Venerable Canda encountered the Dhamma in India in 1996 and went on to meditate and serve numerous Vipassana retreats, before ordaining in Myanmar in 2006. In 2014, she moved to Australia where she received full bhikkhunī ordination under the guidance of her teacher Ajahn Brahm.
For the past ten years, Ven. Canda has been leading a UK charity dedicated to establishing a monastery where, for the first time in the nation’s history, women can train as fully ordained members of the Saṅgha. In March 2024, this cherished vision began to take shape with the acquisition of a suitable property in the secluded hamlet of Boars Hill near Oxford. Whilst the monastery, Anukampa Grove, serves primarily as a residence for bhikkhunīs, it also welcomes people of every gender identity, race, sexual orientation, and background, to visit or stay as guests, providing an opportunity to deepen practice within an inclusive, loving community.
Alongside this work, Ven. Canda teaches widely and spends several months each year on silent retreat. Her teachings draw deeply from the Early Buddhist texts and emphasise loving kindness and letting go as essential supports for developing samādhi (stillness) and the liberating wisdom that follows.