SILENT FIGHT
Hendra Eka (Jawa Pos, Jakarta)

Six small plates filled with food and fresh fruits are ready to be served as lunch for the bhiksus and bhiksunis who temporarily live in Prasadha Jinarakkhita Building, West Jakarta.

Four bhiksus sit together at a table covered with red cloth. The only bhiksuni there, Thitacarini, sits alone accompanied by three empty seats. Before lunch, the five women who served lunch prayed together. The bhiksus and bhiksunis are sitting on the chairs, while the five women sit on the floor by the chairs for the short prayer.

Thitacarini was born Julia Surya, 32 years ago, in Bengkalis, Riau.

After graduating from high school, she continued her study at Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Agama Buddha (College of Buddhist Studies) Smaratungga in Boyolali, Central Java. There, she became a samaneri (novice bhiksuni). Her name was also changed from Julia Surya to Thitacarini, which means perseverance in living.

Right on her fourth year, Thitacarini finished her studies. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Buddhist Studies (S.Pd.B) and a 3.87 GPA. She then pursued her Master’s degree at Kelaniya University in Sri Lanka.

With good karma along her stride, her long wait to become a bhiksuni finally arrived. On 12 May 2012, Thitacarini was ordained a bhiksuni in Dekanduwala Dharma Center, Sri Lanka.

Her dream came true, like the happy story of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama who could only return to his territory after more than five decades. “I’m very happy because my dream of becoming a bhiksuni came true,” Thitacarini says.

Thitacarini is recorded to be the first bhiksuni at the Theravada school in Sangha Agung Indonesia. To quote dhammawheel.com, there are only around 1,000 bhiksunis all over the world; a very small number when compared to 500,000 bhiksus.

After being ordained, it only took her two years to get her Master of Arts.

Not only finishing her study on time, Thitacarini also became the only student at the oldest Buddhist University in the world to have been consecutively awarded with a silver medal (summa cum laude) for her secondary diploma degree and gold medal (summa cum laude) for her Master’s degree. “Coincidentally, I was the only student who received both silver and gold medals consecutively,” Thitacarini explains.

Unlike the Master’s degree program in Indonesia, a number of students in Sri Lanka are required to take secondary diploma degrees before they can continue studying for their Master’s degree. The best graduate for secondary diploma degree receives a silver medal, and the best for Master’s degree is awarded with a gold medal.

After receiving her Master’s degree, Thitacarini continued her study further at the same institution.

Thitacarini hopes that the level of Buddhist education in Indonesia can be as good as the other religions and students no longer need to go abroad to study. “I hope one day there will be a large Buddhist university like the ones available for our brothers and sisters from other religions,” she concludes.