Progress Update: May 16, 2008

>> 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. He will travel via Abhyagiri Monastery to take part in an ordination then via New Zealand to (re)connect with the sangha in both Auckland and Wellington. A weekend of teaching in Sydney, a week in Brisbane then join the birthday girl for a few weeks.

>> Upekkha Parami:
They do love me those mosquitos do. Also an opportunity for sila, khanti, metta and dana. Such blessed opportunities for practice come from the most unlikely sources. AK