Gotami House opens to quiet acclaim
Venerable Tarpa cuts the ribbon to officially open Gotami House, a new nun's residence in Washington State.
A new residence for Buddhist nuns has opened at Sravasti Abbey in Washington State. A labor of love by the sangha, Gotami House opened for hospitality in a dedication and consecration ceremony on September 26th. At 3400 square feet, the new residence will house up to 16 women. Among the sacred and environmental features gracing the nunnery, one particularly prized is a stained glass window commissioned by them, depicting Mahaprajapati Gotami, the Buddha’s aunt, who raised the Buddha after his mother died and became the first Buddhist nun. The window is unique in that very few paintings or statues of this historical female exist. Created by Beverly Brecht, an American artist, the piece traveled from South Dakota, and now casts a colorful shadow of itself on a wall adjacent to the window in which it is installed. See the window here.
For a picture gallery and journal of the building process, click here.
