Silent Week

Quietude pervades Harnham

At Harnham for the week ending 22nd August we are taking part in what we call our silent practice week where work projects and group gatherings are reduced allowing community members the space and time to attend responsibly to their own personal practice, whether it be meditation or study or whatever else calls them (the two applicants for Samanera pabbajja are sewing robes, quietly).

The kitchen still remains a busy part of the monastery, where Anagarika Michael has temporarily returned to his post as kitchen manager with the help of Gabor while Tomas is at home following the passing away of his grandfather. These two cooks also had some quiet time as several danas were offered this week, the first by the Sri Lankan community on Monday. Mame arrived with full dana on Tuesday and Cesare, our long term guest and friend, prepared many Italian dishes on Wednesday. With such an abundance of guests the kitchen has certainly not been empty but everyone has done their best to maintain the peaceful atmosphere that silent week brings.

We are also delighted to report that Ajahn Jayanto's retreat was greatly appreciated by the 19 male retreatants who participated. He made his way back to Amaravati on Sunday and arrived safely. He kindly accepted an invitation to return next year; and while talking about such matters, we have had confirmation that Ajahn Tiradhammo (April), Ajahn Sucitto (May), and Ajahn Amaro (October) will also be leading retreats here next year.

Ajahn Jayanto's Retreat

Tan Nyanamoli and the new porch

This week Harnham has been hosting a silent meditation retreat, led by Ajahn Jayanto, who has travelled from Amaravati to offer his guidance to twenty committed meditators who have filled our retreat house. For Myke this is the first retreat as Kusala House Caretaker and so far he is doing a wonderful job in caring for the house and its silent guests.

Our front porch has finally come to completion thanks to the diligent and tireless efforts of Tan Nyanamoli. The hefty Northumberland weather had slowly worn down areas of the porch which have since been replaced and painted. The new work compliments Jeff Jackson’s new door resulting in a completely renovated porch ready to welcome all to the main house of Harnham.

Meanwhile the mysterious midnight screeching puzzle has been solved. A few weeks ago it was mentioned in the blog that it was a pair of barn owls that were providing nocturnal accompaniment to our midnight sittings, but the barn owls were wrongly blamed and it was in fact a pair of tawny owls – somewhat smaller, more common and considerably more elusive.

Ajahn Abhinando and Ajahn Punnyo engaged in the noble tradition of alms-round this Tuesday and trekked to Morpeth, a whole twelve miles away. They received offerings from six different people, some old friends and some who were completely new to Buddhism. Sadly the walk back was sullied by Northumbrian rain, but spirits were not dampened.

Saturday will mark the end of the retreat, where we will bring the week to a close with the sharing of blessings. The community at Harnham would like to express its gratitude and appreciation to Ajahn Jayanto for his time and effort in leading this retreat, and we would also like to thank the wider monastic and lay community who have all helped to make this retreat possible.

Pilgrims

Ben and Bill on Pilgrimage

Jeff Jackson has been helping the monastery recently with repairing the two main front doors, which over the years have suffered in the Northumberland weather. At the weekend Robert and Tina came up from the warmer South to experience some Northumbrian quiet and Kim returned to Denmark.

Tun Hiriko's parents Marjan and Marina returned to Slovenia after having been introduced to the sights of the North east and after a week with us Patrick headed back down South.

Having set off on a Pilgrimage around Britain in May, Ben and Bill came to stay with us for four days. They had trekked down from Lindisfarne and after Kusala House they would be walking into Throssel Hole Priory to try out the rigours of a Zen retreat. On Wednesday Ajahn Sawaeng returned from the Tort Pah Bah at Santacittarama in Italy and Bernd arrived to help celebrate Anagarika Micheal's birthday on Thursday.

On Friday Maria Isabel is returning to Spain after having taught many of us some Spanish language and shown the Anagarikas Catalan dishes. Her lively presence has been appreciated by many over these last three weeks. In the afternoon a large interfaith group of ladies coming with the Bishop of Newcastle's adviser will be talking with Ajahn Punnyo.

European takeover

Tan Hiriko with his parents

Strange unearthly screeching noises have been heard behind the monastery most nights this week. After some uncertainty it was decided that it was a pair of Barn Owls calling to each other as they hunt together. Vlad confirmed that they live amongst the trees and crags up beyond Harnham Hall.

Ajahn Abhinando visited the Leeds Meditation Group at the end of last week and on Saturday a dozen senior citizens from St.Hugh's Church in Gosforth came to talk with Ajahn Punnyo and were very impressed with the simplicity and beauty of the monastery and its gardens. After the committee meeting on Sunday Anna Portaro stayed over for the night and Kim Parfitt from Denmark came to stay for a week. Early in the week the two Peters left: Peter Kraszna returned to Hungary and Peter Dolan returned to Gateshead.

Many of you will remember Vlad from the Czech Republic who has joined us for a couple of weeks. On Tuesday Tun Hiriko's parents, Marijan and Marina arrived after a long journey from Slovenia to visit for a week. Mame, Maureen and Kath are helping to guide them round the many sights & holy sites of Northumbria. Also a regular from Chithurst, Patrick Butler came for a week of Northumbrian spirituality. On Wednesday, whilst the Slovenians where on Lindisfarne, Ajahn Punnyo and Myke headed over to Carlisle to spread the Dhamma amongst the Cumbrians.

On Friday Ajahn Sawaeng flew over to Italy to take part in a Tort Pah Bah with Luang Por Sumedho, which Nam Tip has been helping to organise. To compensate for Ajahn Sawaeng's absence Cesare flew over from Italy to be with us for much of August. In the evening Gabor took the eight precepts to become an anagarika and Ajahn Munindo delivered a rousing exhortation on renunciation and practice to welcome Anagarika Gabor into the Community. His themes were focus, consistency, renunciation, intensity and kindness.

Also on Friday Ajahn Abhinando and Tun Nyanavisuddhi attended the recommended daylong course on first aid. And on Saturday Ajahn Abhinando will be hosting a Renga Afternoon in Kusala House from 1pm to 7pm.

Doing and not-doing

morning pindapat (almsround)

As usual our week started with Monday being a quiet day. Ajahn Punnyo took the opportunity to leave early in the morning and walk pindapat in Hexham. Google Earth says that Harnham to Hexham is a distance of about 21 miles and should take about 35 minutes. Since he was not in any hurry Ajahn Punnyo took about 9 hours to get there; getting back took perhaps a little longer. (BTW, the nice photo is not of Ajahn Punnyo and it is not North-east England, but probably our friend Ajahn Siripannyo in Thailand).
Peripatetic seekers of Truth are not often seen wandering the roads of Northumberland these days, but in older times they were not a rare sight. They were visible reminders of the inner journey. As they maintained a commitment to their own inner work, these seekers showed others that contentment is not necessarily linked to accumulation. When we get caught up in doing things to get more all the time, we lose perspective and forget about not-doing. We feel like if we stop doing things something will go wrong. The Buddha's teachings point to the middle way; the place of balance. Ajahn Chah told us to 'make doing the same as not-doing'.
It is a joy to find plenty of seekers of Truth coming to stay at the monastery to be reminded. At the beginning of the week Muriel and Ursula came from Edinburgh. Peter was here from Hungry, also Maria Isabel and Juan from Spain and Stephane from France. At the end of the week we were joined by a group from the Church of England.
We are looking forward to next week having Tun Hiriko's mother and father join us from Slovenia, also our dear friend Cesare from Milano. We aim to inspire them to do very little. In fact encourage them how to do nothing at all.

The Harnham Rainy Season

Tan Nyanavisuddhi

Having left Harnham in June as Samanera Visuddhi to travel to Amaravati to prepare for the Upasampada, Tan Nyanavisuddhi (Purified Knowledge) joined the rest of the community in determining the three month Vassa period last week. Traditionally this is a period of intensification of practice and many monks take on personal practices and make vows. It was introduced in Asia because this is the rice growing season and wandering monks might damage the crops, as well as getting caught in the monsoon. So the Buddha had the community determine to stay in one place for the Rainy Season.

In Britain this corresponds with our summer, which is of course the ideal time for travel. So the monastery receives many visitors and this is a time of increased activity. This means that the traditional Rainy Season Retreat is observed in a very different manner here in the West.

However there are some small and slightly charming cross-cultural correspondences, and our little semi-flooded paddy behind Kusala House has been enjoying the traditional British rainy summer season and the reed crop is very much thriving. Hunched figures can be seen transpanting seedlings into the water. Even a few mosquitoes have been spotted searching for someone to bite. East meets West on the Hill.

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Teak Oil Transmission

Andrew initiates Mike in the arts of care-taking.

Having taken over this week, Mike Evans, the new Kusala House caretaker has hit the ground running. Andrew has given him the transmission, and together they have been taking advantage of the fine weather to spruce up the garden furniture and exterior woodwork. Andrew took his leave on Wednesday. With much appreciation and gratitude for the fine job he did over the last year, the Community wishes him the very best in his journey to the East.

Also this week, on Saturday, the Bhikkhu Sangha accepted four new monks into its ranks, one from each of the branch monasteries in England. Having said goodbye to Samanera Visuddhi, the Community welcomes Bhikkhu Nyanavisuddhi, who, along with the rest of the Sangha entered the Vassa Rainy Season Retreat here on the hilltop on Wednesday.

In Thailand this is an important festival, and here in Northumberland Nam Tip together with a group of fellow Thais came to celebrate the day and were led in the traditional chanting and offering by Ajahn Sawaeng. Also, fortuitously and with perfect timing, Penny Holden and her friend came to generously offer homegrown and homebaked gifts.