Meditating Without Footnotes: Bridging the Scholastic & Practice Divide | Ven. Dhammadinnā Q&A
May 8, 2025
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Ven. Dhammadinnā, a research associate professor specializing in early Buddhist traditions and Pāli language, shares her enlightening journey from academia to monastic life. She discusses how language can shape spiritual practice and the challenges of merging scholarly work with heartfelt compassion. Reflecting on her experiences as a female monastic, she highlights gender dynamics and the ongoing quest for inclusivity in Buddhism. The conversation also touches on how cultural experiences influence their understanding of openness and community in American society.
Ven. Dhammadinnā emphasizes the importance of bridging the divide between scholarly inquiry and personal meditation practice within Buddhist traditions.
Her journey to ordination highlights the challenges faced by female monastics in the Theravada tradition and the importance of resilience.
Reflecting on gender dynamics, she advocates for greater inclusivity and awareness of historical patriarchal structures within the Buddhist community.
Deep dives
Venerable Damodina's Background and Academic Pursuits
Venerable Damodina is a scholar and monk who expertly combines rigorous academic research with deep meditation practices. Born in Italy in 1980, she pursued studies in Indology, Indo-Aryan Philology, and Tibetology, earning her doctorate with a dissertation on Buddhist texts. Her research interests encompass early Buddhist discourses and Vinaya texts, particularly within the Theravada tradition. Currently, she works as a research associate professor at the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts, reminding listeners of the importance of both scholarly inquiry and personal practice in Buddhist traditions.
The Influence of Language on Practice
Venerable Damodina discusses her proficiency in multiple languages, highlighting how they contribute to her understanding of Buddhist texts. She emphasizes that while she is more comfortable with classical Buddhist languages like Pali, Sanskrit, and Tibetan, her heart lies with Pali, which she views as a primary tool for engaging with the Dhamma. This connection to language has shaped her meditation practice and allows her to experience Buddhist teachings in their original forms. The act of using these languages feels like a conduit through which she accesses and embodies the Buddha's teachings authentically.
The Path to Monastic Life
Venerable Damodina reflects on her journey toward ordination, noting that it was not a singular event but a gradual process influenced by various conditions over many years. She faced challenges related to societal perceptions of women in the Theravada tradition, which delayed her ability to ordain. Ultimately, her decision to take robes was fueled by a deep desire to integrate her scholarly pursuits with monastic life. The experience has allowed her to cultivate self-reliance and independence, which are crucial for navigating the unique challenges faced by female monastics.
Integrating Scholarship with Practice
Venerable Damodina addresses the tension between academic work and monastic practice, sharing insights on how these realms have recently begun to come together in her life. Initially, she found herself grappling with the perceived divide between being a scholar and a practitioner within a typically anti-scholastic tradition. However, as she gained experience, she discovered that both aspects could coexist and enhance each other. This realization has led to a more authentic expression of her identity, allowing her to embrace both scholarship and practice without feeling the need to compromise on either.
Confronting Challenges as a Female Monastic
Venerable Damodina candidly reflects on her experiences with gender and misogyny within the Theravada tradition. She expresses that while she has not completely resolved the feelings of marginalization as a female monastic, recognizing the historical context of these issues has brought her some equanimity. By understanding the persistence of patriarchal structures in traditional institutions, she finds the strength to navigate these challenges while also advocating for a more inclusive environment. Her insights point to the ongoing struggle for equality and acceptance within the Buddhist community, particularly for women.
In this session, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview Ven. Dhammadinnā, an expert in the various canonical languages of early Buddhist traditions. They speak Ven. Dhammadinna's love of Pāli, her path to robes, her attempt to bridge the scholastic-practice divide, and more!
Ven. Dhammadinnā's Biography:
Bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā was born in Italy in 1980 and went forth in Sri Lanka in 2012. She studied Indology, Indo-Iranian philology and Tibetology at the University of Naples ‘L’Orientale’ and at the International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University in Tokyo. She obtained her doctorate in 2010 with a dissertation on the Khotanese ‘Book of Zambasta’.
Her main research interests are early Buddhist discourse and Vinaya texts (with a focus on the Theravāda and Mūlasarvāstivāda traditions), the formative phases of Mahāyāna ideology in Khotan in the fifth and sixth centuries, and the development of the theories, practices and ideologies of Buddhist meditative traditions. She is currently a research associate professor in the Department of Buddhist Studies of the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts, mainly working on a study of the evolution of the notions of great compassion and omniscience in the history of Buddhist thought and on a collated digital edition, annotated translation and comparative study of the Mūlasarvāstivāda āgama quotations in Śamathadeva’s Abhidharmakośopāyikāṭīkā preserved in Tibetan translation. Dhammadinnā also serves as the series editor for the ARG publications with the Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation. To learn more, visit https://anissitavihara.com
