Venerable Pannavati was many things. A Theravada nun. Ordained in Chan traditions. Zen Peacemaker lineage holder. Vajrayana empowered. Even a former Christian pastor. But, most of all, Pannavati was a champion.
Not a champion in the sense of winning a contest, but a champion in the earliest sense of the word: someone who fights on behalf of others. Pannavati wanted nothing more than to pave the way toward freedom, whether it was for homeless youth, women seeking higher Buddhist ordination, Dalit villagers, or the hearts of every person who crossed her path. She wanted us, all of us, to taste the joy of an unburdened heart and experience the selflessness that arises through good works.
Pannavati’s way of expressing the Buddhadharma was like a beam of white light that contained within it the full spectrum of the rainbow, uniquely refracted through the hearts of her students in a way necessary for their development. The Dharma she revealed to me was different than the Dharma she revealed to others. And that’s as it should be.
I cannot begin to express the full-breadth of what she meant to the world, but I can share what my small part of the rainbow was like. This is my humble attempt.
This talk was originally offered at San Jose Insight Meditation on March 25th, 2026.
