Ajahn (Ven) Canda first encountered the Dhamma in India in 1996 and went on to meditate and serve on numerous Vipassana retreats, before ordaining in Myanmar in 2006. In 2014, she moved to Australia where she received full bhikkhunī ordination under the guidance of her teacher Ajahn Brahm.
For the past ten years, Ajahn Canda has been leading a UK charity dedicated to establishing a monastery where, for the first time in the nation’s history, women can practice as fully ordained members of the Saṅgha. In March 2024, this cherished vision began to take shape with the acquisition of a suitable property in rural Oxfordshire. Whilst the monastery, Anukampa Grove, serves primarily as a residence for bhikkhunīs, it also welcomes people of every gender identity, race, sexual orientation and background to visit or stay as guests, providing an opportunity to deepen practice within an inclusive, loving community.
Alongside this work, Ajahn Canda teaches widely and spends several months a year on silent retreat. Her teachings draw deeply from the Early Buddhist texts and emphasise loving-kindness and letting go as essential supports for developing samādhi (stillness) and the liberating wisdom that follows.