Snowdrops

Snow flurries.



Sometimes Spring seems to be blowing in early to the hill. Snowdrops are flourishing, the gorse is flowering bright gold and the sun shines forth. Other times winter returns with gales and snow flurries.

The winds removed a couple of panels from the conservatory; the abbot visited the A&E department briefly after slicing open his finger; good friends Michael and David paid the required attention to the sewerage which needed tweaking; and the stream of generous supporters are helping Sebastian in the kitchen in ways that certainly uplift and nourish the heart as well as the body.

The community continues on it's three month Retreat as it moves into February. Whatever the weather, the walking meditation paths are being well trod.

Falling Snow

On Monday the snow returned, falling all day and covering the ground to a depth of about 4 or 5 inches, then melting back a bit before freezing solid overnight. So the monastery was surrounded by hard, compacted ice on Tuesday morning, which Shamanera Do Gat dealt with by hammering and shovelling. Dr Tilak braved the weather, driving up from Seaham to offer the dana with his friend. By Wednesday the temperature had shot up to a balmy spring-like 13 degrees C and everything was melting.
The 3 month Winter Retreat continues, giving all the members of the community a welcome chance to spend time looking inwards, chipping away or stepping back to allow the gradual melting of compacted places hardened by ignorance, attending to the duties of a contemplative community.


Dana List -

useful food items

• Dark Chocolate
• Cheese
  

And non-food items

• Tissues
  
• Old Newspapers for firelighting
• Stamps
  

Current Announcements

The Calendar for 2008

The Calendar for 2008 is now available for download as a single PDF file. Please note the size is over 890 kB, so it might take few minutes to download it. To download please click here.

Our monastery will be on Winter retreat from 5th of January until 31st of March. We will not be taking any guests again until till the end of March. Only occasionally Dhamma talks might be given during the three months retreat and in such circumstances the talks will be podcasted. We expected to resume weekly talks early in April.

Hilltop Newsletter
The Hilltop Newsletter Winter 2007/8 was has been uploaded. For the newspaper please click here.

Date Mistake - Magha Puja
Unfortunately we made a mistake by announcing Magha Puja as 21st March in our pictorial calendar. It should read 21st February. Sorry about that.

Support team
If anyone would like to spend a month or more supporting the Sangha throughout the winter retreat please contact us here.

Guesthouse manager needed
At Aruna Ratanagiri we are looking for a new guest house manager. Applicants need to be male, fluent in English, comfortably familiar with Theravada Buddhist monastic practice, and able with general repair work. Also, they will need to have a clean driver's licence and be able to commit for at least one year. The caretaker will receive without charge: a single room, two meals a day, the opportunity to participate in retreats and the opportunity to participate in daily meditations. For more information please click here.

Email us from our contact page on http://www.ratanagiri.org.uk/ or phone us on (0166) 188 1612.

Websites manager
We have been wondering if any of our regular friends and supporters have the time and skill to assist the monastery in managing www.ratanagiri.org and www.kusalahouse.org websites. If you are interested please contact Tan Nyanamoli for an appointment to discuss.

New Dhamma talk available
Most recent talks given at Aruna Ratanagiri are available as podcasts or download. Please click here.
The most recently posted talk G.O.D.S. to Believe In was given by Ajahn Munindo on New Year's Eve at Aruna Ratanagiri Monastery.

Sunday Practice Afternoons
We will now hold practise afternoons at Harnham one Sunday of each month from 2 to 5pm. See our calendar for further dates.

A two CD set of a reading of "The Dhammapada for Contemplation."
If you are interested in receiving this please contact the monastery.

For the regular notices please see our newsletter here.

Newer Post Older Post Newer Post Older Post

Silent Week

This week the Winter Retreat has started in earnest. The community is on strict Noble Silence, and is following a daily schedule of pujas and group meditation sits. In the middle of the week, on Wednesday the 16th, it was Luang Por Chah's Memorial Day, it being some 25 years since his funeral. Namtip and a friend came to offer dana. In Thailand thousands of lay supporters and hundreds of monks have been gathering at Wat Nong Pah Pong over this period. Here on the hill, our small community commemorated the occasaion with a special shrine to LP Chah, whilst gathering in silence.

The monastery quietly ticks over. Rolf continues his weekly visits, keeping an eye on mainenance and DIY issues. Ruth visits too, checking on the garden. Mame comes regularly to see to the pot plants. And Tan Nyanamoli keeps a weather eye on the office, forwarding mail and the like.

Dana List -

useful food items

• Dark Chocolate
  
• Fruits
• Green Vegetables
  

And non-food items

• Tissues
  
• A Duster
  

Current Announcements

The Calendar for 2008

The Calendar for 2008 is now available for download as a single PDF file. Please note the size is over 890 kB, so it might take few minutes to download it. To download please click here.

Our monastery will be on Winter retreat from 5th of January until 31st of March. We will not be taking any guests again until till the end of March. Only occasionally Dhamma talks might be given during the three months retreat and in such circumstances the talks will be podcasted. We expected to resume weekly talks early in April.

Hilltop Newsletter
The Hilltop Newsletter Winter 2007/8 was has been uploaded. For the newspaper please click here.

Date Mistake - Magha Puja
Unfortunately we made a mistake by announcing Magha Puja as 21st March in our pictorial calendar. It should read 21st February. Sorry about that.

Support team
If anyone would like to spend a month or more supporting the Sangha throughout the winter retreat please contact us here.

Guesthouse manager needed
At Aruna Ratanagiri we are looking for a new guest house manager. Applicants need to be male, fluent in English, comfortably familiar with Theravada Buddhist monastic practice, and able with general repair work. Also, they will need to have a clean driver's licence and be able to commit for at least one year. The caretaker will receive without charge: a single room, two meals a day, the opportunity to participate in retreats and the opportunity to participate in daily meditations. For more information please click here.

Email us from our contact page on http://www.ratanagiri.org.uk/ or phone us on (0166) 188 1612.

Websites manager
We have been wondering if any of our regular friends and supporters have the time and skill to assist the monastery in managing www.ratanagiri.org and www.kusalahouse.org websites. If you are interested please contact Tan Nyanamoli for an appointment to discuss.

New Dhamma talk available
Most recent talks given at Aruna Ratanagiri are available as podcasts or download. Please click here.
The most recently posted talk G.O.D.S. to Believe In was given by Ajahn Munindo on New Year's Eve at Aruna Ratanagiri Monastery.

Sunday Practice Afternoons
We will now hold practise afternoons at Harnham one Sunday of each month from 2 to 5pm. See our calendar for further dates.

A two CD set of a reading of "The Dhammapada for Contemplation."
If you are interested in receiving this please contact the monastery.

For the regular notices please see our newsletter here.

Newer Post Older Post

Winter Retreat

The Monastery is gradually settling in to quiet retreat mode whilst the world swirls on around it. On Wednesday the local hunt circled about the hill and spent all day weaving back and forth in the vicinity. On Thursday the power was cut, and the Electricity Board men came swooping in like the SAS, carrying chain saws and swinging bravely from ropes high up in the trees hanging over the back of the monastery.
For several days there have been strong piercing winds blowing in the winter cold. In the main house the central heating broke down and for 4 days David and Sebastian were bringing in wood and burning it in the Castle stove as the only way to keep the house warm. By Tuesday it became clear that the fault was in the wiring and Kevin Vallely came and managed to restore heating to the house.


10th January 2008

Dana List -

useful food items

• Cheese
• Soy Milk
• Juice
  

And non-food items

• A Visitors Book
• Betadine
  

Current Announcements

The Calendar for 2008

The Calendar for 2008 is now available for download as a single PDF file. Please note the size is over 890 kB, so it might take few minutes to download it. To download please click here.

Our monastery will be on Winter retreat from 5th of January until 31st of March. We will not be taking any guests again until till the end of March. Only occasionally Dhamma talks might be given during the three months retreat and in such circumstances the talks will be podcasted. We expected to resume weekly talks early in April.

Hilltop Newsletter
The Hilltop Newsletter Winter 2007/8 was has been uploaded. For the newspaper please click here.

Date Mistake - Magha Puja
Unfortunately we made a mistake by announcing Magha Puja as 21st March in our pictorial calendar. It should read 21st February. Sorry about that.

Support team
If anyone would like to spend a month or more supporting the Sangha throughout the winter retreat please contact us here.

Guesthouse manager needed
At Aruna Ratanagiri we are looking for a new guest house manager. Applicants need to be male, fluent in English, comfortably familiar with Theravada Buddhist monastic practice, and able with general repair work. Also, they will need to have a clean driver's licence and be able to commit for at least one year. The caretaker will receive without charge: a single room, two meals a day, the opportunity to participate in retreats and the opportunity to participate in daily meditations. For more information please click here.

Email us from our contact page on http://www.ratanagiri.org.uk/ or phone us on (0166) 188 1612.

Websites manager
We have been wondering if any of our regular friends and supporters have the time and skill to assist the monastery in managing www.ratanagiri.org and www.kusalahouse.org websites. If you are interested please contact Tan Nyanamoli for an appointment to discuss.

New Dhamma talk available
Most recent talks given at Aruna Ratanagiri are available as podcasts or download. Please click here.
The most recently posted talk G.O.D.S. to Believe In was given by Ajahn Munindo on New Year's Eve at Aruna Ratanagiri Monastery.

Sunday Practice Afternoons
We will now hold practise afternoons at Harnham one Sunday of each month from 2 to 5pm. See our calendar for further dates.

A two CD set of a reading of "The Dhammapada for Contemplation."
If you are interested in receiving this please contact the monastery.

For the regular notices please see our newsletter here.

Entering Stillness

Snow Buddha

With the winter weather closing in, the monastery is preparing to enter the traditional 3 month retreat on 7 January. The New Years Eve Gathering of Forgiveness and Aspiration was well attended by about 70 people. On Thursday the hill experienced blizzard conditions and several vehicles got stuck in 5 inches of snow. However the Sangha and the neighbours helped to to dig and pull them out and clear the way.

4th January 2008

Dana List -

useful food items

• cheese
• soy milk
• juice
  

And non-food items

• Kitchen Towel
• A Visitors Book
  

Current Announcements

Our monastery will be on Winter retreat from 5th of January until 31st of March. We will not be taking any guests again until till the end of March. Only occasionally Dhamma talks might be given during the three months retreat and in such circumstances the talks will be podcasted. We expected to resume weekly talks early in April.

Hilltop Newsletter
The Hilltop Newsletter Winter 2007/8 was has been uploaded. For the newspaper please click here.

Date Mistake - Magha Puja
Unfortunately we made a mistake by announcing Magha Puja as 21st March in our pictorial calendar. It should read 21st February. Sorry about that.

Support team
If anyone would like to spend a month or more supporting the Sangha throughout the winter retreat please contact us here.

Guesthouse manager needed
At Aruna Ratanagiri we are looking for a new guest house manager. Applicants need to be male, fluent in English, comfortably familiar with Theravada Buddhist monastic practice, and able with general repair work. Also, they will need to have a clean driver's licence and be able to commit for at least one year. The caretaker will receive without charge: a single room, two meals a day, the opportunity to participate in retreats and the opportunity to participate in daily meditations. For more information please click here.

Email us from our contact page on http://www.ratanagiri.org.uk/ or phone us on (0166) 188 1612.

Websites manager
We have been wondering if any of our regular friends and supporters have the time and skill to assist the monastery in managing www.ratanagiri.org and www.kusalahouse.org websites. If you are interested please contact Tan Nyanamoli for an appointment to discuss.

New Dhamma talk available
Most recent talks given at Aruna Ratanagiri are available as podcasts or download. Please click here.
The most recently posted talk G.O.D.S. to Believe In was given by Ajahn Munindo on New Year's Eve at Aruna Ratanagiri Monastery.

Sunday Practice Afternoons
We will now hold practise afternoons at Harnham one Sunday of each month from 2 to 5pm. See our calendar for further dates.

A two CD set of a reading of "The Dhammapada for Contemplation."
If you are interested in receiving this please contact the monastery.

For the regular notices please see our newsletter here.