birth

 

Beth Tregaskis came to Amaravati in 1984 as a friend of the Sangha, taking Anagarika precepts and the name Sister Uppala. She was an accomplished musician but in a time of need during the 70s she sold her much-loved grand piano to support the Sangha.

you again?
getting on with it Ajahn Sundara helping Sister Uppala to the
evening puja.

 

The nuns lowering Sister Uppalamuni's coffin;
February 1993

this too will pass
She had a tremendous amount of faith, and even in her late 80s would attend every morning and evening puja although she had to be helped about by several nuns. Six weeks before her death, she took Siladhara pabbajja as Sister Uppalamuni. With the Sangha gathered around chanting, she died on February 5th 1993 (which was the festival day of Magha Puja), literally on the last word of the last chant. She was buried in the Buddha grove, the oldest member of the nuns' Sangha.

gracious
The Sangha gather in the Dhamma hall in silent contemplation of
Sister Dassaniya's, body.
Another very real and personal lesson in impermanence was the death of Sister Dassaniya, a Thai woman who had been diagnosed with cancer some years before. The whole community shared the process of her death. A great deal of joy came from her gentle approach to the end - a gracious letting go as a model for us all.