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News from the Monastery – Autumn 2023

Warm greetings to everyone,

Another year has gone by, and once again we will have our annual Kathina Ceremony this weekend – tomorrow, in fact – to which you are all, as always, very welcome.

All is well at the monastery, and despite the sad passing of our dear brother Tan Candapanyo in February, there has been plenty of metta and good cheer, and committed meditation practice by the resident sangha, visitors, and guests during the ensuing months. Now once again winter approaches and we look to wrap things up in preparation for the quiet cold and the sangha’s annual three-month Winter Retreat (January, February, March).

The death of Ven. Candapanyo was unexpected and powerful for the community, and no doubt for all who knew him. He was by any measure an exceptional person. Despite normally living in pain as a result of his congenital condition (osteogenesis imperfecta, or “brittle bone disease”) and the resulting injuries and surgeries, he was always full of kindness, joy, and gratitude and left an uplifting impression each time you’d meet him. He gave all of us many gifts during his life and through his being, not least the gift of his own passing away, which helped to teach us how to care for a deceased member of our sangha.

Community

As far as the rest of the monastic community goes, as usual there have been and will be movement. This year the sangha included myself and Ajahn Anando as always, and of course Ajahn Caganando, and Ajahn Pesalo, and Ajahn Pasadiko returned after a six-month stay in Thailand where he had spent the first twenty or so years of his monastic life. Ajahn Nyanasanti, an American monk ordained in Thailand, has been with us since last December and will soon head on to Amaravati. And we have recently been joined at least for a time by Tan Bhuripanyo (also known as Tan Wade), originally from the Boston area and who has come from Wat Marp Jan. Tan Jino and Tan Virajo, each one a homegrown monastery stalwart, will be moving too: Tan Virajo temporarily for a year of training at Cittaviveka in the UK, and Tan Jino for an indefinite period to continue his training in Thailand (and of course he knows he is always welcome to rejoin us here at Temple at any time).

In July we held an upasampada and two pabbajjas, that is, ordination ceremonies for one monk and two novices: Samanera Katanyu (Barnes) became Katanyu Bhikkhu and anagarikas Forest and Nathan became Samanera Arano and Samanera Narado, respectively. We were honored to once again host Luang Por Pasanno who acted as preceptor for the ceremonies.

This year saw the departure of three of our five anagarikas, with Elijah, Jeremy, and Justin returning to lay life for now. With Forest and Nathan becoming samaneras, this left us with a single new anagarika, Derek, who as it happened had to leave earlier than expected. This left (and continues to leave) the monastery in a position we haven’t been in before: with no anagarika. Both the resident community (particularly Samanera Arano, as well as Samanera Narado, in areas where it’s appropriate) and especially the lay community have really stepped up to help cover the things anagarikas usually help to handle: managing the kitchen, cooking, driving, and money. Many of our Thai supporters in particular have been making an extra effort to bring cooked meals. We are all so grateful for the committed support.

Monastery

The change in the postulant population this year has not prevented the monastery from continuing to develop. Last year, funds for four kutis were offered and these were built during the summer. That should do it as far as kutis go, the monastery now has enough for the time being: seventeen built since the first one in 2015. There were also a number of walking meditation paths built, as well as two major repairs to the old farmhouses that comprise the Sala and the Vihara, tearing out walls, adding new ceilings, plumbing, siding, and windows.

And the largest project on which we have embarked so far will begin within the next few weeks. The master plan for the monastery’s future development includes a number of buildings that can be initiated without having first to knock others down. These include the “Utility Building” (barn replacement, workshop, storage, garage, solar battery system, etc.), and the two identical accommodation buildings for female and male overnight guests. Because of the need to move overhead electricity/phone lines before we can begin the former, and how long that has proven to take, we have changed course and decided instead to go ahead with one of the latter.

This is due to some very generous donations received over the past two years which means there should be enough funds for about 45% of estimated costs. That’s enough hopefully that, if there aren’t any more funds to allow us to continue at the point those run out, we can close up the unfinished building well enough to protect it from the weather, with a roof, windows, doors, etc., until such time when we can return to the work. Therefore, for those asking, the Lodgings Building is the monastery project most in need of support. More details can be seen on the Plans & Projects page of the website >.

As always we wish you, and all beings everywhere, all the best.

With metta and blessings from the sangha,

Jayanto Bhikkhu

Kathina Day – Sunday, November 5, 2023

Kathina Ceremony – November 5

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This year’s Kathina will take place on Sunday, November 5. As usual, it will be held outdoors in a big tent. This year we will be joined by Ajahn Nyaniko, the new abbot of Abhayagiri now that Luang Por Pasanno has stepped back, and by Ajahn Sek, who some of you may remember spent a few months with us in 2021. They will be with us for about a week including the Kathina ceremony and will return to Abhayagiri in time for their own shortly thereafter.

As always, everyone is welcome to attend and join in the occasion. The Kathina is a ceremony established by the Buddha and observed in Theravada Buddhist countries to the present day. The hallmark of this ceremony is an unsolicited offering of cloth with which the Sangha will sew a finished robe before the next dawn; that finished robe is then bestowed upon a senior monk chosen by the Sangha to be a worthy recipient. Organized by members of the lay community who wish to offer requisites and support to the monastery, this traditional ceremony also serves as an annual coming together for the lay and monastic communities and anyone who wishes to attend.

This year, for the first time, there has been no “main sponsor” of the Kathina who’s come forth wishing specially to facilitate the offerings and financial support usually offered to the monastery at this time. Instead various monastery supporters have asked for the occasion to take place, and so we have a date – November 5 – and they are inviting anyone interested to join them in making offerings*.

In fact this is usual too; that is, everyone is welcome to join us for any part of the day: an alms-round and shared meal, the Kathina Offering, a Dhamma Talk offered by Ajahn Nyaniko, and a chance to meet with the Sangha. Hope to see you there.

* The offering ceremony will be what’s called in Thai a “Kathina Samagee”, which implies “everyone in harmony offering together”. Therefore anyone who wishes to offer a traditional Kathina cloth to the Sangha can do so formally, one-by-one during the official ceremony: please let us know beforehand if you wish do so. Anyone wishing to offer requisites can find a list of current needs on the Contribute page. For those wishing to know what’s most needed: currently it is in fact financial support to allow us to finish the Lodgings Building we are soon to break ground on, which is the first major undertaking in moving ahead with the monastery’s master plan. We already have enough for about half the construction cost and plan to begin building during the next month nevertheless, with an option of stopping for an indefinite pause half way through if adequate funds aren’t yet there.

Schedule:

10:15 a.m. Introductory Remarks

10:30 a.m. Prepare Food Offering

10:45 a.m. Alms-round

11 a.m. Shared Meal

12:30 p.m. Kathina Offering Ceremony

1:00 p.m. Dhamma Talk by Ajahn Nyaniko
2:00 p.m. Close; chance to meet Sangha
2:30 p.m. End

Upasampada & Pabbajja Ordinations – Sunday, July 2

Luang Por Pasanno on alms-round at Temple Forest Monastery

On Sunday, July 2 Luang Por Pasanno will be here to preside over a monk’s ordination (bhikkhu upasampada) for Samanera Katañño (a.k.a. Barnes Peterson). And Anagarikas Forest and Nathan will likewise be requesting the Going Forth (samanera pabbajja) into the sangha as novices.

The Sunday Meditation Workshop will therefore be cancelled on July 2. Please feel welcome to attend this auspicious event, and thereby help to welcome the three samanas into their next stage of monastic life. Proceedings begin at 10:45 a.m. with a traditional alms-round and shared meal, or come for the ceremony which should begin at 1 p.m.

News from the monastery – Autumn 2022

Warm greetings to everyone,

It’s been a good while since we’ve posted a more comprehensive news-from-the-monastery update, and with the Kathina coming up this weekend, and Luang Por Sumedho’s stay with us entering its final month, I thought to share some of the happenings here over the past year, the comings and goings, the projects and plans, as well as a look forward.

Community

After the Kathina last year the sangha all stayed pretty much in place, in keeping with the ongoing pandemic situation, and we moved into our Winter Retreat with two cases of Covid in the sangha but otherwise everyone remained – as we have done since – virus free. A peaceful retreat was had by all. Afterwards four of the five retreat support team members requested entry to the community as anagarikas, were accepted, and have since gone forth in batches from April through July. So while we said goodbye to Anagarika Eddie – and welcomed into brown robes Barnes and Lasse as Samaneras Katanyo and Khemako respectively – we have welcomed in Anagarikas Elijah, Jeremy, Forest, and Justin, as well as Nathan who you may remember was an anagarika here some years ago and has returned for another go.

April saw a lovely visit by Ayya Anandabodhi and Ayya Santacitta for a few days after their IMS retreat, long planned but pandemic delayed. Ajahn Kumaro departed in order to accept an invitation to practice indefinitely in Asheville, North Carolina; we are all grateful for his many contributions and presence during the five years he has been with us at Temple. And Tan Jino returned after his year-and-a-half stint at Abhayagiri. In June we were joined by Ven. Parimutto, a five-vassa monk from Wat Pah Nanachat who is British and American; and in July by Ajahn Nandiyo, a sixteen-vassa German monk most recently at Amaravati who came for a three-month visit. In August, in time to enter the “Second Vassa” after having first visited Abhayagiri and Tisarana, we were of course joined by Luang Por Sumedho and Ajahn Asoko – who have been suitably and comfortably ensconced in Nirodha House ever since.

With twenty samanas (sangha members) and often about a dozen overnight guests, as well as a number of regular day visitors, this Vassa the monastery has been full. Though bursting at the seams a bit, the atmosphere has remained cheerful and loving, and committed when it comes to each person using their time wisely to further their practice.

As we move into another winter Ajahn Anando will be leaving for seven weeks to visit our monasteries in the UK and Switzerland, and just before his return to Temple I will be leaving also, for seven weeks to Thailand. Ajahn Pasadiko will be coming with me and staying on there at least for a time, after having spent the past four years or so here at Temple. And Ajahn Jivako will be leaving us too: he has accepted an invitation to help guide an emerging hermitage project in India which will be linked to Wat Pah Nanachat, by residing there as the senior incumbent for at least an exploratory initial period. Both ajahns know that they are always welcome back.

Monastery

Since March it’s been pretty much back to normal functioning in all areas at the monastery in contrast to the past two years of pandemic limitations of various kinds. While there has been no building of kutis or anything other than finishing the entrance and grounds at Nirodha House in preparation for Luang Por Sumedho’s visit, the sangha and our generous guests and helpers have been beavering away at continuing projects such as making trails and building walking meditation paths, cutting and stacking wood and caring for the grounds, and fixing the inevitable breaking bits of our repurposed old farm buildings.

In July a number of supporters held a “Pa Bah” (Offering Ceremony) and funds to build a new kuti were generously offered. Despite having already built thirteen we haven’t had enough kutis this summer for all our sangha members, and three of the anagarikas have had to live in tents. We plan to build two more kutis next year. Since Luang Por’s arrival he has been offering weekly public Dhamma Talks, which we’ve held as best we can in the Sala – the 250-year-old farmhouse that can barely fit us all. So far so good. Just. (Let’s hope the floor doesn’t collapse.)

Plans

With the accommodation and gathering places getting tight for space, we are pleased to have moved ahead in creating a “master plan” for the future development of the monastery. In fact, we were able to implement one part of this plan already this summer as a result of a generous donation that covered the installation of a solar array on the Jessen Lane side of the property. This is now providing more than enough power for both the Vihara and Nirodha House, and includes a battery backup system which acts as an emergency generator – needed because of frequent power cuts which would also stop the supply of water from the well. Now there are no interruptions, and heating and water should be steady no matter the weather and wind.

Having worked together with an architect and landscape engineer to arrive at an adequate preliminary outline, the plans are at the stage where we have brought them to the town planning board to see what may be necessary for approval. That process has just begun but should be fairly straightforward since permission in principle for everything we’ve asked for in the master plan was already given by the zoning and planning boards back when the property was purchased in 2015. If you are interested in the plans as they stand now (they will no doubt be tweaked and changed somewhat over time) they are described here.

Kathina

Please do consider coming to the Kathina on Sunday if you can. It will be a special occasion with Luang Por Sumedho giving a talk and likely being available afterwards, and with Luang Por Viradhammo visiting also for the first time in a few years.

As always we wish you and your loved ones good health, wisdom, and happiness.

With metta and blessings from the sangha,

Jayanto Bhikkhu

Kathina Day – Sunday, October 16, 2022

Kathina Ceremony – October 16

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This year’s Kathina will take place on Sunday, October 16. It will be held outdoors, in a big tent on the field. It is special this year as we have Luang Por Sumedho staying with us for the Vassa, and, for this ceremony, Luang Por Viradhammo will come down from Tisarana to take part as well.

As always, everyone is welcome to attend and join in the occasion. The Kathina is a ceremony established by the Buddha and observed in Theravada Buddhist countries to the present day. The hallmark of this ceremony is an unsolicited offering of cloth with which the Sangha will sew and dye a finished robe before the next dawn; that finished robe is then bestowed upon a senior monk chosen by the Sangha to be a worthy recipient. Organized by members of the lay community who wish to offer requisites and support to the monastery, this traditional ceremony serves also as an annual gathering for the lay and monastic communities and anyone who wishes to attend.

Everyone is welcome to join us for any part of the day: an alms-round and shared meal, the Kathina Offering, a Dhamma Talk offered by Luang Por Sumedho, and a chance to meet with the visiting Luang Por Viradhammo and the resident sangha.

Schedule:

10:15 a.m. Introductory Remarks

10:30 a.m. Prepare Food Offering

10:45 a.m. Alms-round

11 a.m. Shared Meal

12:30 p.m. Kathina Offering Ceremony

1:00 p.m. Dhamma Talk by Ajahn Sumedho
2:00 p.m. Close; chance to meet Sangha
2:30 p.m. End

Dhamma Talks by Ajahn Sumedho

We have been honored this year with a visit by Ajahn (Luang Por) Sumedho, who is spending the Vassa with us here at Temple. Luang Por is now 88 years old yet still offering regular teachings, and has graciously offered to give a Dhamma Talk each Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. while he is resident at the monastery from now until early November.

Check the website each Saturday to see if his Sunday Talk is still scheduled (depending on events and energy levels we may cancel them from time to time); unless otherwise noted the talk will go ahead. But all going well – and presuming we can all fit in the Sala – there will be a public Dhamma Talk here at the monastery at 3 p.m. which everyone is welcome to attend.

It may be crowded. During the warm weather we may move the event outdoors. In addition, we plan to post the Dhamma Talks promptly after they are given (within a few days) both as audio and as video – check the Audio and Video pages if you are interested to hear them in these ways.

‘Pa Bah’ Offering Ceremony – Sunday, July 3

Alms-round during the 2014 Pa Bah at Temple

A “Pa Bah” almsgiving ceremony will be held at the monastery on Sunday, July 3, 2022, from 10.15 a.m.–2.30 p.m. This is a traditional occasion in Theravada Buddhist countries when members of the lay community ask to come together at the monastery in a formal way in order to offer material support to the monastic community. This July some of our local Thai-American friends have asked to offer a Pa Bah and they invite anyone else who may be interested to join with them (just come along). The occasion includes informal opportunities to meet the sangha and others in the wider lay community. A Dhamma Talk will be offered after an alms-round and shared meal and the ceremony for the offering of requisites.

Everyone is most welcome to come for all or any part of the day, whether bringing offerings or just wishing to hear a Dhamma Talk or visit with the sangha and others.

When: 

Sunday, July 3, 2022, 10 a.m.–2.30 p.m.

Where:

Temple Forest Monastery     

32 Derbyshire Ln,

Temple, NH, 03084

Schedule:

10.30 a.m.    Prepare Food Offering  

10.45 a.m.    Alms-round

11 a.m.    Shared Meal

12.30 p.m.    Precepts, Paritta Chanting & Offering Ceremony  

1 p.m.    Dhamma Talk by Ajahn Jayanto  

2 p.m.    Close of Ceremony & Chance to Meet Sangha

Novices Go Forth on Wesak

Sunday May 15 was this year’s full moon of the month of Visakha (known as Wesak Day or Visakha Puja) when it is traditional to celebrate the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and passing. This year we did this by holding a novice ordination (samanera pabbajja) for two of our postulants: Anagarika Barnes and Anagarika Lasse, who formally requested the Going Forth from the “home life” into “homelessness”, and donned the ochre robes of the samana (renunciant) in the ancient, traditional way. They are now known as Samanera Katañño and Samanera Khemako, respectively.

Many people came to witness the event, and wish the two new novices well in their auspicious undertaking. May their training bear the highest fruit.

October News

Warm greetings to everyone,

I hope this finds you and your loved ones well; the sangha at Temple continues to send our metta to you all, and we are grateful for the well-wishing we too have received.

Here we are now at the end of another Vassa, approaching the end of another year, a strange one like the last with the continuing need for particular care and the uncertainties involved in managing our lives during these extraordinary times. The pandemic precautions necessary for much of the past eighteen months have eased substantially, and, for the past number of months routines at the monastery have been back to nearly normal: at the moment we ask day-visitors to wear masks when indoors, and keep the windows open to aid with ventilation.

Today is the last day of the Vassa, the traditional Rains Retreat which has helped structure the lives of Theravada Buddhists for thousands of years. It is known as Pavarana Day and, for the monastic community, is the one lunar observance day of the year the sangha does not need to recite the rules of discipline they keep, but instead each individual ceremonially invites admonishment and advice from their companions regarding the training.

Kathina Day – Sunday, October 24

This week preparations are underway for the first potentially big event for … two years, I guess: Kathina 2019. In a few days – Sunday, October 24, beginning at 10:15 a.m. – we will hold this year’s Kathina Ceremony in a big tent on the hill, as in past years. As usual, everyone is welcome to attend or join in. Activities will be held outdoors, so if you come do please dress warmly enough for the occasion. Details and a schedule have been posted on the website. We will be honored to receive a visit for the occasion from the Thai ambassador and colleagues from the embassy in Washington for the day, though unfortunately, because of the continuing land border closure into the country, Luang Por Viradhammo and the monks from Tisarana monastery in Canada whom we had hoped to welcome will not be able to attend. Therefore it will be simply the resident sangha who spent the three-month Rains Retreat here at Temple present on the day.

That community has been healthy, and engaged in the usual summer combination of activity and personal retreats. It includes myself, Ajahn Anando, Ajahn Pasadiko, Ajahn Caganando, Ajahn Kumaro, Tan Pesalo, Tan Mangalo (visiting from Chuang Yen Monastery in NY), Tan Candapañño, Tan Paladhammika (an American monk visiting from Malaysia), Tan Virajo, Anagarika Barnes, Anagarika Lasse, and Anagarika Eddie. Ajahn Jivako is spending the Vassa at Tisarana and plans to return next month. Joti is also well and engaged in monastery life as usual, living in her kuti next door. Anagarikas Zackaria and Rusty completed their year-long commitments in May and returned to lay life, and Tan Santi left the community to pursue his monastic life elsewhere late last year.

The “activity” this year has included continuing work on the grounds and in the forest, creating trails and further developing the site for use as a contemplative sanctuary, and the required maintenance tasks that come with the stewardship of land (clearing brush, mowing, etc.). In July we held a “working bee” (as it’s called in the UK) where volunteers came all at once on a Saturday to help complete some of these tasks. Otherwise we’ve built four more kutis, repaired a bunch of broken or breaking things that old buildings require, split and chopped many piles of firewood, and continued the finishing work on Nirodha House, the farmhouse we completely renovated last year. That work is nearly done, though the outside entrance and driveway area still need to be completed; nevertheless, Luang Por Pasanno was able to become its first visiting dignitary when he stayed there during his two-week visit to Temple in May. That visit was a joy for all, although unfortunately due to inclement weather his planned public Dhamma Talk had to be canceled. Yet the following week he was able to fulfill the main purpose of his visit to Temple which was to act as preceptor to Tan Virajo in an ordination ceremony here on the Sima Hill.

Pavilion delay

Other activity has involved planning for the monastery’s potential future development, which has contributed to a delay in the construction of the pavilion we announced last year. Three factors have contributed to our decision to shelve that project for the time being: the high quote received when materials costs skyrocketed in combination with the engineering needs for the proposed plan becoming clear; the fact that in the meantime we had obtained a used tent which could be used during the pandemic; and the assumption of the aforementioned planning meaning we’d be better off deciding where the pavilion should go as part of that process. For those who contributed to the pavilion funds, please see the Plans & Projects page on the website for more details.

Once again we continue to wish everyone well: may you have health, happiness and wisdom, and we hope to see you here at some point whenever suitable conditions come together. Sending all blessings,

With metta,
Jayanto Bhikkhu 

Kathina Day – Sunday, October 24, 2021

Jetavana Kathina – October 24

2021/2564

This year’s Kathina will take place on Sunday, October 24. As always, everyone is welcome to attend and take part in the occasion. The Kathina is a ceremony established by the Buddha and observed in Theravada Buddhist countries to the present day. The hallmark of this ceremony is an unsolicited offering of cloth with which the Sangha will sew and dye a finished robe before the next dawn; that finished robe is then bestowed upon a senior monk chosen by the Sangha to be a worthy recipient. Organized by members of the lay community who wish to offer requisites and support to the monastery, this traditional ceremony serves also as an annual gathering for the lay and monastic communities and anyone who wishes to attend.

Everyone is welcome to join us for any part of the day: an alms-round and shared meal, the Kathina Offering, a Dhamma Talk offered by Luang Por Viradhammo, [UPDATE: due to the continuing land border closure into the country, Luang Por Viradhammo will not be able to attend; a Dhamma Talk will instead be offered by Ajahn Jayanto] and a chance to meet the sangha.

Schedule:

10:15 a.m. Introductory Remarks

10:30 a.m. Prepare Food Offering

10:45 a.m. Alms-round

11 a.m. Shared Meal

12:30 p.m. Kathina Offering Ceremony

1:00 p.m. Dhamma Talk by Ajahn Jayanto

2:00 p.m. Close; chance to meet Sangha
2:30 p.m. End

Saturday, July 17 – Community Work Day

The sangha invites any able-bodied volunteers to help us with some outdoor work on the grounds of the monastery, mainly with trail clearing in the forest. If you are interested to help with a group working session with the monks in the morning and/or afternoon of Saturday July 17, do mark it in your calendar and plan to come. There will be two sessions, 8–11am and 1–4pm, with a shared meal from 11–12:30pm and tea and Dhamma discussion with the abbots at 5pm for whoever would like to stay on – as well as a Dhamma Talk offered as usual that evening after the evening puja if you would like to stay through until around 9.

The work will involve pruning, raking, and moving brush, and laying woodchips along the cleared trails. Hope to see you here!

No Kathina Day This Year (2020)

This is a brief announcement to confirm that, unfortunately, the monastery will not be able to host an annual Kathina Day gathering this year. This is due to the ongoing pandemic precautions and safety concerns for those who would gather on such an occasion as well as for the resident community. A small ceremony will be held with the sangha which will not be open to the public. Some have asked about whether or not we can live-stream it to watch from home, but that is not an option for us because the monastery does not have reliable or fast enough internet service to make that possible.

We apologize to all of you who normally look forward to coming to the monastery for the usual Kathina Day at this time of year. Hopefully next year we will be able to hold one again. This year, if you would like to come to the monastery from now through anytime until the end of October, to make offerings or simply to visit, you are still most welcome. (On November 1 we will reassess things again and see what is possible regarding meal offerings, etc.) If you have a special offering, are coming from afar, or otherwise wish to be received by the senior monks, please let us know by phoning or emailing that you are coming on a particular day, and we will make sure to receive you.

The Vassa officially ends this year on October 2. The last Sunday Meditation Workshop will be held from 1–3pm on September 27. We plan to keep the open air tent up for the entire month of October, and will be able to continue to receive people outside during this time for the 11am daily meal offering. If you make an appointment to come, this is where we will meet you (behind the sala, in the yard under the tent overlooking the pond below). As the weather gets colder, you will need to dress accordingly to be able to keep warm, since visitors are not able to come inside the building except for dropping off food in the entryway or using the restroom there. There is a semi-sheltered area with tables and chairs set up in the (very clean) open garage area to provide a place to eat and/or sit protected from rain or wind.

For those of you who have asked about what items the monastery currently needs, we will be posting items on the Dana List over the coming days and weeks. The current projects mentioned earlier are all underway, thanks to generous donations; you can find updates here. Thank you all for your understanding and support – and do stay healthy and well.

Ajahn Anando receives visitors at the meal

Recent News

A fawn practicing social distancing this spring in the monastery forest

Greetings all,

Warm regards from all of us at the monastery. Many of you have been asking, and we are happy to report that so far everyone has been healthy regarding Covid-19. We hope that you and your loved ones are also staying well.

Recent news

This has been a slightly different year so far, to say the least. In fact, in some ways, here at the monastery the sangha has been able to live much as we always do, since our routine ordinarily involves a relatively high degree of what qualifies as ‘social distancing’. In March, when the stay-at-home and other guidance was brought into effect in New Hampshire, the community was already in the midst of our annual winter retreat which normally takes place in January, February, and March. This involves not accepting overnight guests, a pause in the public events such as Sunday meditation workshops, not gathering for pujas aside from Saturday nights, etc. Therefore, as the pandemic worsened we were able simply to extend our retreat routine for another month or so, the only change being a cancelation of all group meetings including Saturday evening Dhamma Talks, and a strict limitation in the number of day visitors – and distance and hygiene protocols – and the areas accessible to them.

In terms of support, we have been fortunate to have had a number of lay guests able to stay for at least two to three months at a time, and who have been quarantined and tested before integration into the community. People from near and far have been sending us packages of items needed or useful, including food items which also often have been dropped off and left inside the Sala door. Every day the sangha is heartened to receive such generous and caring support. To all of you who have sent your good will in this and other ways, a big thank you and anumodana from us all.

Community

The monastic community has had a few pre-arranged or necessary movements in the past weeks and months, despite the limitations around travel. The main thing for the monastery is that Ajahn Anando has returned from Thailand, where he spent most of the last seven months since he left after Kathina last year; after a period of quarantine he is with us once more. Ajahn Sallekho, a Canadian monk from Wat Pah Nanachat in Thailand who spent six months with us from December through May has now moved on to Canada, and Tan Sampanno, the monk from Abhayagiri who spent his third year of navaka (junior monk) training with us, has returned there as planned. Anagarika Peter and Anagarika Ryan have each completed their one-year commitments and moved on to other things; they go with our very best wishes and blessings. We now have two new postulants: Anagarika Zackaria and Anagarika Rusty.

This year’s Vassa (the traditional three-month Rains Retreat) began on July 6, and the resident community includes Ajahn Jayanto, Ajahn Anando, Ajahn Pasadiko, Ajahn Caganando, Ajahn Kumaro, Ajahn Jivako, Tan Candapanyo, Tan Santi, Tan Jino, Samanera Virajo, Anagarika Zackaria and Anagarika Rusty. And as ever, Joti Royster continues to live in her kuti on her own land next door and to practice and serve with and alongside us, keeping the Eight Precepts – as well as the monastery books – as a dedicated lay practitioner (upasika), and generally being a great friend and support to us all (thank you Joti!).

While we have so far all avoided the virus, in recent weeks we have been caring for one monk who is recovering from a major operation. Tan Candapanyo was finally able to undergo surgery attempting to treat severe kidney area pain he’s had for the past two years, and is now recuperating in the little old falling-apart building we call the Cottage. One major previously planned project we are beginning this month seeks, among other purposes, to better provide for recuperative care needs for members of the sangha in the future in situations such as this. This is a renovation of one of the two old farmhouses on the western side of the property, formerly known as Cliff House (which some of you may remember served as guest accommodation during our first year). We have started work to add an addition and re-insulate the entire building, to improve energy efficiency, cleanliness, and to provide full disabled access on the lower floor including two rooms with accessible bathrooms. This will serve also as a place for our senior teachers including Luang Por Sumedho to stay when they visit, as well as, eventually, a hospice for dying monks in the long term.

Plans

This leads to questions many of you have been asking recently about what projects the monastery is planning or hoping to undertake this year. As always, we greatly appreciate your interest. Because of the pandemic restrictions, we have not been able to hold any of our usual events or visits from senior sangha members (Tan Ajahn Dtun had originally been scheduled to visit this year from Thailand), and it is not yet clear whether it will be safe to hold our annual Kathina Ceremony this fall (Luang Por Pasanno had been invited for that) [UPDATE: unfortunately, due to safety concerns the monastery will NOT be hosting a public Kathina Day this year] . So in the absence or uncertainty of these events, for those of you interested in being informed about ongoing or future monastery needs or plans, we have created a page on the website describing our most immediate major plans or projects, which can be found via the Contribute page at forestmonastery.org/projects.

We also continue slow and steady work on the grounds (cutting trails, clearing brush, weeding, and mowing lawns), and, because that work is outdoors and much of it can be done on one’s own, we are accepting offers of help with grounds work during the mornings from Wednesdays through Sundays at 7:30am. If you think you might like to offer this, please contact the monastery through the Contact page or at volunteer@jetagrove.us.

Guests

While we are not able to accommodate any short term overnight guests at this time, we have been able to take a small number of individuals interested in practicing in a winter-retreat-support-team-like way, committing to stay at the monastery for at least two to three months. These individuals are asked to undertake a period of quarantine and take a viral smear test just before or after arriving at the monastery depending on their circumstances. Priority is given to those interested in exploring monastic life and who have stayed here before.

Events and Dhamma offerings

Now that there has been conditional reopening guidance from the state for places of worship, we have begun renting a 30 ft. by 30 ft. tent so that meal offerings and reception of visitors can take place outdoors. With careful hygiene, cleaning practices, the wearing of masks, and social distancing between unrelated individuals, we hope that soon we may also be able to resume Sunday meditation workshops, and possibly other Dhamma events, outdoors on the lawn. We will announce this on the website if indeed it looks safe to proceed.

The sangha has been keenly aware of the lack of access this year for all of you to the monastery’s usual Dhamma offerings: pujas, Dhamma Talks, workshops, events, and the opportunity to stay overnight and practice alongside the monks. While of course there are vast and freely available libraries of Dhamma literature and audio talks available online, some of the other monasteries in our worldwide community have been able, during their own Covid closures, to share live Dhamma in various ways by means of high-speed Internet, whether by live-streaming their pujas and talks, or by holding Dhamma discussions live and online. Unfortunately, the Internet service available to the monastery is extremely slow, far below broadband speed, and unreliable, often stopping completely for hours at a time. We have checked, and until we have new lines or services available in the northern section of the town of Temple, we have no recourse for anything better.

Therefore we do not have an option for similar online offerings. Instead, we have finally begun posting the Saturday evening Dhamma Talks – given at the moment to the resident community only – on the website’s long-neglected Audio page. With monks taking their own two- to three-week retreats this Vassa, from time to time we may not always be able to be punctual in posting new talks, but we will do our best so that those of you who would have liked to have come for the talk but can’t can still listen in.

We hope to see you when conditions allow, and, as always and particularly right now we wish you each blessings in your life and Dhamma practice – and for everyone’s health and happiness. May all beings be at peace.

With metta,
Jayanto Bhikkhu

Kathina Day – Sunday, October 20, 2019

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Jetavana Kathina – October 20

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This year’s Kathina will take place on Sunday, October 20. As always, everyone is welcome to attend and take part in the occasion. The Kathina is a ceremony established by the Buddha and observed in Theravada Buddhist countries to the present day. The hallmark of this ceremony is an unsolicited offering of cloth with which the Sangha will sew and dye a finished robe before the next dawn; that finished robe is then bestowed upon a senior monk chosen by the Sangha to be a worthy recipient. Organized by members of the lay community who wish to offer requisites and support to the monastery, this traditional ceremony serves also as an annual gathering for the lay and monastic communities and anyone who wishes to attend.

Everyone is welcome to join us for any part of the day: an alms-round and shared meal, the Kathina Offering, a Dhamma Talk offered by Luang Por Viradhammo, and a chance to meet the sangha.

Schedule:

10:15 a.m. Introductory Remarks

10:30 a.m. Prepare Food Offering

10:45 a.m. Alms-round

11 a.m. Shared Meal

12:45 p.m. Kathina Offering Ceremony

1:30 p.m. Dhamma Talk by Ajahn Viradhammo

2:30 p.m. Close; chance to meet Sangha
3:00 p.m. End

Ordination Ceremonies – Sunday, August 25, 1pm

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On Sunday, August 25 we will hold an ordination ceremony for two candidates asking for entrance into the monastic order. Samanera Jino, a novice, will take upasampada to become a bhikkhu (monk), and concurrently Anagarika Andy, a postulant, will take pabbajja to become a samanera (novice).

Luang Por Viradhammo (who will act as preceptor in the ceremony) and Ajahn Khemasiri (formerly abbot of Dhammapala monastery in Switzerland) will be visiting from Tisarana monastery in Canada.

All are welcome. Please also join us for the daily meal offering at 11am if you wish. The ceremony will begin at 1pm.

Offering Ceremony and Dhamma Talk by Ajahn Sumedho – Sunday, June 23

Our teacher and the founding abbot of so many of our monasteries, Luang Por (Ajahn) Sumedho will visit Temple from June 1–30, 2019. On June 23, there will be a traditional Offering Ceremony held in honor of Luang Por’s visit, and as the central event he will be offering an afternoon Dhamma Talk.

Everyone is welcome to come for the talk, or join in with the offering and any part of the occasion: an alms-round and shared meal, the Offering Ceremony, and the Dhamma Talk offered by Ajahn Sumedho. Luang Por will likely be available to meet visitors after the Talk.

Schedule:

10:15 a.m. Introductory Remarks

10:30 a.m. Prepare Food Offering

10:45 a.m. Alms-round

11 a.m. Shared Meal

12:30 p.m. Precepts & Offering Ceremony

1 p.m. Dhamma Talk by Ajahn Sumedho

2 p.m. Close; chance to meet Sangha
2:30 p.m. End

Download a flyer for the event (PDF) >

Ajahn Sumedho and Ajahn Sucitto Staying at the Monastery

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We are honored to host visits from several senior monks this month, including Luang Por Sumedho, Ajahn Sucitto, and Ajahn Karunadhammo. From June 1–July 1 Ajahn Sumedho will be staying with us. He and Ajahn Asoko have now arrived, and Luang Por will likely be available to speak with visitors and offer Dhamma Talks from time to time throughout the month, depending on his energy and other factors. When we know in advance we will try to post these times on the calendar.

The one event with a Dhamma Talk offered by Luang Por Sumedho that is planned so far, will be a public talk and offering ceremony held here at the monastery on Sunday, June 23 (PDF >).

In addition to Luang Por’s visit, Ajahn Sucitto and Ajahn Karunadhammo are visiting Temple, for a week and four days respectively, after the month-long retreat Ajahn Sucitto just finished leading at the Forest Refuge in Barre, MA. Ajahn Sucitto will be leaving for the UK on June 8, and Ajahn Karunadhammo for Abhayagiri on June 4.

Ajahn Candasiri visits Temple Forest Monastery

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Over the next few weeks we will be honored by visits from several senior monks and nuns, including Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Sucitto, and Ajahn Candasiri. From May 23–27 one of the first and most senior nuns in our community, Ajahn Candasiri, will be staying at the monastery. Ajahn Candasiri is the abbot of Milntuim Hermitage for nuns in Scotland. She has been able to accept our standing invitation to visit Temple Forest Monastery as part of a longer North American trip she is taking this spring to visit relatives in Canada as well as two monasteries there: Satisaraniya and Tisarana. She will be returning to the UK after her time at Temple.

Ajahn Candasiri will offer the Dhamma Talk on Saturday evening, May 25 (7–9pm), and the meditation workshop on Sunday May 26 (1–3pm). She should also be at the monastery for the daily 11am meal on May 24–26, and available afterwards to speak with guests. As always, everyone is welcome to come for any of these events.

From her bio page on the Amaravati website:

Ajahn Candasiri was born in Scotland in 1947 and was brought up as a Christian. After university she trained and worked as an occupational therapist, mainly in the field of mental illness. In 1977, an interest in meditation led her to meet Ajahn Sumedho, shortly after his arrival from Thailand. Inspired by his teachings and example, she began her monastic training at Chithurst as one of the first four anagārikās.

Within the monastic community she has been actively involved in the evolution of the nuns’ Vinaya training. She has guided many meditation retreats for lay people, and particularly enjoys teaching young people and participating in Christian/Buddhist dialogue.

In 2015, Ajahn Candasiri established Milntuim Hermitage in Scotland, where she now normally resides.

Winter Retreat 2019

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The monastic community’s annual three-month Winter Retreat will take place from the beginning of January to the end of March. This is a time for the Sangha to put many activities down and have an extended period reserved for formal meditation practice. Nevertheless, the meal offering will be the same as usual: every day at 11 a.m. And anyone is welcome to come to the monastery to offer food to the Sangha and share in the meal as well. However, there won't be Sunday afternoon workshops for the duration of the retreat, and we won’t be accepting overnight visitors in the usual way.

Winter Retreat Support Opportunity

During January, February, and March, several laypeople stay at the monastery in order to support the monastic community’s retreat. We currently have a crew of volunteers who have committed to helping out in this way, but it would be helpful to have one or two more.

It’s important that these people are already known to the community and that they are familiar with the monastery from at least one previous, overnight visit of several days. Ideally they will be able to stay for the full three months (or at minimum for one of the months). They would join in most of the group practice periods and there will likely be much unstructured solitary time to use to further one’s practice. Therefore they should be experienced in staying in a silent retreat atmosphere, and comfortable with solitude. 

If you are interested in supporting the Sangha in this way, by helping with meal preparation, shoveling, cleaning, etc. from January 1–April 1, do contact us at

https://forestmonastery.org/contact/

Good wishes,
From the Temple Forest Monastery community

End of the Rains

The new Buddha-rupa and Bell, summer 2018

This year’s Vassa, or Rains Retreat, is coming to a close on October 24. An annual three-month period of stability for Buddhist monks and nuns for over 2,500 years, the Vassa marked the monsoon time when the typical wandering of samanas (renunciant monks and nuns) from place to place would become impractical and risk damaging the rainy season crops. Since then, as the Sangha (the Buddhist monastic community) has become rooted in different countries and climes, the Vassa has remained a time of stability in Theravada Buddhist monasteries, with the resident community remaining in place for the three months between the full moons of what is usually July through October.

Resident community

This year at Temple the resident sangha has included Ajahn Sucitto – or Luang Por, as elder monks in the Thai tradition are often called – who will be moving onwards after our Kathina on November 4 (which, by coincidence, will also be his birthday). Luang Por will offer a Dhamma Talk at around 1pm on that day as part of the occasion. We’ve also had the pleasure of Ajahn Anando’s company since he arrived from Amaravati in April; he has been mostly on retreat during his stay this year at Temple, and we have been making arrangements to apply for a long-term visa so that he’ll be able to rejoin the community indefinitely. Ajahn Suvijano, from Thailand, has similarly been with us for a another six-month stint, and we hope also that he will be able to return next year. And a further addition to the sangha this year has been Ajahn Pasadiko, an American monk who’s trained at our monasteries in Thailand for the past twenty years. With the departure of two anagarikas (Nathan and John) and the addition of another (Andy), the sangha at Temple for the vassa of 2018/2561 has been: Ajahn Sucitto, Aj. Jayanto, Aj. Anando, Aj. Pasadiko, Aj. Caganando, Aj. Kumaro, Aj. Jivako, Aj. Suvijano, Ven. Sunyo, Ven. Candapanyo, Ven. Santi, Samanera Jino, and Anagarika Andy.

Visits & Events

This year we were honored to host a number of visits from senior sangha members, including Ajahn Amaro in May, who officiated at a Visaka Puja (Wesak) Day Bell Dedication Ceremony, inaugurating the newly-offered monastery bell; Luang Por Liem and Luang Por Jundee in July, who likewise presided over a simple ceremony to inaugurate and bless the newly-offered Buddha-rupa (statue of the Buddha); and Ajahn Viradhammo, who came down from Tisarana in August to act as upajjaya (preceptor) for Samanera Santi (formerly known as Anagarika Michael) who became Santi Bhikkhu, and Anagarika Jeff, who became Samanera Jino. Anagarika Andy was given precepts in June.

Upcoming: Kathina Offering on November 4

The last major event of the year will be the annual Kathina to be held on Sunday, November 4. Ajahn Sucitto will be the senior monk, and several monks from Tisarana and Abhayagiri will be joining us for the occasion. A little background on the ceremony (hat tip to abhayagiri.org):

Each year since the time of the Buddha, at the end of the Vassa lay communities around Buddhist monasteries have gathered to celebrate its completion by offering to the resident sangha gifts of cloth, supplies, and other requisites that will be useful for the coming year. Some of the cloth offered on that day is cut, sewn and, if needed, dyed by the monks to make a robe on that day to offer to one of the monks who spent the vassa at that monastery.

This 2,500-year-old tradition is carried on in the West in Theravada monasteries. The offering is initiated by a lay supporter or a group of supporters who request to organize the preparation and formal offerings. It is a significant and joyful occasion that, over time, has become emblematic of the richness of the relationship that exists between the lay community and the Sangha. This relationship is characterized by deep bonds of friendship and commitment to mutual support. All year round, the monastery functions solely on offerings from the lay community.

Accordingly, people have been inquiring about what the monastery could presently use. For this, please check the Dana List. There are also building materials and larger or more expensive tools and equipment we can use to help with buildings and grounds maintenance and the continuing construction of kutis (small cabins) in the forest for use as traditional monastic dwellings. Please contact Ajahn Jayanto or Ajahn Caganando via the monastery contact address for any questions about these. So far over the past three years we have put up six kutis and one yurt, using a local contractor for five of the kutis.

We hope to see you sometime at the monastery – do come to the Kathina if you are interested and wish to connect with the greater community as well as the sangha.

All blessings!