by Dr. Chapla Verma
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Lotus in the Desert is Mahapajapati, A Theravada Nunnery, in California that is reviving the Theravada nuns’ lineage broken for the past several centuries. In the 20th century, sympathetic Bhikkhus in India, Sri Lanka, Australia, and the US accepted women as bhikkhunis. However, influential Theravada Buddhist countries like Thailand and Myanmar have not yet recognized Theravada nuns’ full ordination. This book tells the story of Mahapajapati nunnery and the challenges nuns face to survive as female Theravada Buddhist monastics. The narrative includes the life story of an anesthetist, currently the Abbess of Mahapajapati; an army veteran who became a fully ordained nun later in life, and a young female practitioner who renounced the world when she was twenty-one but had to leave monastic life because she was accused of impersonating a monk and incarcerated. Each nun’s narrative is just as valid as another’s but presents a different perspective. Buddhist monks who preach compassion still have to accept female monastics as equals.
Dr. Chapla Verma has written this book based on research over ten years. Her earlier work is related to Zen Buddhism. Currently, she is a Professor at American Public University, APUS. She has taught in three countries: her teaching career started in Gaya, India, and she taught at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and now in the US. She enjoys golf and loves to sketch and paint. Visit her webpage http://www.lotusinthedesertbook.com and email lotusinthedesert@proton.me
Westphalia Press 