From the Heartwood Mandala community in Hendersonville, North Carolina of which she was Spiritual Leader and co-founding teacher, comes the news that Venerable Dr. Pannavati Bhikkhuni has died. A shared statement reads, in part:
“Our dearest teacher Venerable Pannavati, left her body on this auspicious day, 2/26/2026 at 1:30pm EST. Her monastics, two lay residents and Kaye, her devoted Kappiya and friend, held vigil for her from 9am through her transition. Words will never explain how she impacted all of our lives and touched our hearts. Her joy was contagious and her fearless compassion paved the way for so many people. She was a true kalyanamitta and her favorite thing to do was to give a Dharma talk! Everything that she did was for the Dharma and for saving sentient beings.”
Born in 1950, Ven. Pannavati was, as per Heartwood bio, ordained in both the Theravada and Mahayana traditions, a teacher of Vajrayana, and had formerly been a Christian pastor. She also performed decades of work in service for “of humanitarian projects advocating and serving women’s advancement, education for Dalits (India’s Untouchables) and full ordination for female monks.” She was a recipient of the Outstanding Buddhist Women’s Award and received a special commendation from the Princess of Thailand for Humanitarian Acts.
Yesterday’s community statement goes on to say that a Henderson-based memorial is being planned, “most likely in April,” with details to be shared soon. In the meantime, people are welcome to schedule a visit to the sangha.
Lion’s Roar wishes to share our condolences with the Heartwood community and all who were impacted by Ven. Pannavati’s work and teachings.
Read two Buddhadharma forums in which Ven. Pannavati participated:
How Do We Cultivate Dharma Teachers?
