Ayya Santacitta was born in Austria and did her graduate studies in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on dance, theatre and ritual. She also worked in avant-garde dance theatre as a performer and costume designer. In 1988 she met Ajahn Buddhadasa in southern Thailand, who sparked her interest in Buddhist monastic life. She trained as a nun in England and Asia from 1993 until 2009, primarily in the lineage of Ajahn Chah. Since 2002, she has also received teachings in the lineage of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
Ayya Santacitta co-founded Aloka Vihara in 2009 and received Bhikkhuni Ordination in 2011. She is committed to Gaia as a living being and resides at Aloka Earth Room, currently located in San Rafael, CA.
Events with Ayya Santacitta
Weaving Ourselves Back into the Fabric of Life: An Exploration of the Four Distortions of PerceptionOctober 20 - 26, 2024
A Silent Meditation Retreat: Dana-based retreat in the monastic tradition (donate at any amount) Sunday, October 20th – Saturday, October 26th Registration closes October 6th at 11:59pm Pacific Time An Exploration of the Four Distortions of Perception Join us for an in person retreat in the beautiful San Bernardino mountains and deepen your practice within this secluded setting in nature. For this particular retreat, our theme will be clearing up the Four Distortions of Perception, or Vipallasas as they are known in Pali. Seeing what is impermanent (anicca) as permanent (nicca ) Seeing what is painful (dukkha) as pleasant…