Progress Update: April 29, 2008

>> Vesak:
This will now be held at the monastery. Not, as originally planned, at the Pagoda. Vesak celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha and the sangha will offer readings and reflections on these throughout the day (generally more celebratory than meditative).
10:00 – Precepts & chanting. Meditation, readings & reflections.
11:00 – Rice pindapat.
11:30 – Shared meal.
1:00 – Dhamma talk, readings & reflections.
2:00 – Closing chanting.
You are then welcome to join the sangha for tea, continue meditating, go for a walk and generally enjoy the situation.

>> Days of Mindfulness – mornings:
Make a full day of the day of mindfulness. Join us at 8:30 and help out for a couple of hours with various work projects around the monastery. Lots of yard work, a bit of construction, firewood, etc. Nothing too strenuous and no hurry, no worry, no fuss, no stress.

>> Visiting Monks:
We will have three monks visiting with us on Friday from Toronto, staying overnight and joining us for the dana on Saturday. They are from the Sri Lankan forest tradition so it will be nice to explore extensions of our sangha.

>> Safe:
We inherited a safe with the house and plan to use it for the office. It really is a very safe safe, we can’t open it, even with the combination.! How many Theravadins does it take to…? Sandpapering the fingertips has been the most common suggestion. A way will be found.

>> Projects:
There are two work projects on the go at the moment. Storage shelving in the workshop and a side-door into the meditation module. [photos] See the before/after shot of the workshop – a veritable transformation.

>> Spring:
It has arrived, complete with all characterstics: impermanent, unreliable, not-self. AK