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
