Friday 25 April 2008

Supporters


Kath needs a hand.


...and while the community were recovering from the last Saturday's dust, spilled chemicals and paint, a large group of supporters from Thailand came and offered the robe to the Sangha in a ceremony which happened on Thursday and went smoothly which was not a surprise considering the amount of preparations involved, so when the next morning we waved goodbye to Ajahn Vajiro, who kindly decided to pay us a visit and at the same time fill the temporary gap in our Sangha caused by Ajahn Punnyo's stay in Devon and Tan Hiriko's visit to Slovenia, our minds were able to focus on the remaining work in the Kusala House and be ready for the tomorrow's second leg of the voluntary work day and although a great deal of work has already been done as the picture speaks for itself we do hope people will turn up and give their contribution so until then...


Thursday 17 April 2008

Everybody welcome…


Deva in the Kusala Conservatory


Last Sunday many people came to celebrate ‘Songkran’ – New Year or the Water Pouring Festival, as it is known in South-East Asian countries. All went well; people restrained themselves from throwing water on each other, as is a favorite custom in Thailand. Anumodana for the many offerings brought on that day.

Kusala House is still serving as the heart (or rather the stomach) of our monastery. Two weeks of kitchen rebuilding up in the house can sometimes last longer then fourteen days… At the moment workers are diligently finishing the lighting, floor, sink etc. and putting everything in order to make it usable for the forthcoming Pa Pah ceremony – sort of an out-of-season-Kathina, taking place on Thursday 24th of April. The day will start around 10am with preparations for the meal offering which is at 11am, followed by chanting, a Dhamma talk… Needless to say everyone is very welcome, and while you are checking your diary also mark 7pm on 17th of May, the Big Day for Shramanera Do Gat, who will receive his samanera ordination (pabbajja). Everyone is welcome to attend. On this coming Saturday, as we announced earlier, voluntary work day – emptying the workshop so Kath’s retreatants can use it as the additional space when Ajahn Anandabodhi comes to teaches the retreat in the beginning of May. The workday will start at 8-9am and needless to say… everybody welcome!

That would be all for this New Year which started on Sunday. It doesn’t feel as anything new and there are good reasons for it: At Savatthi. There the Blessed One said: “Bhikkhus, this running on from existence to existence is without discoverable beginning. A beginning point is not evident of beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving... it is enough to ..... become dispassionate, enough to be liberated.”

[Sukhita Sutta, SN 15.11]

Monday 14 April 2008

The Empty Vessel


the vase that will become a Buddha


The Three Ajahns: Ajahn Munindo, Ajahn Abhinando and Ajahn Punnyo (together with attending Shramanera Do Gat) left Tan Hiriko and Tan Nyanamoli to act as the incumbents of the monastery. Sounds like a big deal, but fortunately it is not too difficult, although the greatest challenges are yet to come. At the moment the Bhikkhus are supported by An. Trevor and friend Graeme from Scotland, so with only four people it is very quiet here (if we ignore the farmer’s bulldozer running up and down the hill). Last week our friend Martin (with help of Do Gat-si and Peter) has done some nice stone work in the garden. The main wonder of this undertaking is the new stone shrine which, while it waits for the special Buddha statue to arrive from Burma, is holding the big and empty clay pot – a rather good symbol for… something… On the last Sunday we also had quite a few people gathering here, some of them for the meetings, some for Jody’s memorial and some just to see what’s going on. They all blended well together and these events went as smooth as possible. On Tuesday Rita kindly helped us out with cooking and Rolf with fitting the new workshop. It is hoped that the old workshop will be moved from Kusala House over to its new home on one of the voluntary work days which will take place on two Saturdays - 19th and 26th April respectively. The main aim is to enable the Kusala House for the forthcoming retreats (the first Women’s retreat in the beginning of May). Tan Nyanamoli and Rolf will act as 'foremen’ on the 19th and if you wish to give them a hand with this important project please contact us for more details.

And to finish this with a possible symbolism of the pot:

As a potter's clay vessels
large and small

fired and unfired

all end up broken,
so too life
heads to death.
Young and old

wise and foolish

rich and poor:

all come under the sway of death,

all have death as their end.


[from Salla Sutta, Sn 3.8]


Wednesday 2 April 2008

Coming out of Retreat


Tun Nyanamoli's road-making meditation


This week the Winter Retreat finished on 31st March and the Spring comings and goings started on 1st April as Abramina caught her plane back to Holland. Anagarika Sebastian's plane was cancelled and he had to return to the monastery for one night, before catching his flight to Germany the next day for a two week home visit. Then on Thursday Ajahn Punnyo takes the train north to teach in Scotland for three days. On Monday 7th April Ajahns Munindo, Abhinando and Punnyo catch the southbound train to Amaravati to take part in the Elders and Theras meetings, leaving Tan Hiriko and Tan Nyanamoli to hold the fort along with Trevor. Martin, Peter and Shramanera Do Gat are making the most of the spring sunshine and working on the Meditation Garden, which is dedicated to the parents of Moe Thurzar.