News Updates, Page 31

Vesak Celebration
About 50 people came to share in Vesak good tidings. We listened to the Ajahns give the stories of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and parinibbana. Even a bit of Vesak hay got pitched. (check out photo album)

Tatiyampi Bhante
Buddhist do everything three times, eh? Well, It looks like for a third time, we have to re-schedule Luang Por Sumedho’s visit. We really did have everything all set and confirmed. But life is uncertain. (Someone should make a religion out of that, eh?) So as sure as we can be, Luang Por will be with us in 2010. Stay tuned for specific dates.

One K leaves, one K stays, another K one arrives
Ajahn Kusalo headed south last week, leaving Bhikkhu Khemaratana alone until… Ajahn Karunadhammo arrives. Ajahn Karunadhammo will be visiting Tisarana from June 5 to 26 from his home monastery of Abhayagiri(abhayagiri.org). He was the first monk ordained there a little over ten years ago. Please be sure to visit with the venerable while he is here.

The Buddha takes his seat
He’s big, he’s white, and he’s with us for meditation. This Sri Lankan style Buddha rupa(statue) makes a wonderful addition to our meditation module. Much gratitude to all who made this gift possible.… Read the rest

Beautiful Buddha:
Ranjini Alwis and friends in our Buddhist community have brought a Buddha statue to Tisarana – via Sri Lanka. [photo] What a wonderful gift, and the timing is serendipitously coincident, and even at the same time, as our Vesak celebration. It is not every day that a Buddha pops in.

Grand Opening:
The back wall of the meditation module has been opened up – and it looks grand and spacious. This is to provide extra room for Vesak (this Saturday; 17th, 10am) and for the larger numbers expected for the Days of Mindfulness over the summer.

Lavish Acquisition:
So many pun-potentials. Restraint might be the best option. Yes, just sit on it for now. Enough to say that the monastery has purchased two portable toilets. We have rented toilets for past gatherings so this will be quite a long-term saving.

First Tree:
We had our first memorial tree planting recently. Maxi the cat. With so much wet land about a willow seemed a good choice. Weeping. We have not yet had our first human memorial. No hurry of course but, there is an opportunity here.

Ajahn Away:
Ajahn Kusalo will be travelling until early August to be with his mother in Australia for her birthday in July.… Read the rest

Ajahn Sumedho:
Dates have been confirmed for Luang Por Sumedho’s visit next year: 20th April — 4th May 2009. It is hoped that there will be a variety of events that will involve as many people as possible. Details are slowly coming together and will be posted over the next few months.

Vesak DATE:
So focussed on the specifics that the main detail was overlooked, the date.! MAY 17th, this coming Saturday. Ten o’clock start. The Buddha life, the living buddha. Details on the Events Calendar.

Screen Test:
Auditions are being held at Tisarana for “buddha of the moment.” Everyone is eligible – to be ‘buddha (knowing dhamma)’. The current favourite for the residential position [photo] will be arriving at Tisarana (via Thailand via Montreal) toward the end of the month. There will be a procession from Montreal with a celebratory dana at the monastery. If you would like to join the procession or participate in any way please contact Dianne: bookings {@} tisarana.ca

Visiting Monks:
What a delight to have contact with young monks so obviously benefitting from their committment to the holy life. [photo]

First Pindapat:
Being a very young monastery there are a succession of ‘firsts.’ The resident sangha recently went on its first pindapat to a neighbourly supporter’s house.… Read the rest

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.… Read the rest

Committe Meeting:
We came together in harmony, talked in harmony and parted in harmony. Very good. Things generally look OK. Budgets approved, work projects approved, Ajahn Sumedho visit approved (2009), vehicles, new Buddha image, house… all just fine. Gratitude is such a lovely thread to have running through the fabric of any assembly. And, thank you. That you are reading this is a sign of your participation – however small.

Pantry:
One house project agreed was the conversion of the old basement water resevoir into a walk-in pantry. [photo] Did you even know we had such a thing? About 10’x5′, at the bottom of the stairs behind the laundry tubs. Currently just empty space. One advantage is that it will be relatively easy to render mouse-proof.

Steward:
Cathy (our kitchen steward) is away for nearly a month looking at a possible place to ordain. We wish her well with this. If it works out we will need a new kitchen steward. As you will have read earlier we are no longer going grocery shopping (including household products). We are only eating food that lay supporters bring directly so the steward’s work is mostly cooking and co-ordinating dana.

The Totally Efficient Office:
We have been restructuring office systems in an attempt to divide the work into logical ‘departments’ – that several people can cover independantly – and to simplify each department’s function.… Read the rest

Historic Moment:
Perhaps a bit esoteric for the non-monastic but we had our first recitation of the Patimokkha (monks vinaya) last new moon. Two things need to come together to make this possible – the moon day and the presence of a sangha (four monks). We have had the monks before but not the moon. We were very fortunate to have venerable Hasapa… Read the rest

Winter Gratitude:
Our winter retreat is over and the level of activity is already on the increase. With the early days of spring it is nice to have both the robins and various lay friends returning. On the last evening of the retreat all participants expressed deep gratitude at having had the opportunity to spend such an extended length of time in meditation. We would like to thank all those who came to help out in the kitchen and to EVERYone who has and continues to support the monastery. Thank you. We are now accepting over-night visitors should you wish to come and stay for a while.

Marion:
Many of you may already know but, part way through the retreat, Marion’s sister took ill and Marion left to go care for her. She took this up as a long-term committment and has no plans to return to the monastery to live. Marion was the first one here and a lot of her early work was setting things up; beginnings are always a challenge. There were many hours in the kitchen but it was in the office that she excelled. Banking, budgets, filing systems, liason with… most everyone, you name it, she had it covered.… Read the rest

Winter Retreat:
All that arises – passes away. March is near an end and our retreat is similarly approaching its end. The snow may linger on for a while yet. We will finish the retreat with a week of group practice. Meditation 5.30am – 8.30pm. You are most welcome to join us for any or all of this.

Days of Mindfulness:
These continue, every Saturday – 2pm. No doubt attendance will increase once the retreat is over and the weather improves.

Ajahn Sumedho:
Just to clarify. We have invited him for sometime next year, 2009. The date has yet to be finalised and there are many other details still undecided. Rest assured you will be kept informed as thing unfold.

Where are You:
Look at the time already. Where is your mind? More to the point, where will you be June 6-15? We have need of a male steward for this short period while residents (except Bhante Khemmaratana) are on retreat with Ayya Medhanandi. So, there would just be the two of you. A great opportunity for a self-retreat or long, quiet walks or…. Contact the monastery.

Photos:
It has been a stunning winter and a great retreat. A few monastics, lay and other, pushed the shutter once or twice and the results of this will appear once ‘retreat mode’ has reached cessation.… Read the rest

Luang Por Sumedho Visit:
There are still details to be resolved but the current plan is that he will be with us for up to two weeks around June/July of next year. We hope to invite several other monks and have a ‘solid’ weekend of talks, meetings, discussions. A general dhamma fest. More info as it comes.

Winter Retreat:
This is going very well. What a rare privilege it is to have so much time and space to cultivate the Buddha’s way. Silence and solitude are hard things to find in the world and this is only possible here as a result of your ongoing kindness. Sadhu.! Anumodana. There have been a few lay friends come to stay with us for a week or more to help out in the kitchen and join with the meditation. Another blessing. You are most welcome to join us for a day visit.

Metta More Fizzes:
Upasika Laurence is now Anagarika Laurence. Metamorphosis.! Several of his family joined with us for the ceremony which went very well. A simple affair but a very significant one for Laurence and we wish him well for this forthcoming year. [photo]

One More River:
The path to nibbana is sprinkled with joy.… Read the rest

New Year:
Seasons greetings to you all. We had a lovely gathering here at the monastery to see in the new year. The evening was a pleasant mix of chanting, meditation, reflections, bonfire [photos], tea, chat, marshmallows, regrets-aspirations, bonfire, meditation, chanting, blessings, chats [photos], blessings. ‘Tis all a blessing.

Winter Retreat:
This will start on Sunday 6th with a week of group practice. You are welcome to join us for any day(s) [5.30am – 8.30pm]. Residents will then have times set for personal retreat. February will not have a lot of organised activity. All 3 months in noble silence. See ‘Days of Mindfulness’ below.

Moving Moment:
The two new kutis have been occupied for a week or so now but the monks are still configuring the ‘decor.’ Until now there hasn’t been much more than a matress on the floor. Despite the snow and various weathers a piece of furniture was slayed today. Or ought it rhyme with neigh? Prey? Risque? Either way, Ajahn Kusalo’s secretary was moved. [photo]

More Comings:
Lawrence has recently joined the community and will take anagarika precepts, some time late January. He is now looking after the kitchen (Cathy gets a break!) and is generally proving to be an enjoyable and wholesome addition to the community.… Read the rest