Chie’s Story & Aspirations

Dear Dhamma Friend,

You might be pleased to know that I have formally requested anagarika training from Venerable Canda, and she accepted! I intend to complete the preliminary training as Anagarika for part of this year and the next, and if all goes with the current flow of things, go on to samaneri training for some time and in a beautiful culmination of those training years,  I will be able to ask for the full bhikkhuni ordination. Upon requesting full ordination as ordination and if accepted by the Sangha at that time, I would be able to start journeying as a junior bhikkhuni; a gradual training from 8-precepts all the way to observing 311 precepts.

Whilst the present moment is often alluded to as being timeless, on a very apparent level the experience of samsara through the body has a clear beginning and middle and that means that the concept of time is pervasive and holds us. There is a time to train as a layperson, to sit and walk retreats, to support the Sangha (the Bhikkhuni Sangha and the Bhikkhu Sangha), and to delve deeper into the monastic aspirations, that time is now for me – a gift truly given.

Making anagarika robes!

I envision that my life in training will consist of more comprehensive studies of the suttas, not with the intention of being a scholar, or to win the Buddhist pub quiz, or to best others in philosophising about ancient languages and doctrines, but to have the standard knowledge base which will support my practice, and perhaps one day in the far distant future gives me some ability to share the teachings. I pre-empt that the life in training means opportunities to serve the Dhamma and Sangha more intimately, gone are the wonderful days of bringing dana to the monastery, but coming will be the days of folding a monastic’s or long-termers’ laundry (others’ and my own), setting up the dhamma hall for sutta discussions, building relationships with renunciates by living amidst them – and over time having increasing involvement in duties of varying complexity.

What about the meditation, cultivation of right mindfulness and right stillness? In line with Ajahn Brahm’s approach – he who introduced me to Buddhism in 2014 through a dhamma talk in my late teens – I mean to practice and do practice meditation but never forget that the practice ripens more from how the mind is applied when we are in our various postures and modes of being whilst off the cushion. I am looking forward to loads of kindful service, building and sustaining seemingly ordinary qualities such as sharing, listening, learning, having good manners, supporting those in need, and advocating for those less privileged, marginalised or underrepresented from the perspective of a trainee-monastic. I smile at the potential future of sitting the the rains retreat with the well-established and wise, but out of faith and my own sensibilities also see that those 3 months in silence will flow in a way which is closely influenced by the other 9 months before the rains retreat, and the years bygone.

Special and honorable mentions to all of you who are the Anukampa community, the current opportunities within the Anukampa project are due to years of work by the community. On a personal level I would like to express gratitude to individuals in the community I have interacted with, heard or seen, for they have been examples of wholesome qualities and allowed me to see the dhamma in action – the community are supporters of the Bhikkhuni Sangha but also my teachers and will continue to be.

Even more special and even more honorable mentions to the teacher Venerable Canda, who began the project and can be given credit for the way it is, but also on a personal level is an older practitioner than myself, an experienced female alms mendicant, a monastic to respect, a role model to follow the example of, a female to approach in a way I cannot approach monks, a marginalised individual to relate to, a person to be open to as a human.

Salutations to my family, being Afro-British I grew up in a cultural context which is community-oriented, I was brought up in a notably ethical family which is non-religious in many ways but lives with Christian undertones. We have experienced emotional and psychological divides which widened as I spent more of my time in secluded Buddhist spaces – to them at the time it seemed that I was separating from our family and our values. I am blessed to say that I and my family have grown and keep on, they have helped me more than they can imagine by listening, seeing more clearly what we are doing as people who are inclined towards the Dhamma, and by explaining to other family members who were perplexed. This level of gracefulness is currently seen in action as my two elder biological sisters occasionally visit the monastery out of familial duty and love.

Thoughts of appreciation to my previous studies and work in the health and social care sectors, my former colleagues, educators who were training me in ethical mainstream work, and instilled in me some other important skills and values. I admit I am glad to be branching out into a field even more nuanced and special in my eyes, for example, I am looking forward to more detailed studies of the Karaniya Metta Sutta (Sn 1.8), Mangala Sutta (Sn 2.4), Ratana Sutta (Sn 2.1), Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (SN 56.11), Anattalakkhana Sutta (SN 22.59 and Adittapariyaya Sutta (SN 35.28).

In true human fashion instead of superhuman, I love what the changes of this year bring and I do not want to ever be separated from a life which is like this. If there is another human life for me, I hope right off the cuff it starts off with training in a wholesome Bhikkhuni Monastery alongside the equally important strong community, and in the backdrop of an  ethical and kind-natured family. All our lives are undulating, times are flowing, trainings ever deepening of various depth, breadth, beauty, and processes are ever unfolding – the concept of time ever repeating. On that note, may we all reach the restful abidings which are independent of the conventional nature of time.

Chie xoxo

Anagarikaa Upacala’s Story of Renunciation 

With joy, I write to you as a new full-time member of our community! As such, I would like to share a little about the journey that brought me here. As a youth growing up in small-town Ontario, Canada, I didn’t want to be like the manicured people I saw in magazines and movies. Punk rock, art and anti-capitalist peers were my refuges, in a world saturated with advertisements to buy more and “be” more.

In 2014 I was working two jobs. The stress led me to begin meditating which helped for a while… until the practice faded. A year later, having moved to New Zealand, Matthew, my partner-to-be, told me about ten-day silent Vipassana retreats he had been to. Ten days in silence? Sign me up!

During that first retreat the teacher, S.N. Goenka, referred to bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs practicing in the Buddha’s time, who lived in forests and walked to villages for alms. I fantasised about doing that myself in modern-day Wellington. Wouldn’t bhikkhunī life be the ultimate rebellion from capitalism?! However, as I’d just moved in with Matthew, the idea faded into the background; instead I tried to meditate daily and found my sila (virtue) gradually improving. 

I felt drawn to spending more time practicing and serving at the meditation centres. I naturally lost interest in engaging with anything not directly related to Dhamma and in 2021, found a new refuge in spiritual friends. I felt overwhelmed with gratitude for this human life and the opportunity to practice. Later that year I was on a long retreat when New Zealand went into lockdown. Abruptly we had to leave. I was distraught, but it later proved a blessing in disguise. A friend who was at the retreat centre introduced me to a talk by a kind and compassionate bhikkhunī called…Venerable Candā.  It totally changed my practice. What?! I can be kind and gentle with the breath?

I was so inspired to know that in the present-day there was a bhikkhunī sharing Dhamma in a way that was aligned with the early Buddhist teachings. In that talk Ven. Candā said something like, “Who knows? Maybe someone hearing this could be inspired to go forth.” You have no idea, I thought! Seeing Ven. Candā showed me that it could be possible for me to go forth. I joked with a friend that I might have to go to Oxford and ordain with her! (See the screenshot opposite ;-))

Shortly after, the thought arose: What is this body but a vessel to take me out of rebirth? I could no longer stay in a job that was not allowing me to wholly give myself to practicing, serving and sharing the Dhamma, so I went to serve at the meditation centre. 

During this time my friend sent me articles about bhikkhunī ordination and lists of monasteries. I was excited to find that as well as a bhikkhunī project in New Zealand, there were three bhikkhunī monasteries in Australia, so I went to Aus to serve the bhikkhunīs.

Matthew was continually supportive of my spiritual path. I knew that more renunciation was needed in order for me to progress on the Path, and the Buddha created the forms of both a bhikkhu and bhikkhunī for this purpose. Seeing my dedication, he realised I wanted to ordain and encouraged me, even though it would mean we’d have to separate.

There were no suitable openings for training in NZ and Ven Canda did not yet have a base, so in early 2023, I went to live at a local bhikkhu’s monastery. It was a confusing time: along with inspiration I experienced loneliness, isolation and discrimination – as a woman I was expected to be in the kitchen. In the chanting, bhikkhus were mentioned but not bhikkhunīs. I felt invisible. Two young European bhikkhus said it would be easier to be a 10-precept nun in Sri Lanka, or even, that I should practice well in this life and be reborn as a man in my next! (Um, no. I wasn’t planning to be reborn at all).Eventually, I had a chance to stay with Ven Adhimutti, a senior Bhikkhuni in NZ and take the anagarikaa precepts. Being around a good bhikkhuni felt safe and finally gave me an opportunity to engage with the Dhamma in uplifting ways. It also gave me a realistic sense of the challenges female renunciants face. Sadly though, it wasn’t working out for Ven Adhimutti to stay in NZ and so we headed to Sri Lanka – another uncertain situation…

June 2024 near Anukampa Grove



I was in SL throughout much of the next year. Whilst I was there, Anukampa Grove opened and Ven Adhimutti encouraged me to make a visit in June 2024. I arrived exhausted, yet left with more joy in my heart than I could remember. When I later went back to Sri Lanka, alone, something was missing in my practice and I realised it was Sangha ~ that is why the Buddha said that spiritual friendship is the whole of the Path!

Everything was now pointing towards Anukampa Grove. I expressed my gratitude to Ven Adhimutti who gave me the opportunity to serve the Bhikkhuni Sangha and whose teachings and friendship enriched my life and in frosty January 2025, I arrived in England to a warm-hearted welcome. Ven. Candā’s foresight, compassion and hard work have created a loving and flourishing community that is now mature enough to support an aspiring bhikkhuni. More serendipitous still, Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project became registered as a visa sponsor just a month after I arrived, which meant that there was now an opening for an overseas trainee – me! I also wish to extend immense gratitude to all of you, Anukampa’s supporters, who have helped bring these incredibly rare conditions into being.

On March 16th, when I made my formal request to re-take my anagārikā precepts with Ven. Candā Therī as my teacher, it was different from the first time. This time, I was requesting to take the precepts with a view to going forth as a samanerī (novice nun in brown) – the platform to bhikkhuni ordination. After the small ceremony it felt as though I had really joined a family. I am so delighted; and what a treat that soon, on April 20th, I will have a fellow anagārikā with whom to continue this journey.

Documentary: Buddhist Nun on a Mission 

The Inspiring Story of Anukampa Grove

Anukampa Grove is the first monastery for Theravada bhikkhunis (fully ordained Buddhist nuns) in the United Kingdom, located in Boars Hill near Oxford. Founded by Venerable Canda with Ajahn Brahm as its spiritual advisor, it was established to provide a place where women can train towards full bhikkhuni ordination.

Ven Canda and her visiting friend Ven Upekkha moved in on 22nd March 2024. It is located in a peaceful wooded landscape, offering an ideal environment for Buddhist practice and meditation. Anukampa Grove aims to promote the teachings and practices of early Buddhism, while also providing opportunities for women to pursue a full-time spiritual life.

Together with the organisation Handful of Leaves, this video was made and tells the touching story of our journey.

Ven Upekkha’s Musings

Crawling out from under a rock in Gidgegannup, I felt like a neanderthal arriving at Heathrow airport. Prepared with a stack of letters proving that it was alright to enter a country without money, I stood on the 300 or so long e-immigration line that was manned by two people. It may have been Ajahn Brahm and Ven Canda sending metta at the time, but more likely that immigration officers were on strike – I arrived in the UK safely, and my long-awaited visit to Ven Canda had finally come to be.

Peering into a computer screen in the mornings and putting on my thick coat to walk down the quaint streets of Iffley towards the Thames in the afternoons, I wonder at how transient life can be.  Having joined a forest monastery almost 14 years ago, I would never have imagined I would be sitting in front of a computer in a small terraced house in Oxford. As our abbot at Dhammasara, Ajahn Hasapanna often says, ‘Whatever you least expected – is probably what will happen’.

Ven Canda and Ven Upekkha in the dana hall

It has been a privilege to be part of and witness the growing community taking shape around Anukampa Bhikkhuni Vihara. Having known Ven Canda since before we took bhikkhuni ordination together in 2014, I know how hard she has worked (and still does). A Bhikkhuni Vihara in the UK is a reality.  There is a dana hall, a meditation hall, and rooms for nuns and lay guests.

More inspiring than the Vihara (not to be under-estimated, a roof over our heads!) are all those who have come by. Some long-term Buddhists and others inspired by Ven Canda’s ongoing Zoom sessions; the generosity and sincerity of everyone involved is palpable.

The highlight for me so farwas an invitation from the Oxford Buddha Vihara to teach on their eight-precept day. We were warmly welcomed by the bhikkhu community and Venerable Mahasena proudly introduced the two bhikkhunis in the neighbourhood to his supporters.

A long-term supporter of the OBV wrote afterwards in an email:

“It’s just dawning on me how yesterday was such a historical moment – the four-fold assembly meeting together at the Oxford Buddha Vihara in joy and harmony! Because it was so relaxed and informal it might be easy to miss the significance of the event, but I will always remember it.”

Oxford Buddhist Vihara visit in early April

I have been very fortunate in my monastic life – to have the opportunity to practice as a fully-ordained nun, in a harmonious community in a vast forest. But I stand on the shoulders of giants. Those who had the guts to make it possible for women to live the Holy Life to its fullest – and those brave women and bhikkhunis who went before me.



May I be able to give back some of all that I have received,
Venerable Upekkha 🙂

What’s Happening at the Monastery?

Here at Anukampa Vihara we have had many delightful comings and goings, with each and every visitor enriching the community. Guests notice the peaceful, harmonious atmosphere – ‘It feels like a sanctuary, a spiritual home,’ they say. Perhaps it is the silent afternoons, the regular meditation and Dhamma talks, or the faith of the guests who might have driven hours to offer a meal; whatever it is, Anukampa Vihara has become more than the house that was occupied in November – it has become an oasis of calm in a busy and fast-paced world.

Three guests at the Vihara with Ven Canda and Ven Upekkha

There has been a growing stream of overnight guests and drop-in visitors. Venerable Upekkha has doubled the Sangha’s presence and Grace looked after us well for seven weeks. The years of community building through “Zoomi Bhikkhuni” are finally bearing abundant fruit, with the majority of our residential guests having first met us online and since developed a lasting relationship with the community. From Norway to America (and this coming month from Perth!), everyone arrives with a heart of service, united in their aspiration to see the Bhikkhuni Sangha flourish and thrive.

After years of a solitary uphill slog, Anukampa is bursting to life, like the blossoms and leaves on the trees of Iffley Village. Thank you for supporting us in every way, both seemingly small and large.

Several day-visitor supporters with two overnight guests

Finally, to start the month of May on a high, we had the fortunate opportunity to invite two of the Oxford Buddha Vihara monks for lunch dana with us – Ven Mahasena from the Shan state of Myanmar who is currently acting abbot, and Ven Tuan from Vietnam who is studying for his PhD. The meeting was informal and filled with joy (and delicious food!). After lunch we had a fascinating discussion with Ven Tuan about the historical context of the Sarvastivadin and Early Mahayana teachings. We look forward to meeting our Dhamma brothers again at Ajahn Brahmali’s Oxford events – and hopefully seeing you there too!

Supporters with Ven Mahasena and Ven Tuan

Here are some fun photos of the day and you can click to listen to our five minute welcome and two minute blessing chant  captured on Manori’s mobile phone!

Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhuuuuuuu!