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Sujiva
Sujiva, originally from India, first got inspired by Buddhism when he attended a beginner’s meditation course at the Wellington Buddhist Centre in 1993. His experience of learning to meditate soon deepened into an interest in exploring the 'nature of the mind' through Buddhist teachings & practice.
He was ordained in 2002 and has in 2011 returned to live in NZ after 10 years in the UK. During his time in the UK, he has taught meditation & Buddhism at the London & Cambridge Buddhist Centres, attended many intensive retreats and worked for a multinational Buddhist company.
He is a keen tramper, dancer, windsurfer & also works as an IT Consultant.
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Vimalasri
Vimalasri is originally from England and has lived in Auckland for 8 years. She found her spiritual home at the Auckland Buddhist Centre soon after coming to Auckland and now shares her enthusiasm for the dharma through facilitating study and meditation groups, contributing to the Friends Night team and assisting with governance of the Auckland Buddhist Centre.
Vimalashri has a profound love of meditation and the dharma. She lives in the women’s community – a supportive context for women who want to live and practise together amongst the hustle and bustle of the city. |
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Ratnavyuha
Ratnavyuha found the Triratna Buddhist community in 1992 whilst completing his doctoral studies in Economics. It was the well articulated and contemporary presentation of the Dharma, along with practical spiritual trainings like meditation which started him on this path.
Since being ordained in 1999, Ratnavyuha has led many courses, classes, and retreats both in this region and abroad. He is currently part of the team responsible for the men's ordination training process in Australasia. In June 2011 he came to help at the Auckland Buddhist Centre.
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Vajrajyoti
Vajrajyoti has been actively involved in the Auckland Buddhist Centre since she moved to Auckland in 2000 from a women's retreat centre in Wales. While her professional background is in journalism and public relations, she is currently completing a Masters in Psychotherapy and is working in the alcohol and drug addictions area.
As the chair of the Auckland Buddhist Centre, Vajrayjoti is committed to helping create a vibrant, lively spiritual community in which we together deepen our wisdom and compassion.
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Natalie Willmer
Natalie started coming to the Auckland Buddhist Centre in 1999 when she enrolled in an Introduction to Meditation class. This led to a desire to learn more through attending Buddhism classes, numerous retreats and joining a regular women's study group.
She became a Mitra in 2002 and asked for ordination a few years later. She has assisted on various introductory classes and took over from Akasamati as the part-time Centre Manager early in 2010.
Natalie is also a practicing Holistic Body Therapist and teacher.
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Navachitta
Navachitta came along to the Triratna Buddhist Community in 1981, and was ordained in 1990.
Currently she works as an Alcohol and Drug Counsellor. In June of 2011 she began running the Buddhist Recovery Network at the Auckland Buddhist Centre on Sundays from 6-7pm.
She has decided to defer her own Enlightenment until all living beings attain it!
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Satyadevi
Satyadevi was ordained in 1993. She has a nursing background, is an experienced Alexander Technique teacher and also trained in a research ‘Meditation and Stress Patterning’ programme. She has a love of meditation and ran meditation retreats and Alexander workshops in the 90’s at Taraloka and Croydon in the UK.
Presently she runs ‘The Living Breath - Strategies for Stress’ programme and is involved in the women's ordination process in new Zealand. She helps with retreats and workshops at the Auckland Buddhist Centre and Sudarshanaloka.
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Shraddavira
Shraddavira's first contact with Buddhism was in Hong Kong over 50 years ago. He lived there for almost two years and from time to time spent weekends as a visitor in a monastery. The Buddha images there looked outwards through the windows and became imprinted on his memory.
For most of the last 20 years he has been associated with the Auckland Buddhist Centre teaching and leading meditation sits as well as being here three days a week handling enquiries.
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Bhadrachitta
Bhadrachitta contacted the Triratna Buddhist Community (then called Friends of the Western Buddhist Order) in 1986 after attending a course at Auckland University entitled "Mayahana Buddhism, a means to growth".
After some years of attending retreats and courses run by the Auckland Buddhist Centre, she travelled to England to experience the movement there, including a retreat at Taraloka Retreat Centre for Women in Wales. This was followed by a retreat at Vijayaloka, a Sydney retreat centre.
Bhadrachitta was ordained in Tuscany, Italy in 2001. The following year she went on a pilgrimage to India "in the footsteps of the Buddha". Bhadrachitta has also been a caregiver with the Amitabha Hospice Service for some years and visits clients in this capacity.
She is currently involved with the Auckland Buddhist Centre leading meditations and as a willing factotum in the running of the centre.
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Taranatha
Taranatha first met the Triratna Buddhist Community (then called Friends of the Western Buddhist Order) in 1984. He found it so much to his liking that a few years later he retired early and went to Britain to join the Order.
After three years of adventures in Britain and Spain he came back to Auckland as an Order member, and joined the (very small) team of Dharma teachers. With a few small gaps he has been part of that scene ever since, enjoying it more and more each year.
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