstances, that she discovered that Venerable “Bhante” Vimalaramsi was coincidentally arriving to the Washington Buddhist Vihara. She made this discovery through the Most Ven. Dhammasiri who was the Abbot at the Vihara at that time.  While teaching some of the monks English at the temple and during a Vesak Celebration, she met a Bengledshi Elder in Rosslyn, VA on Vesak Day and upon talking with him about training, she agreed about the benefits of submitting to the discipline and instruction of one teacher for at least one year to see if what the Buddha had to offer was of value or not.

What followed over the course of the next 11 years has now led to a teaching tour in 2011 to Thailand, Indonesia, and South Korea.  Isn’t life interesting.

·        2000- 2011 - 11 ½ years of fulltime training with one guiding teacher in a near immersion program studying Buddhism and Buddhist Meditation in an attempt to see what precisely the Buddha did and whether it still worked.

·        That teacher was Most Venerable “ Bhante “ Vimalaramsi who came from Theravada roots through the late most Venerable U Silihttp://purple-pearls.org/2006_ordination.htmnanda and who bécame the founding father of the new Buddhist American Forest Tradition.

·        2003 – Co-founded the United International Buddha Dhamma Society to support the work of Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center.

·        2003- Constructed the first Dhamma Sukha Website and began collecting Venerable Vimalaramsi’s work in an organized manner.

·        2004- Agreed to a commited Ordination training program and first spent two years in White as 8 preceptor and given the Buddhist name of Khanti-Khema.

·        2004- As the Chairman and acting Administrator for DSMC, broke ground of the current Forest site in Missouri on 30 acres of forest land. Cleared land and built roads and started cabins.

·        2005 – Introduced first Online Retreats on the Internet, wrote the introduction for the 3rd edition of the Anapanasati Book and editied more work for Venerable Vimalaramsi.

·        2006-   Novice ordination to become Samaneri Sept 7, 2006 at DSMC officiated by Most Venerable “Bhante” Vimalaramsi to become “Sister Khema’.

·        2006- To reaffirm clearly US women’s involvement within Buddhist monastic programs in the US, she accompanied Bhante Vimalaramsi as his secretary and attendant on his Nominational Tour to Japan in Nov. 2006. This was for his requested position to become the first lifetime US Representative to the World Buddhist Council (WBC)  meeting every two years in Kobe, Japan and then, in 2008 she accompanied him as the Seretary for the US Representative to the 5th World Buddhist Summit, for his inauguration and the opening Ceremonies for the World’s Grand Hall of Buddhism.

·        2006-2008  - Began teaching and support coaching online which was overseen and edited by Bhante Vimalaramsi. After 2009, she did this on her own and maintains the support list of over 500 students worldwide.

·        2008-   Began organizing the first attempt at a written manual for Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation ( TWIM) online and on the www.Dhammasukha.org  website. This was continued in 2010, rewritten and is being continued on now 2011.

·        2009-  Began more teaching of students at the center, and offered special classes for a clearer understanding of the impersonal Process of Dependent Origination so that  it can be remembered and better help to alleviate suffering in daily life. 

·        2008-2009 – Reconstituted and began again to write the Foundation Series Meditation Program online to help others lead groups or eventually teach the practice in the future. The course is often followed by interested monastics around the world who ask further questions and encourage continuation to fullfill the syllabus completely.

·        2009-2010 – Gave outside talks teaching from the suttas in St. Louis,MO; Anaheim, CA;  Cape Girardeau, MO; and Ironton, MO.

·        2011-  Continuing with outside teaching, raising funds to build more buildings for the study center; expanding writing work, sharing TWIM and teaching others how to find relief from suffering and use this practice in everyday life.

Future endeavors will include the development of a Women’s area in the forest center and expansión of the general campus for lay people.  We will continue teaching English to other monastics to help them present TWIM more easily in English. FOreign monastics are coming to train during Rains Retreat and we will also contiue to reach out to anyone who wants to understand why this Meditation practice is working so well.

Research into the benefits of TWIM for the heart, stress management, and to improve grades and work productivity as a result of being calmer and having clear understanding of how things actually are is already happening. Two papers have been presented in Norway at Scientific Forums by a student who is aYoung medical students and more research in continuing to designate the effects on the heart and brain.

That’s essentially it for the first 10 years. So far, so good!

Finding out about TWIM, learning the practice and using it has completely changed my life.  The most rewarding part of this has been seeing others reclaim their smiles as they realize how this practice can relieve suffering, That the Buddha Dhamma is real and still works well.

I just love to see people realice they can feel happy and reclaim the childlike wonderment of their youth once they really understand how everything works.

This is the big OH WOW we see happening at the center again and again!

Much Metta and smiles in the Dhamma to you all who have supported this journey so far!

Venerable Sister [Khanti]-Khema—Dhamma Sukha Meditation  Center, Annapolis, MO