On Monday, my story on Colorado Springs resident Gwyn Waterfield giving up her secular life to become a Buddhist nun will be published at www.gazette.com.
Gwyn, 40, sold her Austin, Texas, business, which employed 10, to begin her quest to become a fully ordained nun. She arrived in Colorado Springs in late spring to be part of the monastic community founded by Ajahn Thanasanti earlier this year. Read my Pulpit column profile of Thanasanti here.
Since arriving, Waterfield has lived in a west Colorado Springs apartment used for the Tava Sangha lay meditation sessions twice a week. She only eats twice a day, at breakfast and at noon. She then fasts till morning. On Dec. 11, she became an Anagarika within the Buddhist Forest Tradition. For one year she’ll wear a white robe and her head will be shaved, which symbolizes living a simple life.
Learn more about the lay offerings at www.AwakeningTruth.org. Or call 806- 255-0554 or email to info@awakeningtruth.org.
The community, which so far consists only of Thanasanti and Waterfield, exists completely on donations.
Waterfield follows the Eight Precepts of the Thai Buddhist Forest Tradition: 1. to abstain from taking life 2. to refrain from taking that which is not given 3. to refrain from sexual activity 4. to refrain from false and harmful speech 5. to refrain from drink and drugs, which lead to carelessness 6. to refrain from eating at inappropriate times (afternoon, evening) 7. to refrain from entertainment, beautification and adornment 8. to refrain from sleeping on luxurious bed and oversleeping.
The drop-out rate for Anagarikas is 70 to 80 percent, Waterfield said.
If she makes it one year, her next step is novitiate. As a novitiate, she gives up handling money ( a volunteer treasurer will do that) and driving a vehicle in addition to following the Eight Precepts.
In two or more years, she could become a fully ordained Buddhist nun like Thanasanti, 48. As with Thanasanti, her possessions would be her robe, alms bowl, razor to shave her head, and needle and thread to repair robe tears.
Thanasanti and Waterfield’s average day is as follows:
