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[This book club meeting will feature author Cindy Rasicot live, with a few recorded Q&A’s with Bhikkhuni Dhammananda, who is in Thailand, weaved into the meeting.]

A TV personality, academic, and author, Bhikkhuni Dhammananda defied convention to become the first woman fully ordained in the Thai Theravada Buddhist tradition. She shattered gender barriers and inspired a new era of equality and compassion. Her student, American author Cindy Rasicot, tells her story, and shares Bhikkhuni Dhammananda’s gentle wisdom and direct insights about how to live a more compassionate life.

“I look to Venerable Dhammananda and her great community...as a revolutionary force for good for the future of Buddhism in the world. Her story, her life, and her courage are an example to all of us of what it means to speak truth to power, to stand in integrity, and to manifest unconditional wisdom and compassion.” – Roshi Joan Halifax, from the Foreword

“Venerable Dhammananda's story is one of courage, patience, and most of all compassion. Tracing her journey from scholar and TV personality to one of the first ordained nuns in modern-day Thailand, Rasicot's account of Venerable Dhammananda's life paints an inspiring picture of the woman responsible for reviving the bhikkhuni order in Thailand.”– Sharon Salzberg

“A beautiful dialogue with a wonderful and wise teacher. Dhammananda is a courageous pioneer, a nun who embodies blessings and points us to our inner freedom and compassion.”– Jack Kornfield