Over 100 Bhikkhunīs and Samanerīs follow in the footsteps of Mahapajapati Gotami

Pilgrimage to the sacred Buddhist places in India and Nepal.
Date : 14th – 23rd December 2025

Reflections on Pilgrimage, by Ayya Santacari Bhikkhuni

As I prepare to join the Bhikkhuni Sangha on Sacred Pilgrimage in honour of our “Mother of the Sangha” it seemed  good to share my intentions and approach with you my Dhamma friends and supporters.

I feel so honoured and fortunate to be able to participate in such a meritorious endeavour. It brings together my need to participate in Bhikkhuni Sangha and be amongst my peers, soaking up the nunliness by osmosis, with my long standing wish to make a Pilgrimage to the Buddhist Sacred Sites in Nepal and India. I had not emotionally registered the original flyer inviting Bhikkhunis to apply to participate as it was circulated around the time of Mum’s funeral. So imagine my joyous surprise last week to recieve a phone call from my American Bhikkhuni Teacher, Ayya Tathaloka Mahatheri, asking me if I was able to apply and come.

Oh my heart leapt with joy as I was able to say “yes Ayya”!  I’m deeply grateful to be part of a community that supports my spiritual journey so I knew I could say yes to my Teacher.

So, a pilgrimage is very different to tourism, or a business trip or a family trip. It is an opportunity for spiritual growth, for connecting more deeply with my religious identity. I have so little experience of being in Sangha with other Bhikkhunis that I crave this opportunity to be with and learn from my sisters. Being a majjimabhikkhuni (middle years) what can I learn from my senior sisters about kindess, compassion, leadership etc? How can I be the best kindest big sister to the navika(new) Bhikkhunis and Samaneris? How can I be a kind and compassionate peer with my middle years sisters?  Learning to be in community, even just learning to be in a group.

Connecting with the past, the real woman that was Mahapajapati, her determination, her blisters, her true grit. Her community of women, their struggles as a group, their struggles as individuals. In reality, who would I have been in that scenario? Probably one of the 500. Remembering that all of those noble ladies became arahantas under our Noble Blessed Buddha. That heritage and linage passed down to us from the Buddha through his step Mother down through the ages to us. Each of us has had struggles and difficulties to overcome to gain ordination. Each of us has her own version of the 500 miles walked by the Great Mahapajapati Gotami and her 500 women. We Bhikkhunis relate to having to climb every mountain and ford every stream and follow only the Buddha as we train for our Dream of liberation.

I hope to feel the energy of His freedom and liberation as I meditate at each sacred place. Perhaps one day we too will experience the Bliss of Nibanna and know this is our last birth.

Ayya Sudhamma Bhikkhuni, Ayya Sobhana Bhikkhuni, Ayya Suvijjana Bhikkhuni, Ayya Munissara Bhikkhuni, Ven Santacari Samaneri.
Training as a Samaneri with the Senior Bhikkhunis in the USA at Aranya Bodhi, part of the Dhammadharini Trust in 2013.

Support Ayya Santacari’s Historic Pilgrimage

We are seeking your generous support to help Bhikkhuni Santacari participate in a momentous occasion – the inaugural “Footsteps of Mahapajapati Gotami” pilgrimage in India and Nepal this December. Ayya Santacari has been personally invited by her esteemed teacher, Ayya Tathaloka MahaTheri, who is organizing this historic journey retracing the path of the Buddha’s stepmother and the first Buddhist nun. While the pilgrimage itself is sponsored, we need to raise funds to cover Ayya Santacari’s international flights and accommodation between program segments.

Due to the peak holiday travel season, airfares and lodging costs are significantly higher than usual. We are seeking to raise $5,000 to make this sacred journey possible for our beloved teacher. Your donation, no matter the size, will enable Ayya Santacari to walk in the footsteps of Mahapajati Gotami and bring back the blessings and teachings from this profound pilgrimage. Please consider contributing and being part of this extraordinary spiritual journey. Your generosity will not only support Ayya Santacari but also honor the lineage of Buddhist nuns that began with Mahapajati Gotami herself. Thank you for your kindness and support.
   Bank Account details
BSB 633-000 (Bendigo Bank)  Account: 1605 13 859
Account Name: Buddhist Society of South Australia

Pilgrimage Flyer with all details can be found here