About Us

About Us

Found in April 1993, Wisma Kusalayani, located in Maribaya, Bandung, Indonesia, currently stands in 4000 m2 land with the help of its people. Bhikkhuni Santini and Bhikkhuni Silavati (formerly respected as Maechi Santini and Maechi Silavati) started with a place for women to train and foster themselves. They lived a modest hermitage life with no electricity, no waterways, no population of around, no wall, only surrounded with vegetable garden around.

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Along with the establishment of Lembaga Anagarini Indonesia on the 23rd of May 1994, the honorifics Maechi was changed to Anagarini, based on the Pali of Anagarika. With this, Silacarini Course program was started and held 3 – 5 times every year. A couple of years later, Vipassana Bhavana program was also started.

In 1995, the construction for Dhammasala (now known as Uposathagara) was started. During the process of construction, there is a member who wanted to do merits for his child by initiating the construction of a multipurpose building. Both of the building were finished by 1997.

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With the establishment of both Wisma Kusalayani and Lembaga Anagiri Indonesia, women who want to develop themselves, both temporary and aimed to be Samana for life, began to come seeking for guidance. Not long after, Anagarini Dhammakumari and Anagarini Dhirasirini come joined Wisma Kusalayani, completing Anagarini Santini and Anagarini Silavati to develop the place. Aside from nurturing themselves, they also participate in fostering the people with activities like:
1. Conduct trainings for spiritual advancement
2. Publish Buddhist magazines and books
3. Publish Cassettes / CD of lectures
4. Giving Dhammadesana in Vihara, Cetiya, schools and campuses
5. Service to the people and sympathizers
6. Help victims of natural disasters and various social events
7. Be a speaker in various seminars including interreligious seminars
8. Attending conferences abroad
9. and other positive activities

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After almost ten years of self and people fostering, Anagarini Santini realized that Sangha Bhikkhuni Theravada could be revived on the basis of the validity of Culla Vagga 10. Written, “Tathagata allows bhikkhus to upasampada women to be bhikkhuni and upasampada men to be bhikkhu”. On that basis, on April 15th of 2000, the four anagarini from Wisma Kusalayani took upasampada to live life as a Theravada bhikkhuni. Along with the ordination was born Persaudaraan Bhikkhuni Theravada Indonesia, which existence was confirmed on January 1st of 2006 by Drs. I Wayan Suarjaya, M. Si, General Director of Bimbingan Masyarakat Hindu dan Buddha (Community Guidance for Hindu and Buddhist), Departemen Agama Republik Indonesia (Religion Department of the Republic of Indonesia).

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By the end of October 2006, Wisma Kusalayani was practically run by two bhikkunis, Bhikkhuni Santini and Bhikkhuni Silavati, as the two other bhikkunis decided to disrobe: Bhikkhuni Dhirasirini on August 2000 and Bhikkhuni Dhammakumari on October 2006. Similarly, samaneri, anagarini and silacarini inhabiting Wisma Kusalayani continue to come and go, only the two Theri elders persistent to stay and develop the place.

Although only run by two bhikkhunis, Wisma Kusalayani continued to grow both in the form of physical development as well as the development of other forms of training. With the variety of activities that have been initiated earlier, new activities are also initiated:
1. Dhammadesana abroad
2. Dhammaclass at domestic and abroad
3. Become speaker at international conferences
4. Support upasampada of bhikkhuni at domestic and abroad

After a long time of having only two bhikkhunis in Wisma Kusalayani, on January 29th of 2015, Bhikkhuni Vijayani from Bali came to join. And on June 21st of 2015, two other bhikkunis are following her footstep : Bhikkhuni Vajiradevi from Jakarta and Bhikkhuni Sadhika from Rengasdengklok, Karawang, completing the re-forming of Persaudaraan Bhikkhuni Theravada Indonesia, or better known as Sangha Bhikkhuni Theravada Indonesia, in Wisma Kusalayani.

Thus the great hope of Wisma Kusalayani, to be able to meet and increase women who have sincerity with straight motivation to foster theirselves with the struggle to destroy the defilement that was in her. Also to provide meaningful contribution to the happiness of many beings.

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