Ayya Santussika, in residence at Karuna Buddhist Vihara (Compassion Monastery), spent five years as an anagarika (eight-precept nun), then ordained as a samaneri (ten-precept nun) in 2010 and as a bhikkhuni (311 rules) in 2012 at Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara in Los Angeles.
Ayya Santussika was born in Illinos in 1954 and grew up on a farm in Indiana. While being a single mother, she received BS and MS degrees in computer science and moved with her two children to the San Francisco Bay Area. She worked as a software designer and developer for fifteen years. Her search for deeper meaning and ways to be of service led her to train as an interfaith minister in a four-year seminary program that culminated in an Masters of Divinity degree and a brief period of practice as a minister before ordaining as a Buddhist nun. She is currently serving on the Board of Directors for Buddhist Global Relief.
From January 4th to April 2nd 2026 the regularly scheduled Saturday morning program taught by Ayya Santussikā, will take many of the suttas referenced in "Mindfully Facing Disease and Death" by Bhikkhu Anālayo as their basis.
For those who want to dive deeply into this material, you may want to read the book as we discuss the suttas, listed below.
Jan 10 SN 22.1 Nakula’s Father Chapter 2
Jan 17 SN 36.6 An Arrow Chapter 3
Jan 24 SN 22.88 With Assaji Chapter 10
Jan 31 SN 22.89 With Khemaka Chapter 11
Feb 7 AN 10.60 With Girimānanda Chapter 12
Feb 14 SN 3.22 Grandmother and SN 47.13 With Cunda Chapters 13 & 14
Feb 21 MN 143 Advice to Anāthapiṇḍika Chapter 16
Feb 28 SN 55.3 With Dīghāvu and SN 55.54 Sick Chapters 17 & 18
Mar 7 SN 36.7 The Infirmary (1st) Chapter 19
Mar 14 AN 6.56 With Phagguna Chapter 20
Mar 21 SN 35.74 Sick (1st) and SN 41.10 Seeing the Sick Chapters 21 & 22
Mar 28 DN 16.31, 34-36 The Buddha’s Last Words Chapter 23
This dhamma talk, guided meditation, comments, questions and responses was offered on February 7th, 2026 for “How do I apply the Dhamma to THIS!?!”
00:00 - GUIDED MEDITATION
27:34 - DHAMMA TALK
1:15:56 - COMMENTS, QUESTIONS & RESPONSES
From January 4th to April 2nd 2026 the regularly scheduled Saturday morning program taught by Ayya Santussika, will take many of the suttas referenced in "Mindfully Facing Disease and Death" by Bhikkhu Anālayo as their basis.
For those who want to dive deeply into this material, you may want to read the book as we discuss the suttas, listed below.
Jan 10 SN 22.1 Nakula’s Father Chapter 2
Jan 17 SN 36.6 An Arrow Chapter 3
Jan 24 SN 22.88 With Assaji Chapter 10
Jan 31 SN 22.89 With Khemaka Chapter 11
Feb 7 AN 10.60 With Girimānanda Chapter 12
Feb 14 SN 3.22 Grandmother and SN 47.13 With Cunda Chapters 13 & 14
Feb 21 MN 143 Advice to Anāthapiṇḍika Chapter 16
Feb 28 SN 55.3 With Dīghāvu and SN 55.54 Sick Chapters 17 & 18
Mar 7 SN 36.7 The Infirmary (1st) Chapter 19
Mar 14 AN 6.56 With Phagguna Chapter 20
Mar 21 SN 35.74 Sick (1st) and SN 41.10 Seeing the Sick Chapters 21 & 22
Mar 28 DN 16.31, 34-36 The Buddha’s Last Words Chapter 23
This dhamma talk, guided meditation, comments, questions and responses was offered on 31st of January, 2026 for “How do I apply the Dhamma to THIS!?!”
00:00 - GUIDED MEDITATION
21:27 - DHAMMA TALK
58:47 - COMMENTS, QUESTIONS & RESPONSES
This dhamma talk, guided meditation, comments, questions and responses was offered on 24th of January, 2026 for “How do I apply the Dhamma to THIS!?!”
From January 4th to April 2nd 2026 the regularly scheduled Saturday morning program taught by Ayya Santussika, will take many of the suttas referenced in "Mindfully Facing Disease and Death" by Bhikkhu Anālayo as their basis.
This dhamma talk, guided meditation, comments, questions and responses was offered on 17 January, 2026 for “How do I apply the Dhamma to THIS!?!”
00:00 - GUIDED MEDITATION
19:37 - DHAMMA TALK
56:14 - COMMENTS, QUESTIONS & RESPONSES
From January 4th to April 2nd 2026 the regularly scheduled Saturday morning program taught by Ayya Santussika, will take many of the suttas referenced in "Mindfully Facing Disease and Death" by Bhikkhu Anālayo as their basis.
For those who want to dive deeply into this material, you may want to read the book as we discuss the suttas, listed below.
Jan 10 SN 22.1 Nakula’s Father Chapter 2
Jan 17 SN 36.6 An Arrow Chapter 3
Jan 24 SN 22.88 With Assaji Chapter 10
Jan 31 SN 22.89 With Khemaka Chapter 11
Feb 7 AN 10.60 With Girimānanda Chapter 12
Feb 14 SN 3.22 Grandmother and SN 47.13 With Cunda Chapters 13 & 14
Feb 21 MN 143 Advice to Anāthapiṇḍika Chapter 16
Feb 28 SN 55.3 With Dīghāvu and SN 55.54 Sick Chapters 17 & 18
Mar 7 SN 36.7 The Infirmary (1st) Chapter 19
Mar 14 AN 6.56 With Phagguna Chapter 20
Mar 21 SN 35.74 Sick (1st) and SN 41.10 Seeing the Sick Chapters 21 & 22
Mar 28 DN 16.31, 34-36 The Buddha’s Last Words Chapter 23
From January 4th to April 2nd 2026 the regularly scheduled Saturday morning program taught by Ayya Santussika, will take many of the suttas referenced in "Mindfully Facing Disease and Death" by Bhikkhu Anālayo as their basis.
For those who want to dive deeply into this material, you may want to read the book as we discuss the suttas, listed below.
Jan 10 SN 22.1 Nakula’s Father Chapter 2
Jan 17 SN 36.6 An Arrow Chapter 3
Jan 24 SN 22.88 With Assaji Chapter 10
Jan 31 SN 22.89 With Khemaka Chapter 11
Feb 7 AN 10.60 With Girimānanda Chapter 12
Feb 14 SN 3.22 Grandmother and SN 47.13 With Cunda Chapters 13 & 14
Feb 21 MN 143 Advice to Anāthapiṇḍika Chapter 16
Feb 28 SN 55.3 With Dīghāvu and SN 55.54 Sick Chapters 17 & 18
Mar 7 SN 36.7 The Infirmary (1st) Chapter 19
Mar 14 AN 6.56 With Phagguna Chapter 20
Mar 21 SN 35.74 Sick (1st) and SN 41.10 Seeing the Sick Chapters 21 & 22
Mar 28 DN 16.31, 34-36 The Buddha’s Last Words Chapter 23
