News Updates, Page 22

Bhante Subharo Has Arrived

A warm welcome to Bhante Subharo.  He arrived from Birken Forest Monastery on November 27th.  A short bio has been put up on the resident community page.  Be sure to say hello next time you stop by the monastery.

Bhante Vijita Visiting

We are pleased to welcome Bhante Vijita for a visit.  Bhante is from Hilda Jayawardana (Heron Road) Temple in Ottawa.  He arrived on December ninth and will be staying with us until the 14th.

Workshop Coming Along

Our new workshop is coming along.  The wood stove has been installed and the outside cladding has been put on.  Next, the insulation will be put in and benches and shelves will be built.  Take a peek next time you stop by.

New Year’s Bonfire

New Year’s eve is coming up.  We’ll be ringing in the New Year at Tisarana in the traditional way.  We’ll have a puja followed by a Dhamma talk at 7pm.  After the talk, there will be a bonfire (which is pretty big this year!).  Finally, we’ll have some meditation and paritta chanting around midnight.  Please join us if you have the time.

Public Meditation Still On

Luang Por Viradhammo is enjoying a week of solitary retreat, but he will still give the Public Meditation on Saturday, December 15th.… Read the rest

Dec 4, 2012 – The Ottawa Buddhist Society “Day of Mindfulness” event with Ajahn Viradhammo, scheduled for Saturday, Dec 8th, has been cancelled.… Read the rest

Another New Community Member

We are happy to welcome Bhante Subharo to Tisarana.  Bhante is originally from Sitavana (Birken) Forest Monastery in British Columbia.  Bhante will be joining us on the 27th of November.  He plans to stay indefinitely.  Tisarana is growing!

Workshop Renovation

The workshop is coming along.  Our excellent builders, Lorrie and Kyle, have put siding around half of the building.  We’ll post some photos shortly.

Ajahn Kusalo’s Latest News

We heard from Ajahn Kusalo recently.  He is doing very well in New Zealand.  Everything seems to be running smoothly at Bodhinyanarama.  Sadhu Ajahn Kusalo!

New Year’s Celebration

As is our custom, there will be a new year’s eve celebration on the 31st of December.  Join us at 7pm for meditation and a Dhamma talk.  After the talk, there will be a bonfire — bring your own marshmallows!  If you can stay until 12pm, we’ll ring in the new year with meditation and some chanting.

Winter Retreat Approaches

We’re looking forward to our annual winter retreat.  The retreat will run from early January until late March.  The monks typically devote themselves to meditation and study during this time.

Luang Por Viradhammo will leave in January to visit Thailand.  He will return in February to finish the retreat with the community.… Read the rest

New Resident

We have a new a resident at Tisarana.  A warm welcome to Anagarika John, who has joined us from Birken monastery in B.C.  His intention is to stay on to continue his training at Tisarana.  You can find out more about Anagarika John on the Resident Community page on the website.  Be sure to say hello the next time you stop by.

New Website

Our new website up and running!  The layout is basically the same as the old one, so you should be able to find your way around pretty easily.  The biggest differences are on the administrative side.  The website is easier to keep maintained.  It is also easier for the relatively computer illiterate add photos, edit pages, etc.  We’ve also added many books to the ‘Books’ page.  Take a look if you haven’t already.

There may very well still be some kinks in the site that we haven’t noticed.  If you see anything that’s not working, or if you have any suggestions, please send us an e-mail.

Sincere thanks to Tavaro in England for his help.  Without his impetus, the website we have would not have been built.

Accounting Database

More computer news!  Tina and Geoff Karlson have spent quite a bit of time bringing our accounting system up to date. … Read the rest

Luang Por Viradhammo Away Teaching Retreat

Luang Por Viradhammo will be away teaching a ten day retreat in Aylmer, Quebec. The retreat runs from the seventh to the 17th of September. Days of mindfulness will continue with a recorded talk being played. Have a good retreat Luang Por!

Gratitude to Parents Day

Gratitude to Parents Day is coming up soon. It will take place on September 22nd. It is a great opportunity to express appreciation and gratitude for the goodness we have received from our parents. Participants are encouraged to arrive around 10:30am. The day will begin with a potluck dana at 11:00am. Following lunch, there will be some Dhamma reflections. Dedication chanting will occur either before or after lunch. All are welcome.

Ten Day Retreat at Tisarana

We will be holding a ten-day, non-residential retreat held at the monastery. It runs from October 1st to October 11th. Because of our small shrine room, space is very limited. This is an experiment to see if we can do a longer retreat at Tisarana without providing residential facilities. For further information or booking, contact Marion Foot at marion.itsgoodenough@gmail.com

Sati Saraniya Foundation Pouring

We chanted blessings before the pouring of cement for the foundations of the new Dhamma Hall at Sati Saraniya.… Read the rest

Gratitude to Parents Day

Gratitude to Parents Day is a chance to express appreciation and gratitude for the goodness we have received from our parents. It will take place on September 22nd. Participants are encouraged to arrive around 10:30am. The day will begin with a potluck dana at 11:00am. Following lunch, there will be some Dhamma reflections. Dedication chanting will occur either before or after lunch. All are welcome.

Ten Day Retreat at Tisarana

There will be a non-residential retreat held at the monastery from October 1st to October 11th. Because of our small shrine room, space is very limited. This is an experiment to see if we can do a longer retreat at Tisarana without providing residential facilities. For further information or booking, contact Marion Foot at marion.itsgoodenough@gmail.com.

Monastery Building Projects

Thanks to the hard work of our builders, Lori and Kyle, the new kuti is basically finished and should be ready for habitation within a week. The next major construction project will be a re-modeling of the workshop. The floor will be re-done and the building will be sealed to provide protection from the elements. We also have a new road into the kuti sites, which allows small trucks and vehicles such as ambulances access to the area where the monks live.… Read the rest

Luang Por Viradhammo Returns

Luang Por Viradhammo has returned from England. His trip seems to have been very successful. He visited Chithurst and Aruna Ratanagiri. He also visited Amaravati and led a ten day retreat. Welcome back Luang Por!

New Photos Uploaded

We have uploaded over 700 new photos. There are over 600 photos of Luang Por’s trip to Laos, China, and Thailand in Early 2012. It is a slideshow that’s worth seeing. There are images of great natural beauty. The images from Thailand are very inspiring. Looking at them gives an idea of the scope of Buddhism in Asia. It also gives an idea of the larger tradition that Tisarana is connected to. Have a look here.
There are also over 80 photos of Luang Por Sopa and Luang Por Kampong’s visit in late June. As well as sightseeing, they also gave encouragement and teaching to the Sangha. On the last day of their visit, they officiated at an almsgiving ceremony where friends from the Thai embassy offered a substantial donation to our building fund and other requisites for the use of the Sangha. Have a look here.

Podcast Back Again

The Tisarana podcast is up and running again. The latest talk uploaded is called ‘With This as Condition, That Comes to Be’.… Read the rest

Venerable Thai Ajahns Visit

Our Venerable Ajahns from Thailand left this past Sunday for Abhayagiri Monastery in California. It was a lovely opportunity for us to have them here. We spent most of the week sightseeing with the Ajahns. They also answered Dhamma questions during tea time. It was our good fortune to have the chance to receive their teachings.

This past Saturday, the Ajahns facilitated a Tot Pa Pa at Tisarana. This is a ceremony where robe cloth is offered to the Bhikkhu Sangha, as well as other items. The Thai community came out in force for the occasion, and to offer their support for Tisarana. Sincere thanks to the Royal Thai Ambassador, the Thai Embassy, the Thai community and to all who came to participate in the event.

Ajahn Thanissaro to Visit Ottawa and Tisarana

Ajahn Thanissaro will pay a visit to the Ottawa area next week. He will hold a public talk on Thursday, July 12 from 7:30 – 9:30 in the evening. The talk will take place at at St. Paul’s University on Main Street, not far from the Ottawa Hospital and the Glebe. Ajahn Thanissaro is one of the foremost voices in Western Theravada Buddhism. It is a rare and wonderful opportunity to hear him speak.… Read the rest

Venerable Ajahns From Thailand to Visit

Our Venerable Ajahns from Thailand have finally received their visas and will be arriving at Tisarana on the 24th of June. Their American visas were unsure until a few days ago.
On the 30th of June the Thai Embassy will be making offerings to the monastery on behalf of the government of Thailand. This as a great honour for us and we are fortunate that our elders in the Thai Sangha are joining us on this occasion.
After the dana offerings and a shared meal, there will be a Dhamma talk given by Ajahn Sopa and translated by Ven. Thaniyo, an Australian monk who is accompanying the group. All are welcome to come. Pot luck as usual for the meal. … Read the rest

Welcome to Ajahn Hasapanno
We are delighted to have Ajahn Hasapanno visit us from Thailand. Ajahn is originally from the Mississauga area and will be staying at Tisarana for about six months. A warm welcome to Ajahn!

Annual General Meeting
The annual general meeting of Tisarana Buddhist Monastery will occur on Sunday, June 10th at 1pm. The meeting will be held at the monastery; all are welcome.

New Committee Members Needed
We are currently looking for two new committee members with experience in either accounting or construction. If you are interested, please send a message to office@tisarana.ca.

Ajahn Tiradhammo’s Visit
We are happy to welcome Ajahn Tiradhammo to Tisarana. He will visit from June 6th to 16th. Ajahn Tiradhammo is a seniour disciple of Ajahn Chah and a good friend of Ajahn Viradhammo. Ajahn Kusalo has recently taken over for him as abbot of Bodhinyanarama monastery in Wellington, New Zealand. Ajahn Tiradhammo will give a talk at Tisarana on the Day of Mindfulness on Saturday, June 9th. He will also offer teachings to the resident community and other visitors during his stay.

Venerable Ajahns From Thailand to Visit We are honoured to host Ajahn Sopah and Ajahn Kumpong at Tisarana from the 25th of June to the first of July.… Read the rest