People

Suvarnadhi

My name means 'she whose wisdom is like gold' and was given to me at ordination in 2019. At that time, I'd been practising within the Triratna community for about 11 years.

A long running quest for meaning, as well as a need for more meditation guidance, first led me through the doors of the Auckland centre. My first encounter was an evening of Buddhist ritual, which I loved (it's usually either a love or hate thing at first).

I've been working as part of the Auckland Buddhist Centre team since 2019, and became chair of the centre in May 2021.

I'm also a qualified Breathworks mindfulness teacher, specialising in mindfulness based pain management programmes. A history of chronic pain led to my interest in this work. Prior to this I worked in the corporate world in assorted IT roles - nerdy back-end systems integration being my favourite! I like to understand how things work and fit together. And I love piecing the Dharma together, too. I like ideas, and enjoy listening to podcasts about philosophy, free will, near death experiences and neuroscience. Although I love watching a good old-fashioned (preferably not gory) murder mystery, as well, and enjoy comedy and music (my tastes shamelessly run the gamut from classical to pop to goth).

Vajrasarasi

Vajrasarasi came into contact with the Dharma in 2004 in the UK, she arrived in Auckland NZ in 2006 with a job offer and knowing that a Triratna Centre existed somewhere in Auckland. She has been attending and practicing ever since. Vajrasarasi has a strong connection with the imaginal faculty in her practice and the Bodhisattva ideal. You can find her on Wednesday Sangha nights and as the Women's Mitra convenor. She also has a deep love of poetry and cake.

Sujiva

Sujiva, originally from India, first got inspired by Buddhism when he attended a beginner’s meditation course at the Wellington Buddhist Centre in 1993. His experience of learning to meditate soon deepened into an interest in exploring the 'nature of the mind' through Buddhist teachings & practice.

He was ordained in 2002 and has in 2011 returned to live in NZ after 10 years in the UK. During his time in the UK, he has taught meditation & Buddhism at the London & Cambridge Buddhist Centres, attended many intensive retreats and worked for a multinational Buddhist company.

He is a keen tramper, dancer, windsurfer & also works as an IT Consultant.

Ratnavyuha

I've been actively involved with the Triratna Buddhist community since 1992 while still at University. As with many other people, my personal journey has it's sign posts of significant people, significant books, turning points, deeper realizations, and extra-ordinary but none-the-less ordinary experiences. This whole wonderful rabbit hole of a journey began at Aryaloka Retreat Centre in New Hampshire USA, followed by Cambridge England where I was ordained at Guhyaloka in 1999, then to the other side of this beautiful planet and Sydney Australia, and most recently Auckland New Zealand.

These days I contribute by leading courses, classes and retreats at the Auckland Buddhist Centre, collaborating with others to develop retreat facilities in New Zealand, and being part of a local and international team responsible for the men's ordination training process and Triratna internationally.

I live with my partner in Grey Lynn, drive a silver blue 2006 Toyota Corolla (not flash but it keeps turning on without costing lots of money), and I still follow American football.

Sthiraratna

Sthiraratna ('steer-a-rat-na') is the Auckland Buddhist Centre Manager and has been involved in the Triratna movement since around 2010, in both Auckland and Wellington. He was ordained in March 2023. Sthiraratna has supported a number of meditation and Buddhism courses, as well as giving talks on subjects ranging from “Conditioned Co-Production” to “Ethics in the Corporate World”. He is a member of the Sangha Night and Puja teams and shares the leading of Saturday Morning meditation and the Buddhist Recovery Network. Sthiraratna is an enthusiastic supporter of the Sudarshanaloka Retreat Centre in Thames, where he enjoys spending time on retreats and on solitary in the beautiful surroundings of the native forest at the base of the Coromandel Ranges. Sthiraratna lives in the Sanghadipa community house in Pt Chevalier. The image shown here was a gift from a recent visitor.

Akasasri

For much of her life the outdoors and living with nature, especially New Zealand’s beautiful mountains, forests, rivers and coasts, has been where Akasasri has found her spiritual resonance and learnt how to navigate through the ups and downs of her life. This was until 2009 when she attended an ‘Introduction to Meditation’ course at the ABC and life has not been the same since. Now with the life of raising a family behind her, the Dharma is her life, sprinkled with lots of doses of nature, especially out on the Auckland West Coast where she and her partner are living post family.

Akasasri was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in June 2017 at Akshavana in Spain, and helps with various activities at the Centre, including leading meditation, giving talks, co-leading or supporting courses and retreats.

Bhadrakari

Born in 1946 she left home at 21 on a quest to find a deeper meaning to life. After much travelling and living and practicing with many different spiritual disciplines she came upon the Triratna Community in 1998 after one of her sons died in a car accident.

She has four living children and a few grandchildren. She was ordained in Spain in 2011, is very committed to the path of purification and has a passion for inspiring people to practise. She is involved in a variety of activities at the centre including the Tuesday morning Dharma discussion group and teaching daytime meditation classes.

Vasudhara

Vasudhara has been involved with the Triratna Buddhist community since 1999 and was ordained in 2014. She leads some of our Friday night pujas and is currently on the team leading Saturday morning meditations.

Dhiramuni

Dhiramuni became involved with the Auckland Buddhist Centre several decades ago to learn Buddhist meditation. He quickly realised that in the Dharma he had found his spiritual home. Daily meditation remains a strong feature of Dhiramuni's Buddhist practice and a central part of his life. He values it as an invaluable vehicle leading to a deeper understanding of the Buddha’s teaching. Over the years he has attended many classes, study groups and retreats and now leads meditation and helps teach meditation classes.

Dhiramuni became a Mitra many years ago. He was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Community at a retreat in the Coromandel in December 2017.

Vajrajyoti

Vajrajyoti has been actively involved in the Auckland Buddhist Centre since 2000 when she moved to Auckland from a women's retreat centre in Wales. Vajrajyoti is committed to helping create a vibrant, lively spiritual community in which we together deepen our wisdom and compassion. She's involved in facilitating study groups, leading retreats and generally helping people connect with each other and with the Dharma.