About me

I was born and raised in Winterthur. During those years I did a lot of sports, was engaged in the girl scouts, and loved to play classical guitar. During my training to become a music & dance education teacher at the Conservatory in Zürich, I began to meditate. In 1992, I went to Burma (Myanmar) to the Chanmyay Yeiktha Meditation Center, ordained as a Buddhist nun, and practiced many years of mindfulness meditation (vipassanā) and loving-kindness meditation (mettā) under the guidance of Sayadaw U Janaka. After learning Burmese, I began translating individual interviews and Dhamma talks for the Burmese teachers. In 2006, I moved to the Chanmyay Myaing Meditation Center established by Sayadaw U Indaka where I not only translated and assisted, but began teaching myself.

Since 1999 I teach vipassanā and mettā meditation retreats worldwide.

In 2013, I disrobed and moved my base to Switzerland. For a few years I took care of my father who had Alzheimer’s disease. Since his death I have been again teaching meditation retreats at home and abroad all year round.

I have translated a number of Dhamma books from Burmese into German and English. Among these books are Mahasi Sayadaw’s ‘Manual of Insight’ and Sayadaw U Indaka’s books on ‘Metta - The Practice of Loving-Kindness’ and the ‘Bojjhangas’ (about the enlightenment factors).

I am a founding member and president of the association ‘Metta In Action’ which supports various social projects in Burma. Our focus is on nunneries and monastic schools.

I am also actively involved in the association ‘LADF’ – Lingshed Area Development Foundation – together with a friend and other interested people.

Podcast

Weisheit und Güte im Kloster und im Alltag mit Ariya Baumann

A podcast by Lukas Widmer

www.meditationsszene.ch