Harvest Festival

Kusala Buddha giving blessings

On Saturday Luang Por Sumedho and the gathered Sangha offered a baby blessing for Imogen and Aaron, the grandchildren of Clive and Myint Su, our good friends from Edinburgh. It was held in the newly-finished meditation room at Kusala House, where everybody gathered to hear the Paritta chanting. It was the first time the space was used for such a formal occasion and hopefully the first of many. We wish Imogen and Aaron a happy life and hope to see them back at Kusala House in years to come, on retreat..

Then on Sunday came the Kathina festival, beautifully organized and orchestrated by Khun Jeab. We were joined the afternoon before by many visiting monks and nuns from our other monasteries, and hundreds of people came along for the celebrations on the day. This year, the Kathina cloth was presented to Ajahn Munindo and the robe was made by Tan Hiriko, who measured, cut, and sewed a sabong in just over 6 hours (and without any mistakes!). Luang Por Sumedho gave the Dhamma discourse and visitors stayed to chat informally with the senior monks in attendance. We are very grateful to Khun Jeab for his effort and also to everyone else who helped to set up and put away everything in such an orderly fashion.

The senior Sangha members had their six-monthly Elder's Council on Monday, giving our junior visitors a chance to brave the elements and experience some of the local geography. Then after a well-attended Patimokkha recitation on Wednesday, our guests left for their respective monasteries, and life at Harnham returned to comparative stillness. Though not very long: tomorrow Ajahn Munindo and Samanera Visuddhi will journey down to Amaravati for their Kathina, after which Ajahn will return and S. Visuddhi will venture further to Chithurst, where he will help out during their 'forest month' and return just before Christmas.

Men's Retreat

Luang Por Sumedho visiting

After all the hard work that went into finishing Kusala House, the community at Harnham had the great blessing to receive Luang Por Sumedho, who led the male retreat this last week. 21 increasingly wiser men sat for the retreat (including our good friend th Rev. Lewyn), applying themselves diligently to their walking and sitting meditation; and listening intently, along with the whole monastic community, to Luang Por's rousing and edifying twice daily Dhamma discourses. We offer him our heartfelt gratitude for such a wonderful and privileged opportunity.

Accompanying him are Ajahn Paññasāro and Ajahn Jayanto, and last night Ajahn Chandapālo from our branch monastery Santacittarama in Italy arrived ahead of the forthcoming Kathina celebrations on Sunday, for which we will be joined by many more senior Bhikkhus and nuns, who will be making use of the space at Kusala House (see below). Luang Por will be giving the Dhamma talk in the afternoon (approx. 2pm) and we welcome you all to join us.

On Monday we are hosting the Elders Council biannual meeting, after which we will say goodbye to the visiting Sangha guests, and things should return to their usual pace.

Done

Kusala Buddha


As this stunning photo reveals, the meditation room at Kusala House is now complete. It is a great joy; it has been 7 years coming, involving lots of hard work and lots of energy, but it's all been well spent. Now the space is there to be used for meditation, study groups and meetings. Keep an eye on our calendar for 2009 and you will see a variety of activities indicated.
More immediately, starting tomorrow, Saturday 18th, 24 male guests will make use of Kusala House while Luang Por Sumedho leads a meditation retreat. Immediately after that on 25th October, we will welcome 22 Sangha guests from the other European monasteries who will be joining us for this year's Kathina (led by Khun Jeab), and for the Elders' Council meeting on Monday 27th. This does mean that, unfortunately, visitors joining us for Kathina will not be able to experience the splendors of the newly-completed meditation room, but we warmly welcome you to come back soon and look around.

Countdown to Completion

Rita and Laszlo installing the third seat

The Autumn is definitely here, with colder and wetter weather, though we have had some beautiful, bright and crisp days here on the hill. For the Community it is also the end of Vassa, and now we're preparing for Kathina, the robe-offering ceremony which heralds the end of the traditional rains retreat for the Sangha.

In the next few days Kusala House will have reached completion. On Monday our friend Simon Wynn sent two of his workers to lay the flooring throughout the ground floor, from the porch right through to the kitchenette. It took them two days, working into the evening to finish it and it makes such a difference. Trust Director Kath Jones has donated the beautiful frame which now hangs opposite the sliding doors, and the table (dedicated to Inju Lee) for the lobby area arrived on Wednesday; combined with some furniture rearrangement by Ven. Hiriko and Visuddhi- under the direction of Ajahn Munindo- and the whole area is now somewhere in which people can sit, relax and engage in Dhammasakacca with one another. Also, on Monday, Rita and Laszlow generously offered 3 garden benches for the patio, providing another refreshing place to sit and contemplate Dhamma…or just to talk with friends (is there any difference?).

Today Geoff Jackson sent us one of his skilled craftsman to build a cupboard at the bottom of the stairs, which he finished by approx 4:30pm, and on Monday we'll begin fitting the skirting boards, erect the shrine and then.... that's it: Kusala House will be finished, ready for the 25 men attending Luang Por Sumedho's retreat on Friday.

Ending and beginning

Ajahn Punnyo in Thailand

Ajahn Punnyo has been in touch from Thailand discussing his return. If things go to plan we expect to see him here by the end of November (we already have him booked in to visit the Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow groups in December). It will bring his sojourn in Asia to an end, at least for now, with his intending to spend an extended period at Harnham. Sadhu.

It will soon be the end of this years Rains retreat (vassa) and it has indeed rained. But it has also be a rewarding time for all of us here. Now Ajahn Munindo is planning a trip to visit his Mother in New Zealand (December to February) taking Tun Nyanamoli with him and dropping him off to stay for ten weeks with Ajahn Sawaeng in NE Thailand. Ajahn Sawaeng says he hopes to join us for the rains Retreat next year....

Meanwhile, the building site of Kusala House is about to cease being a building site. Last weekends retreat led by Ajahn Candasiri will be the last time our lay guests have had to meditate amongst the building materials. Simon Wynn will send his workers to lay the floor this coming Monday, hoping to have it all complete in two or three days.

Anagarika Sebastian’s mother is visiting here for the first time and we are glad she will be here to see her son turn into Samanera Sunnyato. Hope to see some of you here too – 7pm Saturday 4th October.