While Ven. Rinchen initially put her monastic aspirations on hold for opportunities in Atlanta and India, the COVID pandemic provided a helpful reminder about the impermanent and unsatisfactory nature of samsara. She moved to the Abbey in August of 2020 and began Anagarika training in October of that year. After a fruitful discernment period, she requested ordination and received her Shikshamana ordination at the Abbey from Venerable Chodron in August of 2021.
Prior to coming to the Abbey, Ven. Rinchen was involved in the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative, which provided many opportunities to travel to the Tibetan Monasteries in India to teach physics to monks and nuns, which she did every summer from 2015 to 2019. She taught physics at a college in Atlanta, and performed research in medical physics.
At the Abbey, Ven. Rinchen is part of the finance team, facilitates SAFE, assists with IT, and keeps the website running. She also enjoys caring for the kitties, tending the vegetable garden, studying Tibetan, and cooking Indian food. (Source: Sravasti Abbey)
