Memorial Tribute to Venerable Pannavati Bhikkhuni

Tuesday, April 14th, 2025, 7 – 8:30 PM

We are meeting in person at 717 Rugby Rd in the Unitarian Universalist sanctuary and on Zoom.

“I believe we all possess buddha-nature. We just need help discovering it.”

-Venerable Pannavati

On April 14, IMCC will honor Pannavati by offering a tribute to her life and teaching - with guided practices of movement, meditation, personal reflections, a short video of Pannavati teaching, and chanting. We invite you to come - to remember or to ‘meet’ Pannavati - to share her enthusiasm for life and to celebrate our buddha-nature.

Venerable Pannavati, who was born in 1950 and died February 26, 2026, was a prominent African-American Buddhist monk and co-founder of Heartwood Refuge in North Carolina. 

Formerly a Baptist pastor, Pannavati shifted to Buddhist practice in her search for deep spiritual answers. Ordained in both Theravada and Mahayana traditions, she was a renowned charismatic teacher and humanitarian dedicated to social justice.

She served marginalized communities such as the Dalits (“Untouchables”) in India, supporting over 30,000 people with education, wells, and community development. In Thailand, she elevated the role of female monastics (bhikkhunis).

Her teaching was a spontaneous combination of story, meditation, wisdom, humor, and compassion, urging practitioners to "get off their pillows" and serve the world.

For a fuller picture of her life history, please see Tricycle article, published online on Feb. 27, 2026: https://tricycle.org/article/venerable-pannavati-has-died/

To join by zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/380465452?pwd=SjdqQUh0aW4xQzJMTG9pOUJHTnl2dz09

Meeting ID: 380 465 452
Password: 041087

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