In 1996 Mary Reinard (Sakula) came into contact with Buddhism through an internet search that led her to a beginners course at Dharma Rain Zen Center. One year later she met Luang Por Pasanno and then co-abbot of Amaravati, Ajahn Amaro, for the first time and immediately felt at home. Luang Por accepted her as his lay student, eventually giving her the Pali name Sakula meaning One of Good Family. In 2001, Sakula was invited by the venerables to join eleven others in a three-year training. The group graduated in 2004 as Community of Abhayagiri Lay Ministers, or C.A.L.M.
Sakula co-founded Portland Friends of the Dhamma in 2000 and leads the Sunday Sila Program.
