NEWS & UPDATES · 14 AUGUST 2026

Sayadaw Ashin Ottamathara and the world of Thabarwa

Sayalay Bhadda Nyani, edited for clarity by Therapeutic Mindfulness.

Sayalay Bhadda Nyani ordained under Sayadaw Ashin Ottamathara, who is the founder of Thabarwa Nature Centers worldwide.

Before ordaining, Bhadda was involved in permaculture, sustainability and community living. Trying to do good in the world, but after seeing many communities fail and seeing her own limitations, she was drawn to this particular community called Thabarwa: a place where all are welcome, where monastics and lay people live together.

In Bhadda’s description, Thabarwa is a place of refuge for anyone regardless of age, race, social and financial condition, health condition, physical and mental state. It provides basic necessities of life and medical care for free so that people can fully concentrate on the pursuit and realization of Dhamma.

She wanted to learn for herself how this community worked, how it survived and was not complete chaos. She spent four years living in various Thabarwa centers around the world and travelling with Sayadaw to learn directly and experience it for herself.

Bhadda experienced the challenges and difficulties in such communities, but also the transformational effect of living with all kinds of people while practising mindfulness and detachment. She learned that the key to success was very simple, based on the profound teachings of the Buddha and Sayadaw: the application in real-life situations of right understanding of cause and effect, or kammic law.

Putting it into practice takes time, patience and daring. But if one dares, one can establish oneself firmly on the path to freedom from all suffering. Sayadaw teaches in a very practical way, using his centers as his greatest teaching.

Based on these understandings, and inspired by the unlimited service of her teacher Sayadaw Ashin Ottamathara and his ability to help so many people in need while continuing to open new centers, Sayalay Bhadda Nyani has the vision to start a Thabarwa center in South Africa.

By using the law of cause and effect, without attachment to self, and doing good deeds together, she says great strides have already been made in this direction.