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