Hannelore was looking for religious meanings and in early summer 1949 she came across the teachings of the Buddha. Hannelore was so impressed that she came to the seminary group of Debes, one of the most prominent lay Theravada teachers at that time, and took part in her first “weeks of investigation” in an Adult Education College in the Lüneburger Heide area. She worked as a private teacher. In June 1954 the Sinhalese monk Ven. Nārada turned up in Hamburg and Hannelore took the opportunity to request to go to Ceylon and become a nun. Ven. Nārada gave Pali names to many Buddhists and Hannelore became Vajirā. After much turmoil she finally got her chance to go to Ceylon. She took on the 10 training rules and was ordained as Sister Vajirā by Ven. Nārada on the full moon of July in 1955 at the Vihāra Mahā Devi Hermitage at Biyagāma near Colombo, where other Buddhist nuns (dasa sil mata or dasa sila upāsikā) lived.
Life as a nunedit
To provide her with greater quietude, supporters built a bungalow for her in the palm-tree forest of the monastery garden. However, she suffered internal lack and noticed that she could not possibly meditate all day long and became physically ill. Taking on scholastic work offered itself as a way out of her frustration. Having learned English quickly, she then started intensive Pali studies and soon started to translate texts and carried on correspondence about Dhamma topics with various people.
One of the dāyakas of the monastery offered her healthier conditions and arranged for a nice bungalow to be built, into which she moved in 1959. Young Sinhalese women venerated her very much there, and one of them lived temporarily with her as a disciple.
Around autumn of 1961 the English monk Ven. Ñānavīra Thera, who lived 40 km from her in a kuti in the jungle as a hermit, had sent her a text he had written, A Note on Paticca Samuppāda, wherein he criticized the extension-over-three-lives interpretation. Thereupon an intensive exchange of letters followed. The early letters show a woman who, in her own thinking and discussion with Ven. Ñānavīra, earnestly searches a way to approach the essence of the Buddha's Teaching by repeated trial-and-error. This search finally yielded its fruit when she, by her own account (as given in a letter to Ñānavīra Thera), attained sotāpatti, or Stream-entry in late January 1962. The one who has "entered the stream" has ipso facto abandoned personality-view (sakkāya-ditthi), which is the self-view implicit in the experience of an ordinary worldling not free from ignorance, and understood the essential meaning of the Buddha's teaching on the Four Noble Truths. But the rapidity and intensity of the change of her views caused a kind of nervous breakdown and she disrobed, returning to Germany on 22 February 1962.
Back in Germanyedit
Upon her return to Hamburg she ceased to have any contact with her former Buddhist friends. This, commented Ven. Nāṇavīra, was "a good sign, not a bad one- when one has got what one wants, one stops making a fuss about it and sits down quietly."[1] After recovering from her breakdown she started to work for a textile machine factory, Artos, in Hamburg. She still held Ven. Nāṇavīra in high esteem. In 1986 Samanera Bodhesako had written to her from Ceylon to request permission to publish parts of her letters to Ven. Ñānavīra in the planned book Clearing the Path and she consented. Dr Hellmuth Hecker visited her in 1989, they had a two and half hours conversation and she stated that she was still a Buddhist. She died on 7 December 1991 in her room in Maschen.
Published workedit
The Letters of Sister Vajira - Correspondence between Nanavira Thera and Sister Vajira, Path Press Publications, 2010, ISBN9789460900020
Sakka’s Quest: Sakkapañha Sutta (DN 21) , Buddhist Publication Society, 1959
Ñāṇavīra Thera, Clearing the Path: Writings of Ñāṇavīra Thera (1960–1965), Path Press 1988, 2003 ISBN955-9032-00-3
External linksedit
Ñāṇavīra Thera Dhamma Page - An archive of Ñāṇavīra Thera's writings.
Path Press - Publishers of works by Ñāṇavīra Thera
Full Biography—by Dr. Hellmuth Hecker.
Sakka’s Quest: Sakkapañha Sutta, Introduction, Translation and Comments, Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, 1959.
Last Days of the Buddha: The Mahāparinibbāna Sutta, Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, 1964. Translation from the Pali into English, revised by Francis Story and introduced by Nyanaponika Thera.
Letters - An archive of Vajirā's letters.
April 11, 2024
sister, vajirā, this, article, about, german, namesake, vajira, buddhist, hannelore, wolf, dasa, mata, buddhist, precept, holder, lanka, personalbornhannelore, wolf, 1928, october, 1928hamburg, germanydied7, december, 1991, 1991, aged, maschen, germanyreligion. This article is about the German nun For her namesake see Vajira Buddhist nun Sister Vajira Hannelore Wolf was a dasa sil mata a Buddhist ten precept holder nun in Sri Lanka Sister VajiraPersonalBornHannelore Wolf 1928 10 14 14 October 1928Hamburg GermanyDied7 December 1991 1991 12 07 aged 63 Maschen GermanyReligionBuddhismNationalityGermanSchoolTheravadaOccupationBuddhist nunSenior postingTeacherNanavira TheraBased inSri LankaWebsitenanavira org pathpress org Contents 1 Lay life 2 Life as a nun 3 Back in Germany 4 Published work 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksLay life editHannelore was looking for religious meanings and in early summer 1949 she came across the teachings of the Buddha Hannelore was so impressed that she came to the seminary group of Debes one of the most prominent lay Theravada teachers at that time and took part in her first weeks of investigation in an Adult Education College in the Luneburger Heide area She worked as a private teacher In June 1954 the Sinhalese monk Ven Narada turned up in Hamburg and Hannelore took the opportunity to request to go to Ceylon and become a nun Ven Narada gave Pali names to many Buddhists and Hannelore became Vajira After much turmoil she finally got her chance to go to Ceylon She took on the 10 training rules and was ordained as Sister Vajira by Ven Narada on the full moon of July in 1955 at the Vihara Maha Devi Hermitage at Biyagama near Colombo where other Buddhist nuns dasa sil mata or dasa sila upasika lived Life as a nun editTo provide her with greater quietude supporters built a bungalow for her in the palm tree forest of the monastery garden However she suffered internal lack and noticed that she could not possibly meditate all day long and became physically ill Taking on scholastic work offered itself as a way out of her frustration Having learned English quickly she then started intensive Pali studies and soon started to translate texts and carried on correspondence about Dhamma topics with various people One of the dayakas of the monastery offered her healthier conditions and arranged for a nice bungalow to be built into which she moved in 1959 Young Sinhalese women venerated her very much there and one of them lived temporarily with her as a disciple Around autumn of 1961 the English monk Ven Nanavira Thera who lived 40 km from her in a kuti in the jungle as a hermit had sent her a text he had written A Note on Paticca Samuppada wherein he criticized the extension over three lives interpretation Thereupon an intensive exchange of letters followed The early letters show a woman who in her own thinking and discussion with Ven Nanavira earnestly searches a way to approach the essence of the Buddha s Teaching by repeated trial and error This search finally yielded its fruit when she by her own account as given in a letter to Nanavira Thera attained sotapatti or Stream entry in late January 1962 The one who has entered the stream has ipso facto abandoned personality view sakkaya ditthi which is the self view implicit in the experience of an ordinary worldling not free from ignorance and understood the essential meaning of the Buddha s teaching on the Four Noble Truths But the rapidity and intensity of the change of her views caused a kind of nervous breakdown and she disrobed returning to Germany on 22 February 1962 Back in Germany editUpon her return to Hamburg she ceased to have any contact with her former Buddhist friends This commented Ven Naṇavira was a good sign not a bad one when one has got what one wants one stops making a fuss about it and sits down quietly 1 After recovering from her breakdown she started to work for a textile machine factory Artos in Hamburg She still held Ven Naṇavira in high esteem In 1986 Samanera Bodhesako had written to her from Ceylon to request permission to publish parts of her letters to Ven Nanavira in the planned book Clearing the Path and she consented Dr Hellmuth Hecker visited her in 1989 they had a two and half hours conversation and she stated that she was still a Buddhist She died on 7 December 1991 in her room in Maschen Published work editThe Letters of Sister Vajira Correspondence between Nanavira Thera and Sister Vajira Path Press Publications 2010 ISBN 9789460900020 Sakka s Quest Sakkapanha Sutta DN 21 Buddhist Publication Society 1959See also editPath Press Buddhist Publication SocietyNotes edit op cit p 353 Letter 84 References editNaṇavira Thera Clearing the Path Writings of Naṇavira Thera 1960 1965 Path Press 1988 2003 ISBN 955 9032 00 3External links editNaṇavira Thera Dhamma Page An archive of Naṇavira Thera s writings Path Press Publishers of works by Naṇavira Thera Full Biography by Dr Hellmuth Hecker Sakka s Quest Sakkapanha Sutta Introduction Translation and Comments Buddhist Publication Society Kandy 1959 Last Days of the Buddha The Mahaparinibbana Sutta Buddhist Publication Society Kandy 1964 Translation from the Pali into English revised by Francis Story and introduced by Nyanaponika Thera Letters An archive of Vajira s letters Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sister Vajira amp oldid 1100902933, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
