Sunday Public Meditation cancelled – 10 Nov 2024.

Dear friends, The upcoming Sunday Public Meditation session on 10th November is cancelled. Unfortunately, some members of our community are down with Covid and are self-isolating. We are unsure how long it would be for regular activities to resume and for those sick to get better. We realise that these sessions are very popular, but regrettably, the situation is unavoidable. Please look out for an announcement regarding Nov 17th, Sunday, if things are better, we will certainly let you ...
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Sunday Public Meditation cancelled - 03 Nov 2024.

Dear friends, The upcoming Sunday Public Meditation session is cancelled. Unfortunately, some members of our community are down with Covid and are self-isolating. We are unsure how long it would be for regular activities to resume and for those sick to get better. We realise that these sessions are very popular, but regrettably, the situation is unavoidable. Please look out for an announcement regarding Nov 10th, Sunday, if things are better, we will certainly let you know. All of u...
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On Line Meditation Retreat with LP Viradhammo

Dear Friends, The Angel Group in Bangkok have organised another retreat with Luang Por Viradhammo and have generously made this available to everyone online. Please refer to the poster appended as well as the brochure attached for more information. Please note that the timings mentioned are in Thailand Time. For any questions, please write to friendindhamma@gmail.com. 2024_Online Retreat Booklet LuangPor ViradhammoDownload
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New Dhamma Hall @ Tisarana is ready!

After 7 years of planning, navigating a pandemic and patiently waiting for the right time to begin, the New Dhamma Hall is finally a reality! The New Dhamma Hall as it stands today is a testament to the dedicated skill, diligent effort and unparalleled generosity of our entire community. As announced earlier, the Tisarana community will be hosting our first Kathina after many years on Sunday the 27th of October in our brand new Dhamma Hall. That this Royal Kat...
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Royal Kathina Ceremony at Tisarana - 27th Oct '24

Dear friends, It gives us great pleasure to invite you all to the Kathina Ceremony at Tisarana this year on Sunday 27th Oct 2023. This will be the first event at the New Dhamma Hall which is very exciting. It is a matter of great honour that His Majesty King Maha Vajralongkorn Rama X, King of Thailand has graciously presented the Kathina Robe at the request of His Excellency Ambassador Kallayana Vipattipumiprates, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary from the Kingdom of Thailand to ...
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SAVE THE DATE - Kathina Ceremony at Tisarana on Sunday, 27th October 2024.

Dear friends, After a gap of three years, Tisarana will be conducting the Kathina Ceremony on Sunday 27th October 2024. This will be the first event that will happen in the New Dhamma Hall that's under construction at the moment. We will be announcing a detailed schedule of events shortly. But, please do save the date and we would be delighted to welcome you to the first event at the New Dhamma Hall. Luang Por Viradhammo, the Sangha, residents and the wider Tisarana Community send you all go...
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SPAM EMAIL ALERT

Dear friends, We have been getting reports of emails that are being sent out impersonating Luang Por Viradhammo. The email address is zenreligion101@gmail.com and the sender's name is displayed as Ajahn Vīradhammo. These emails ask recipients to either email back or send Amazon gift cards. PLEASE IGNORE THESE EMAILS and please BLOCK THIS SENDER. We have reported this to Google and the Ontario Provincial Police. Please treat this as a reminder to be wary of such online fraud activity ...
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Sunday Meditation – July 21st Cancellation

Please note that our weekly Sunday 9:30 am meditation will be cancelled on July 21st as the Sangha will be busy determining residence on the first day of the Rains Retreat.
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Upasampada at Tisarana - 7th Jul 2024

It gives Luang Por Viradhammo and the Sangha at Tisarana great joy to announce the Upasampada (Bhikkhu Ordination) of Samanera Padipo on Sunday, Jul 7th, 2024. Samanera Padipo has spent over two and a half years at Tisarana training as an Anagarika and a Samanera. He has requested for acceptance into the Bhikkhu Sangha. This is a significant commitment to the holy life. Over his time here, Samanera Padipo has seamlessly integrated into our community as a valued and dear friend. We invite ...
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Upasampada at Tisarana - 7th Jul 2024

Dear friends, It gives Luang Por Viradhammo and the Sangha at Tisarana great joy to announce the Upasampada (Bhikkhu Ordination) of Samanera Padipo on Sunday, Jul 7th, 2024. Samanera Padipo has spent over two and half years at Tisarana training as an Anagarika and as a Samanera and has requested to be accepted into the Bhikkhu Sangha. This is a significant commitment to the holy life. Over his time here, Samanera Padipo has seamlessly integrated into our community as a valued and dea...
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OBS Teaching Luang Por Viradhammo

The Friday Evening Meeting will be led by Luang Por online and hosted by the OBS from Quaker House, 91A fourth Avenue, Central Ottawa at 7:30PM. Anyone is welcome to join the OBS at Quaker house if they'd like to meditate in a group and meet others interested in Buddhist teachings. The Saturday Day of Mindfulness will be led by Luang Por in person at the Tu an Pagoda, 3591, Albion Road, South Ottawa at 8:45AM. All are welcome to attend in person or online using the Zoom ...
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Visiting Elders Summer & Fall 2024

Dear friends, We are pleased to let you know that we will be receiving a few esteemed Elders who will be visiting Tisarana over the next few months. Though we have not yet planned any large public gatherings or events, these Elders will be in residence during these dates and may possibly be available after Dāna to meet and discuss Dhamma. Tan Ajahn Karuniko: May 26th to Jun 19th & Jul 4th to Jul 10th Tan Ajahn Kusalo: Jun 10th to Jun 14th & Jun 19th to Jun 20th Luang Po...
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Saturday Pindapats @ Ottawa, May 18th, 2024

The Sangha from Tisarana Buddhist Monastery will be going on Pindapatha scheduled for 18th May Saturday.  It will commence from Prasanna Ekanayake's residence at 617 Remnor Avenue at 0800 and conclude at Rishanthi Pattiarachchi's residence at 59 Maricona Way.  You can offer Dhana at either of these two residences.  18th May Saturday @ 0800 Start: 617 Remnor Avenue Finish: 59 Maricona Way Thank you very much.
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Luang Por Viradhammo Zoom Teaching with Singapore Group - all are welcome to attend.

DHAMMA @ ZOOM FRIDAY EVENINGS - 7:00 PM OTTAWA 26 APR, 31 MAY, 28 JUN (2024) Meeting ID: 837 3663 4943 Passcode : 123
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Sunday Public Meditations @ Tisarana - 9.30 to 11 AM.

It gives us great pleasure to welcome everyone to Tisarana's Public Meditation, Dhamma talk and Q&A, scheduled for Sundays between April & December, starting Sunday, April 14th, 2024. If you would like to join us for the meal after the meditation session, please email the Kitchen at tisarana.kitchen@gmail.com by Friday evening to register for the meal and to let us know what you'll be contributing to the meal that Sunday. The kitchen will also gratefully accept Dāna of gro...
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Year End FY 2023.

Dear friends and supporters, As the year draws to a close, Luang Por Viradhammo, the Sangha and the Tisarana Community wish to express our gratitude and appreciation for your thoughtfulness, generosity and friendship over the past year. As December 31st falls on a Saturday, the last banking day for 2023 falls on Dec 29th. To process all donations and close our books on time, any physical donations (by way of cheque, cash or in-kind receipts) received after 11 AM on Dec 29th, will be moved...
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Winter Retreat 2024 and April 2024.

Dear friends, The resident community at Tisarana is now winding down in preparation for our annual winter retreat. Please note that we do not accept any overnight visitors from Jan 1st to Mar 31, 2024 apart from the Winter Retreat crew. Sunday Public Meditations and New Visitor Orientation Weekends will not be offered during the Winter Retreat period. We will announce recommencement sometime in April via our website. Day visits are also not possible during the Winter Retreat. D...
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Public Meditation on Sunday, Oct 29, 2023 - CANCELLED.

Dear friends, Please note that due to other events, the public meditation scheduled for Sunday Oct 29th, 2023 is cancelled. The public meditation will continue as planned every following Sunday till the end of the year. Thank you very much and all good wishes.
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Dhamma teaching with Luang Por Viradhammo

Friday, October 20⋅7:00 – 9:00pm Luang por Viradhammo will be offering teachings on Zoom Date / Time : Oct 20, 2023 at 7pm Ottawa (Oct 21, 7am Singapore) To access the meeting, the details are :  Zoom ID: 837 3663 4943 Passcode: 123
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Notice of the 2023 Annual General Meeting for the Fiscal Year 2022

Date: Saturday, November 4, 2023 Location: Tisarana Buddhist Monastery Time: 1:30 PM   The Directors of the Board of Tisarana Buddhist Monastery cordially invite all members of good standing to attend the Annual General Meeting for the Fiscal Year 2022 scheduled to be held at the monastery on Saturday, November 4, 2023, at 1.30 PM. As always, we thank you for your continued support and participation. Sincerely, Philip Jurgens, Secretary October 16, 2023
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Correction re OBS Teaching this weekend.

Please note that the teachings scheduled with the Ottawa Buddhist Society for Friday evening Oct 20 and Saturday, Oct 21 will be conducted by Ajahn Pavaro, not Luang Por Viradhammo. We apologise for the previous post which was erroneous.
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Notice of 2022 AGM meeting

Notice of 2022 AGM meetingDownload
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Dhamma Teaching with Luang Por Viradhammo

OBS Friday Evening Meeting & Saturday Day of Mindfulness with Luang Por ViradhammoOctober 20, 7:30PM - 9:30PM & October 21, 8:45AM - 3:00PMJoin Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/84950089526?pwd=M001dFZmNS9uY0doekZmVWpmTXlndz09 Meeting ID: 849 5008 9526Passcode: 320603 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kep4cahaGn
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Dhamma Teaching with Luang Por Viradhammo

Luang por Viradhammo will be offering teachings on Zoom this coming Friday Date / Time : Sep 15, 2023 at 7pm Ottawa (Sep 16, 7am Singapore) To access the meeting, the details are :  Zoom ID: 837 3663 4943 Passcode: 123
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Dhamma Teaching with Luang Por Viradhammo on Fri Aug 25th - CHANGE IN TIMING.

Due to another commitment, this Zoom meeting has been advanced to 6 pm EDT (moved forward by an hour). Please use the same login details as shown below. Meeting ID: 837 3663 4943 Passcode: 123 Link : https://bit.ly/AjahnViradhammo
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Dhamma Teaching with Luang Por Viradhammo

Luang por Viradhammo will be offering teachings on Zoom this coming Friday Date / Time : Aug 25, 2023 at 7pm Ottawa (Aug 26, 7am Singapore) To access the meeting, the details are :  Zoom ID: 837 3663 4943 Passcode: 123
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OBS Friday Evening Meeting and Saturday Day of Mindfulness with Venerable Sirimedho

OBS Friday Evening Meeting and Saturday Day of Mindfulness with Venerable SirimedhoFriday, June 16, 7:30 PM - 9:30PM & Saturday June 17, 8:45AM - 3:00PM ESTJoin Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/89544879676?pwd=TUYrcUF1NzV0YTlsdTAzemgzUmYydz09Meeting ID: 895 4487 9676Passcode: 980219Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbAx9JDQUv
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TBC teaching events

Dates Jun 11 -Tan Sirimedho @TBC Morning Talk (10 am ET) Jul 23 -  Luang Por Viradhammo@TBC Morning Talk (10 am ET) Aug 27 - Ajahn Pavaro @ TBC1/2 DOM (8:30 am to 12 pm ET) Sep 24 - Tan Amarasiri@ TBC1/2 DOM (8:30 am to 12 pm ET) Oct 29 - Tan Amarasiri@ TBC1/2 DOM (8:30 am to 12 pm ET) Nov 26 - Ajahn Pavaro@TBC Morning Talk (10 am ET) Dec 10 - Tan Sirimedho @TBC Morning Talk (10 am ET) Zoom link https://us02web.zoom.us/j...
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Sunday Mornings – Meditation and Dhamma Talk

Beginning in May 2023, Tisarana will once again be hosting a regular on-site meditation, followed by a Dhamma talk offered by a Sangha member. The weekly sessions will take place on Sundays (9:30 – 11am) and begin on May 7th. Please plan to arrive by 9:15. This will enable you to be nicely settled when the meditation begins. Following the Dhamma talk, visitors are welcome to join the community for the midday meal. If you wish to stay for the meal please bring a pot luck dish if po...
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OBS April events with Ajahn Viradhammo

OBS-Online-Friday-Evening-Meeting-AgendaDownload Friday Evening Meeting April 7, 7:30 PM - 9:30PM - online only Friday Evening Meeting April 21, 7:30 -9:30PM - in-person with online access&Saturday Day of Mindfulness April 22 8:45 - 3.00PM - in-person with online access Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/89950478744?pwd=aUdTQUswWEtTMC9nSzRFaDErMnpTUT09 Meeting ID: 899 5047 8744Passcode: 111716 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/ktwg6aIs7
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New Visitor Orientations and bookings for April 2023.

As the monastic community comes out of winter retreat, we will get into planning Tisarana's calendar from April to December 2023. However, here's some important information that may be relevant: New Visitor Orientations will commence as of May 2023 and dates will be posted on our calendar sometime around the third week of April. Please note that we are unable to process New Visitor bookings prior to April 30th this year. Regular visitors (those who have stayed with us for at least three o...
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Luang Por Viradhammo Dhamma @ Zoom Teaching calendar for 2023

Luang Por Viradhammo will be offering guided meditations and Dhamma reflexions.
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Details for Tax Receipts: First-Time and New Donors

Dear friends and supporters, At the beginning of every year, the Finance Team at Tisarana strives to send out Tax Receipts to all Canadian donors. Prior to that, we try to collect donor information that is missing. If you have donated to Tisarana for the first time, or have recently started donating, we request you kindly send us your full official name and complete postal address via email to tbmtreasurer.tisarana@gmail.com. Please note that we can only send out Tax Receipts to Canadi...
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Ten Royal Duties

Affairs of state are clearly not the focus of Buddhist teachings. Indeed, conversation about ‘kings and ministers’ figure in the many forms of ‘low or animal talk’ that the Buddha recommended we avoid (Anguttara 10.69). This injunction stems from the view that we often engage in such talk simply to exercise our opinions, without useful purpose. Yet, however contested modern political discourse might be, the function and qualities of leadership are of ongoing relevance in our worldly ...
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Dhamma Hall – August Update

As can be seen by the photos posted in the News section, the Dhamma Hall is now taking shape. As usual, the early work all took place below ground (e.g., foundation footings, electrical lines, septic and water lines, etc.) all monitored by repeated surveying. Although such work doesn’t interest everyone, for the residents even this proved to be rather captivating, as it was conducted by an impressive excavator, dump trucks, large concrete pumper, and teams of workers. Lots of commotion! ...
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July Update

Luang Por Sumedho’s Visit — Ajahn Pavaro It’s a normal summer morning: The big lawn is being mowed; rooms are being cleaned; hardwood planks are being worked on the jointer; a trip to the dump has cleared our recycling bins. The Dhamma Hall is also slowly being raised, block by  block. Yet over much of July things were charged with a unique spirit, as all the  normal routines and tasks of the monastery were weighed and variously considered  in preparat...
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TISARANA DHAMMA HALL – CONSTRUCTION BEGINS!

Luang Por Viradhammo and the community are delighted to report that after severalyears of careful pondering and planning (and a two-year delay) Tisarana’s DhammaHall is now formally under construction. Following the excavation work which began in early May, in the past two weeks, thefinal surveying has been done, the forms have been laid, concrete poured, and thefirst rows of eco-friendly, insulated blocks have been set in place for the foundation.On June 2 these blocks were filled with an...
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New Guest Orientation Weekends 2022

We are delighted to announce the resumption of our New Guest Orientation Weekends. This is a great opportunity to welcome new guests for an overnight visit and to experience life at Tisarana. Please refer to dates on our calendar. Please note that those registering are required to attend for the full duration - arriving on a Friday afternoon and departing on the following Monday morning.
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2022 Winter Retreat

The Canada geese have now been back in our marsh for a couple of weeks. No matter the actual calendar date, this is the sign we await to mark the beginning of Spring and, with it, the nearing of the Winter retreat’s end. Today we had a pair of new visitors at mealtime, marking another change, another ‘year,’ when the Tisarana community shifts into its more active mode. Before doing so, some reflections on the past three months. Along with our long-term Stewards (Niraso, Karano, Michell...
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April is Old Friends month & New Guest Orientations to Resume in May 2022

With the arrival of Spring and loosening of Covid restrictions, we are delighted to welcome back our old friends and supporters for overnight visits. Supporters and friends of long-standing are invited to visit us by filling in a Guest Booking form. The Office will get back to you shortly. With the mandates around Covid relaxing, the monastery will be able to resume our orientations for people seeking their first overnight visit. These typically take place on one weekend per month through to...
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End of Year Reflections (2021) by Ajahn Pavaro

Another round of seasons at Tisarana. The quiet, open space of the previous winter retreat is long past; subsequent seasons have been filled with regular pujas and Sangha gatherings, daily chores, needed kuti repairs, cabinetry, and numerous planning meetings for our prospective Dhamma Hall. Especially since mid-August (when a public ceremony marked the Hall’s formal site clearing) more folks have arrived for visits. It’s been a pleasure to see people’s full faces again and to share in th...
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Timeless Knowing - An Online 'BUDDHAMAS' meditation retreat with Luang Por Viradhammo

All are invited to attend another online retreat offered by Luang Por Viradhammo this holiday season, organised by our Dhamma Friends in Asia. Date: 24 - 26 Dec 2021Register Now: https://tinyurl.com/LPV-Retreat-2021Closing Date: 18 Dec (Sat), 6pm (Singapore GMT+8) :: Retreat Handbook with Programme ::Please visit BDF website https://www.buddhadhammafoundation.com/lpv-buddhamas-2021 for details. :: Enquiries ::For enquiries, please email us at ndr.activity@gmail.com ...
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Important information for Canadian donations, Financial Year 2021

Dear donors, supporters & friends, As the calendar year comes to a close, it's time for us to close our books of accounts and start the process of issuing tax receipts for Canadian donors. If you are a resident of Canada or if you file taxes in Canada, you are eligible to receive a tax deductible receipt from Tisarana for any donations (cash or in-kind) you may have made in the Financial Year 2021. Please note that we have received many donations (physically at the m...
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In My Teacher's Footsteps

The podcast, Where Are You Going, has a new audio Buddhist pilgrimage book which you can listen to in weekly instalments. Over this winter Nick Scott will be reading In My Teacher's Footsteps, the account of how Ajahn Amaro, he and four others followed Luang Poh Sumedho to Mount Kailash in Tibet. You can start listening here: https://whereareyougoing.podbean.com/ No pilgrimage is harder or more ancient than the journey up and over the Himalayan defile to circle Mount Kailash in Tibet...
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2021 Kathina Announcement

This year’s monastic Rains Retreat, marking another ‘year in the robes’ for Bhikkhus at Tisarana Buddhist Monastery, will end on October 21st. Traditionally, what follows is a month-long period during which a ‘Kathina cloth’ may be offered by lay supporters. This has long been a beloved event in Buddhist cultures, one arranged in advance by the donors. On the day it is offered, some of this cloth is dyed and sewn by the resident Sangha, and presented to one of the monks...
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Site Clearing Ceremony for Tisarana Dhamma Hall – August 15

In addition to the normal routines and business of the monastery, over the past seven years considerable energy has been directed towards envisioning, designing, contracting and planning to build a Dhamma Hall at Tisarana. With each passing month, now, these plans are coming closer to completion. And so, to honour this quickening pace, on August 15th the Tisarana community gathered to prepare the physical site – with chanting, with words of acknowledgement and appreciation.  The event...
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Date Change for the Annual General Meeting for the Year 2020

PLEASE NOTE that the Date of AGM has been changed to: Sunday, September 5, 2021. Place: Tisarana Buddhist Monastery – 1356 Powers Road, Perth, Ontario K7H 3C5 Time: 130pm (EDT) The Directors of the Board of Tisarana Buddhist Monastery cordially invite all members of good standing to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled to be held on the date above. Sincerely, Tilak GunawardhaneSecretary to the Board August 22, 2021
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New Dhamma Hall Site Clearing Ceremony, Sunday August 15th.

We are going to have a site clearing ceremony for the New Dhamma Hall on Sunday, August 15th starting at 1pm. An outline of the new Hall will be laid out on the ground which we will all circumambulate with social distancing, and then the Sangha will chant parittas so as to to bless the site and the trees that will have to be cut down to make room for the new Hall. Once finished, we can begin clearing the land to get ready for the start of construction this coming spring of 2022. All are invi...
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Notice of the Annual General Meeting for the Year 2020

Date of AGM: Sunday the August 29, 2021. Place: Tisarana Buddhist Monastery – 1356 Powers Road, Perth, Ontario K7H 3C5 Time: 130pm (EDT) The Directors of the Board of Tisarana Buddhist Monastery cordially invite all members of good standing to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled to be held on Sunday, August 29, 2021 at 1.30 PM.  Sincerely, Tilak GunawardhaneSecretary to the Board July 21, 2021
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Tisarana Vesak Celebration 2564

May 26 marked this year’s Vesak Day, the full-moon of May that commemorates the Buddha’s Birth, Enlightenment, and Final Passing (Parinibbana). It is a major, sacred occasion in the annual Buddhist calendar, observed throughout the Buddhist world. With Tisarana situated at some distance from the Asian heartlands of Theravada, our celebrations contained improvised as well as traditional features. Due to Covid restrictions this year’s gathering was modest in size. Supporters arrived ...
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Stillness Flowing Audio Book

At long last, the much-awaited 'Stillness Flowing' audio book is now available online. Thanks to the efforts of Aj. Jayasaro and Aj. Siripanyo, the audio book is made available in time for Ajahn Chah's memorial day today (Jan 16th). There are several ways that Stillness Flowing audio book can be accessed:Directly from Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasaro website:https://www.jayasaro.panyaprateep.org/en/audio-album/9 iOS devices can be listened to through Apple Podcasts app:https://podcasts.apple....
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Winter Retreat 2021 Group Photo

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Ajahn Pavaro's Reflections on 2020

Reflections on 2020 Ajahn Pavaro December at Tisarana. Each day we walk by the deer in their thickened fur – the does with their observant young, foraging on grass and congregating at the salt lick near our main buildings. The Canada geese have now flown South with their happy racket. Only a few hardy species of birdlife remain, like the chickadees with their pinprick eyes, darting between the low bushes to feeders we fill for the simple pleasure of seeing them thrive. I’ve now be...
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Online Meditation Retreat With Luang Por Viradhammo

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Notice of the Annual General Meeting for the Year 2019

Notice-of-the-Annual-General-Meeting-for-the-Year-2019Download
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Kathina Wish List 2020

At the request of our caring supporters, here is a list of suggested items that would be useful for Tisarana that could be offered during the Kathina season this year. If you plan to offer an item please cross it out using strikethrough (example) so that it can be removed from the list. 2020 Kathina Wish List As usual, our main priority is to build a New Dhamma Hall. If you would like to contribute towards this effort as part of a Kathina offering please visit the Financial Contributions ...
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Kathina Celebrations 2020

As the Kathina season approaches, we’ve been considering how to organise the event this year. Though it would be great to celebrate together as we have done in the past, COVID 19 safety regulations have resulted in limiting capacity to 25 people in the tent per day. As previously scheduled, the Kathina robe cloth will be offered by the sponsors and a limited group of supporters on October 4th, 2020. The Sangha will gladly meet everyone else, limited to 25 people per day, starting Octobe...
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The Buddha Returns to Tisarana

After over a year away, the standing metal Buddha statue that greeted visitors as they drove into Tisarana is now back, shinier than ever. Last year it was observed that the statue was beginning to form large cracks in certain areas, and the outer layer was showing wear from the sun and weather. A dedicated supporter in Ottawa volunteered to fix it and after a year of hard work, it was ready to be put back up. Sadhu, Anumodana. See photos here.
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Arrow River in Need of Lay Steward

Message from Ajahn Punnadhammo: Dear Friends...Arrow River will be needing a steward for the fall and winter. The man who has been serving in this role will be leaving probably end of August...If anyone is interested...write me for more information.We can take in a new person anytime but it will become more critical in September.Thank you. Arrow River Contact Email: arfh@xplornet.com
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Virtual Retreat 29th August - 31st, 2020

Click here to register: https://bit.ly/3gFlI8r
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Where Are You Going?

Ajahn Sucitto and Nick Scott have started releasing an audio book version of their two Indian pilgrimage books 'Rude Awakenings' and 'Great Patient One'. To access the first chapter of these exciting narratives visit the link below: LINK: https://whereareyougoing.podbean.com/
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Tisarana Vesak 2020

Dear friends, On the occasion of Vesak, the Tisarana community wishes you and your family life’s choicest blessings. Legend has it that the full moon night of the month of Vesakha witnessed the birth, enlightenment and final release of the Buddha. Recollecting the life and teachings of the Buddha inspires and uplifts our hearts, spurring us on along the path. The simplicity, universality and timelessness of his teachings brings acceptance to the way things are. Sabba pāpassa aka...
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Luang Por Viradhammo's Birthday Celebration

On this mild spring day, the community here at Tisarana celebrates Luang Por Viradhammo's 73rd birthday. As an expression of gratitude, the resident monks chant a number of selected Parittas, with a brief introduction and history of each one and its significance in the Thai Sangha. Luang Por offers some words expressing his appreciation for the community being diligent and living in such harmony. We hope you enjoy the chanting and photos. Photos: https://photos.tisarana.ca/index.php?/ca...
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Dhamma Documentaries (Video Three)

The Buddha comes to Sussex - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JznA4ueq2vE Video details - https://dharma-documentaries.net/the-buddha-comes-to-sussex
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Dhamma Documentaries (Video Two)

Next on our list of Video Documentaries from the Ajahn Chah Forest Tradition - an oldie but goodie: Blue Eyes in Saffron Robes (1979). This video feature young versions of monks who went on to become famous teachers, including Ajahns Amaro and Jayasaro. A good website describing the video: https://dharma-documentaries.net/blue-eyes-in-saffron-robes
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Announcing Tisarana's Blog

We've started a plain-vanilla blog, probably the closest we'll get to social media. Here you might find occasional posts by various monastery residents about monastery life, including a kick-off post today by Tan Khemako. You can find it under the "News" menu item at the top of the site, or here.
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Dhamma Documentaries (Video One)

As many of us are restricted to staying at home more often, we thought we would share some inspiring Dhamma videos (all of which can be found on YouTube) every couple of days to make our increased time at home more beneficial. Many of you might have seen a number of these, but they give a good insight into where our tradition came from, and what life was like for the early Sangha. First on the list: The Mindful Way - Buddhist Monks of the Forest Tradition in Thailand with Ajahn Chah ...
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Covid 19 / Coronavirus Update

Functioning guidelines with regard to COVID 19 / Coronavirus In keeping with Health Canada guidelines detailed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, we request our community to follow guidelines below until further notice. We will update you when conditions change, but until you hear from us, please note the following: Events: All pubilc events at Tisarana have been cancelled until further notice. All pujas will be restricted to the resident communitySaturday afternoon public medi...
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New Bank account details

Starting March 1st, 2020, Tisarana Buddhist Monastery will start banking with TD Canada Trust instead of Scotia Bank. Please access the 'Financial Contributions' page on this website for details. Most donations will not be affected by this. If you have set up a monthly automatic contribution to Tisarana, we have successfully moved these transactions from Scotia Bank to TD. We request that those sending us wire transfers please make a note of our new account details. Please feel free to sh...
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Update from Luang Por Viradhammo on his visit to Asia

Dear friends, I’m back from Asia and thought I’d send you my New Year greetings and share news of the past few weeks before settling in to our winter retreat. With the beginning of a new year and a new decade, I wish you much peace, health and contentment for the times ahead. May silence, stillness and wisdom be our guides as we traverse the path of Dhamma to reach ultimate happiness and the unconditioned. My entire visit was extremely fulfilling in many ways. Meeting Dhamma friends ...
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New Year's Puja 2020

On New Year's Eve at Tisarana we're planning to mark the event by having an extended practice period which will go on until midnight. 7:00 PM - Puja: Evening chanting and group meditation8:00 PM - Dhamma talk9:00 - 11:15 - Open practice period (walking and sitting meditation)11:15 PM - Last group sit of the evening11:45 PM - Paritta chanting by the monastics to bless in the new year All are welcome, please join us.
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Consider Thunder Bay: Monastery Steward needed at Arrow River

Winter Retreat Server wanted at Arrow River Ajahn Punnadhammo needs a steward to serve the winter retreat at Arrow River Forest Hermitage for the months of February and March 2020. If two months are difficult, the critical requirement is for at least the month of February. Main duties would include cooking and serving the meals and some handy work / experience in maintenance would be an added bonus. Some driving may be needed intermittently. Arrow River Hermitage allows one to live closel...
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Annual General Meeting at Tisarana

Notice of the Annual General Meeting for the Year 2018 Date - Sunday, 17 November 2019. Place - Tisarana Buddhist Monastery – Time - 1:30 PM The Directors of the Board of Tisarana Buddhist Monastery cordially invites all members of good standing to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled to be held on Sunday, November 17, 2019 at 1.30 PM.  A special resolution to change the Bylaws will be made at the AGM to facilitate the monastery’s online banking and payment of bil...
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Kathina 2019

On Sunday, 27 October, the Tisarana community will be celebrating this year’s Kathina ceremony starting at 10:30am. Doors open at 9:00 AM. The event will be held at the Stanleyville Hall across the street from the St. Bridget Church in Stanleyville, which is only 5 minutes from Tisarana Monastery. The address is 844 Stanley Rd, Stanleyville, ON K0G 1K0. Everybody is invited to participate in this auspicious occasion. The Kathina ceremony is a 2,500-year-old tradition celebrated across Bud...
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Event cancelled: Saturday meditation on 26 Oct 2019

The Saturday Meditation for 26 Oct 2019 has been cancelled. We ordinarily have a 1:30PM event on Saturdays, which includes a guided meditation and Dhamma talk, open to the public. This particular Saturday, however, is a bit overbooked and so we're obliged to cancel. Please consider attending our Kathina celebration, which will be on the following day, 27 October. The next Saturday Meditation will be on 02 November.
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2019 Kathina Wish List

Our main priority this year is to collect funds for the New Dhamma Hall. If you'd like to contribute to this fund please visit the Financial Contributions page and mark your envelopes, PayPal or eTransfers - "Dhamma Hall Contribution". Otherwise, click this link - 2019 Kathina Wish List - for some recommendations for objects that would be useful to the monastic community. If you plan to offer an item please cross it out using strikethrough (example) so that others will know it is already be...
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Birthday Reflection by Luang Por Sumedho: Ageing, Mindfulness & Gratitude

Luang Por Sumedho observed his 85th birthday at Tisarana and shared from his deep well of wisdom. We made a video of the event.
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Photos from Samanera ordination

Ordination of Christopher, Lancelot and William, 20 July 2019 Photos here
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Samanera Ordination & Luang Por Sumedho's 85th Birthday

Samanera Ordination At 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 20, Anagarika Christopher (center), Anagarika Lancelot (left) & Anagarika William (right) will take novice ordination (Pabbajjha) and become samaneras under the preceptorship of Ajahn Vīradhammo. All are welcome to attend. There will be a meal offering that day at 11:30 a.m. Shortly after the meal and cleanup, the ordination ceremony will start. All are welcome to attend the dana (meal) - do feel free to bring a dish to share wit...
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Spring Work Bee #2 - July 7th

Join us for our second spring Work Bee on July 7th at 8:30 am to help prepare Tisarana for Luang Por Sumedho's upcoming visit. We are sprucing Tisarana up for Luang Por Sumedho's arrival to Tisarana on the 11th with his attendant Ajahn Asoko. We'll be planting trees, gardening, landscaping and doing grounds maintenance. The shared potluck meal will begin at 11:30 am, and after the meal we'll continue working until 4:30 pm or later. Things to bring: willing handspossibly a dish for the me...
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Luang Por Sumedho's visit to Tisarana

We are delighted to announce the upcoming visit of Luang Por Sumedho and his attendant Ajhan Asoko this coming July. We will have the good fortune of hosting Luang Por and Aj. Asoko who arrive on the 11th of July and depart on the 3rd of August. Given Luang Por's health, he will not be available for interviews or teaching events. He has graciously accepted to offer a dhamma talk on the occasion of his 85th birthday on the 27th of July. We are indeed blessed to be part of this auspicious &...
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Spring Work Bee - May 25th

Work Bee on May 25th for Luang Por Sumedho's upcoming visit: Join us for a work bee on Saturday, May 25th, beginning at 8:30 am. We are giving Tisarana a good spring cleaning in preparation for Luang Por Sumedho's visit. We'll be planting trees, landscaping and doing grounds maintenance. The shared meal will begin at 11:30 am. Our usual public meditation and Dhamma talk will begin at 1:00 pm, and those who would like to can continue working instead until 4:30 pm or later. Please fill in your...
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Ajahn Candasiri's Schedule

Ajahn Candasiri will be in Canada and the US for a few weeks and she'll be giving some teachings in Ontario: One of Tisarana's longstanding friends in the Ajahn Chah tradition is the nun Ajahn Candasiri, who ordained as a Sīladhārā with Ajahn Sumedho in 1983. You can see a brief biography of her here. The Ajahn in visiting North America this year and will spend a few days at Tisarana. We've scheduled her to give the Vesak Dhamma talk on 18 May. Other scheduled public Dhamma talks...
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Ajahn Candasiri for Visākha 2019

A Special Dhamma talk on a Special Day Visākha Puja or simply 'Vesak' is a traditional Buddhist holiday observed on the first full moon in May. It commemorates three important events: The Buddha's birth, his enlightenment, and his passing away. Tisarana's 2019 Vesak celebration will be held on Saturday, 18 May. The event will start around 10:45 with taking the five precepts, a blessing and a rice pindabhat, followed by a meal offering. In the afternoon around 1:30PM there will be a sho...
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Photo Book 2018 print copies

Order a hard copy of last year's photo book. We're planning to place an order for several more hard copies of the 2018 Photo Book. You can see and download an on-line version of the book here. If you would like to purchase one or more copies of the book in printed form (approximately $82 before discounts) you can 'ride along' our planned order. Please fill out this form and submit it by 01 May to add your name to the bulk order. Once we have all responses we can get a firm price and our ...
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Ajahn Vajiro Saturday

Special Saturday Speaker We have had the good fortune to host Ajahn Vajiro, a 40-vassa English monk and the abbot of Mosteiro Budista Sumedhārāma, Portugal, for a week's stay here at Tisarana. This Saturday, 06 April 2019, Ajahn Vajiro will be offering the Dhamma talk for our regular Saturday program. The program starts at 1:30Pm in the Tisarana Dhamma hall. All are welcome! Ajahn Vajiro at Tisarana
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New Training for New Guests

Taking more time for first timers As Tisarana has grown and become more popular we have noticed an increase in sincere guests who never get to properly understand the monastery or how it works. We think this is because there's so much going on during the "work year", and we haven't set ourselves up to properly orient guests who may have very little prior exposure to monastic traditions. To address that issue we are implementing a new 3-day training program for new guests. We have cleverl...
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Ajahn Viradhammo in Singapore, YouTube

Ajahn V. gives a talk to retreatants in Singapore on his last evening there, Jan 2019. Includes Q&A. Luang Por Viradhammo
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Entering Winter Retreat for 2019...

Starting on 1 January 2019, The Tisarana community will enter the three-month Winter Retreat. Please be aware that the community will be practicing noble silence. As such, talking and conversations with the monastics and retreat crew will be limited. In addition, until 31 March, Tisarana monastery will not be hosting overnight guests. However, the monastery will continue to be open to day-visitors. Also, our usual Saturday afternoon program will be suspended and will resume in the spring ...
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Tisarana Welcomes the New Year (2019)

Come celebrate New Year’s Eve at Tisarana. On Monday, December 31st, we will be holding a special puja starting at 7:00pm, which will include chanting, meditation and a Dhamma talk. Following the evening puja, there will be a relaxed get-together on our new property to greet the New Year.
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New Year's message from Ajahn Viradhammo

Dear friends,It is the 22nd of December and I am at a monastery near the city of Mae Hong Son in Northern Thailand. At breakfast this morning the temperature was 19C, that's plus, and the birds were singing their hearts out. I'm here at this forest monastery, 50km from Burma, at the invitation of Ajahn Cagino, the Dhammagiri foundation and Dhamma friends from Singapore who support this monastery and often come to visit. This evening we shall begin a 7-day retreat.  Among our forest monaster...
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Tisarana Photo Book for Summer 2018

The Tisarana Community is pleased to share our photo book for the Summer of 2018. You can view the photo book online, download it or request a print copy. A French version is also available. View Online English French Download PDF English Cover English Main French Cover French Main Ordering a Print Copy If you would like to order a print a copy from the printer: Create an account on the Pikto website (the printer). Send a request to receive a copy of the...
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Saturday Program Canceled

Saturday Program Cancelled, Departure of Luang Por Viradhammo: Today, Saturday 03 November 2018, our usual Saturday program of a 1:30 meditation and Dhamma talk is canceled. Instead we will be seeing off Luang Por Viradhammo who will be departing for a 2-month trip through New Zealand and Asia at 2:30 PM.
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Kathina 2018 Location Reminder

This year's Kathina ceremony will be starting at around 10AM this coming Sunday, October 28, 2018. The event will not be held at the monastery. Instead, Tisarana's Kathina will be held at the Stanleyville Hall across the street from the St. Bridget Church in Stanleyville. The address is 844 Stanley Rd, Stanleyville, ON K0G 1K0. The doors will open at 9AM and the preliminary ceremonies will began at 10:30AM, followed by a meal offering and blessing. At 1PM, the Kathina offering cerem...
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Kathina - Sunday, October 28, 2018

The Tisarana community will be celebrating this year's Kathina ceremony on Sunday, October 28th starting at 10:30am. The event will be held at the Stanleyville Hall across the street from the St. Bridget Church in Stanleyville, which is only 5 minutes from Tisarana Monastery. The address is 844 Stanley Rd, Stanleyville, ON K0G 1K0. Everybody is welcome to participate in this auspicious occasion. The Kathina ceremony is a 2,500-year-old tradition celebrated across Buddhist monasteries aro...
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Notice of the Annual General Meeting for the Year 2017

Notice of the Annual General Meeting for the Fiscal Year 2017 Date - Sunday October 21, 2018. Place - Tisarana Buddhist Monastery – Meditation Hall Time - 1:30 PM The Directors of the Board of Tisarana Buddhist Monastery cordially invite all members of good standing to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled to be held on Sunday, October 21, 2018 at 1.30 PM. Sincerely, Tilak Gunawardhane Secretary to the Board October 2, 2018 Link to announcement PDF: 2017AGMNoti...
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Ajahn Sucitto Dhamma Talk - Saturday, September 15

We are pleased to announce that Ajahn Sucitto will be invited to offer the Dhamma talk during our afternoon meditation session this Saturday, September 15 starting at 1:30pm. All are welcome. (Photo from Wikimedia Commons) Ajahn Sucitto ordained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand in 1976 and later trained under Luang Por Sumedho in Britain starting in 1978. He helped establish many of the western Ajahn Chah branch monasteries in Europe including Cittaviveka (Chithurst) Buddhist Monastery, Harn...
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Seeking Volunteers for Winter Retreat 2019

Staffing the Winter Retreat 2019 ----- Tisarana Buddhist Monastery is looking for sincere, mature Dhamma practitioners to volunteer as staff for part or all of our upcoming Winter Retreat (Jan 01 - Mar 31). The crew for the retreat usually consists of 5-6 people who run the critical functions of the monastery on a shared rotating basis of daily chores interspersed with regular time off. Crew members should expect to work between 2-4 hours daily, ...
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Alms Rounds in Ottawa

Two weeks ago, the monks from Tisarana Buddhist Monastery have started alms rounds in the Barrhaven suburban neighbourhood of Ottawa, Ontario. The above photos were from Sunday, August 12, 2018. For over 2,600 years, Buddhist monastics have traditionally went on daily alms round (piṇḍapāta) to collect food. The Buddha established this practice to allow his monastic disciples to obtain their daily sustenan...
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Bhikkhu Ordination of Sāmaṇeras Amarasiri and Sirimedho

At 12:30pm on Sunday, September 16, 2018, Sāmaṇeras Amarasiri and Sirimedho will take full ordination (Upasampadā) and become bhikkhus under the preceptorship of Luang Por Vīradhammo. All are welcome to attend. There will be a meal offering that day at 11:00 am. Shortly after the meal offering and cleanup, the ordination ceremony will start. Therefore, please plan to be at the monastery by 12:30pm. The ceremony will be followed by a Dhamma talk given by Ajahn Vīradhammo. This...
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Stephen "Santacitto" Saslav Passes Away

On August 18, 2018, Steve Saslav, the former Ajahn Santacitto, passed away. The Tisarana community would like to extends its thoughts and good wishes to everybody that knew him, including his family, friends and fellow practitioners. From Ajahn Amaro and the Amaravati Community: On the morning of Saturday the 18th of August, 2018, Steve Saslav, the former Ajahn Santacitto, passed away peacefully in his home in Chichester. He was one of the very first Western monks to train with Ajahn Chah,...
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New Property Finalized

Tisarana Monastery is happy to announce that the purchasing of the new property at 548 Pike Lake Rt. 17A is complete. The agreement was finalized on June 15, 2018. As we shared last February, the bordering property includes 59 acres of forest similar to Tisarana and has a small stretch of access to Pike Lake. The costs of the property were donated by disciples of Luang Por Ganhah of Wat Pah Subthawee Dhammaram in Thailand, as well as disciples of Ajahn Ñānadhammo of Wat Pah Rattanawan i...
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Development Plans for Tisarana's new Dhamma hall.

As our community grows and expands, the need for a larger space dedicated to meditation, silence and teaching has become apparent. To address this need, a building sub-committee, headed by Ajahn V and Adam Mackenzie Smith, our architect, was formed. Over the past year, the building committee has made significant progress developing plans for a new Dhamma hall. As a result, we have seen design plans and a new model displayed in the house. Taking this further, we have now added a new page on ou...
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Vesak Day of Meditation (Sat, May 19th) & Vesak Celebration Day (Sun, May, 20th)

Saturday, May 19th, 2018, will be observed as a day-long meditation retreat to commemorate the upcoming Vesaka Puja Day (May 29th, 2018). 8.45 AM: Arrive & be seated 9 AM to 11 AM: Readings on the life of the Buddha & Meditation 11.15 AM: Potluck dana 1.30 to 4.30 PM: Readings on the life of the Buddha & Meditation Sunday, May 20th, 2018 has been scheduled as Vesak Celebration Day at Tisarana. 10.30 AM or earlier: Arrive & be seated 10.45 AM: Rice Pindapath ...
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Saturday afternoon with Ajahn Amaro.

Tisarana Buddhist Monastery is honoured to welcome Tahn Ajahn Amaro, Abbot of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, who is visiting us from Hertfordshire, England. The public meditation this Saturday (May 12, 2018) at Tisarana will be lead by  Tahn Ajahn Amaro. The afternoon will start with a group meditation at 1.30PM followed by a Dhamma Talk and Q&A. On Sunday (May13, 2018) Tahn Ajahn Amaro will lead the public meditation retreat at Sati Saraniya Hermitage. Please click here for the pro...
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Steward needed at Thunder Bay

Ajahn Punnadhammo, abbot of Arrow River Monastery near Thunder Bay, is in need of a new steward. From Ajahn Punna: On April 28 we are going to ordain a young man, James Koskela, as a samenera. While this is a joyous occasion, it does raise a practical issue. James has been serving long term as our steward (driver and cook) and after taking the samenera vows he won’t be able to fulfill those duties (especially shopping). This leaves us in need of a steward. We did have someone lined up fo...
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Ajahn Amaro Coming to Visit

Ajahn Amaro, abbot of the Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in southern England, is coming on May 10-20, 2018 to reside at Tisarana and during that time he will be offering several teachings. Scheduled events: 12 May, Sat: Meditaion and public talk by Ajahn Amaro at Tisarana, 1:30 - 3:00PM 13 May, Sun: Afternoon meditation and Dhamma Talk with Ajahn Amaro at Sati Saraniya 1:30 - 4:30 pm - meditation, Dhamma talk and Q&A. 19 May, Sat: Vesak Day-long with Ajahn Amaro at Tisar...
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Gratitude to Parents 2018

An Invitation to Gratitude to Parents Day (From Sati Saraniya) - April 22, 2018, co-led by monastics from Tisarana Buddhist Monastery & Sati Saraniya Hermitage Time & Venue: 10-2:30 Sati Saraniya Hermitage Please save a special date in your calendar: April 22, 2018. We are planning to host a Gratitude to Parents Day at Sati Saraniya Hermitage. In honouring our parents on this day, we will be joined by Ajahn Viradhammo and members of the Tisarana community, sharing together in chant...
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Spring 2018 Events at Tisarana

Spring Events We've just emerged from our Winter Retreat and want to let you know about upcoming events to be held at Tisarana, or involving the Tisarana community. See also our public calendar 20 April, Fri: Ajahn Viradhammo teaching at the Quaker House in Ottawa, sponsored by the Ottawa Buddhist Society. 21 April, Sat: Day of Mindfulness with Ajahn Viradhammo at the Tu-An Pagoda, sponsored by the Ottawa Buddhist Society 22 April, Sun: Gratitude to Parents Day with Ajahn Viradhammo and Ay...
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Stillness Flowing - The Life and Teachings of Ajahn Chah

"Stillness Flowing - The Life and Teachings of Ajahn Chah" by Ajahn Jayasaro, the long-awaited biography of Ajahn Chah in English, with an introduction by Luong Por Sumedho. 850 pgs, Panyaprateep Foundation, 2017. From Ajahn Jayasaro's preface: "Although it has been my intention that this book should be, as far as possible, a biography as opposed to a hagiography, I am not sure that I have been completely successful. My love for Luang Por and my belief in his enlightenment inevitably colo...
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The Monastery Grows

New property addition: Near the beginning of the winter retreat we became aware that a neighbouring property along the NW boundary of Tisarana came up for sale: 548 Pike Lake Rt. 17A (see the image below). This is 59 acres which have long been held by a group of hunters. The piece is undeveloped in that there is currently no source of water or septic.  There is a gravel access road and a small cabin and storage shed. The acreage is mixed hardwood forest, scrub and marshland, very similar to ...
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Anagarika Christopher

Ordination of a New Anagarika: On Jan 31, during the Uposatha observance evening, Luang Por Viradhammo gave the Anagarika precepts to Christopher Harnett, who has gone forth into the homeless life, wearing white. The Tisarana community welcomes Anagarika Christopher to the training!
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100 years: A letter from Thailand by L.P. Viradhammo

Subject: 100 years Dear friends, I am at Dhammaram in Bangkok, room 5, LP Sumedho is downstairs talking with Ajahn Amaro and the sangha from Amaravati, Ajhn Kongrit is packing a box with Yom Meechai for sending to the UK and Ajahn Panyasaro is crocheting a cover for my watch. We were all on the same flight from Ubon this afternoon and so it’s a good time to reflect on the Wat Pah Pong gatherings, our monastic legacy and our close friendships with each other. It has been a warm and heartfelt ...
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2018 Ajahn Chah Memorial Day

Every year on 16 January we observe a special puja to remember the life and teachings of Luong Pu Chah, the founder of our ordination lineage and teacher of Ajahns Sumedho, Pasanno, Viridhammo and many other of the senior teachers in our larger community of monasteries, including Tisarana, Abhayagiri, Amaravati. The senior monks of our lineage usually attend a Sangha meeting at Wat Pah Pong in NE Thailand where the annual memorial is held and participate in the ceremonies there. At Tisarana o...
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Entered Winter Retreat

The Tisarana community of monastics and lay supporters has entered the 2018 3-month  Winter Retreat. The resident community and retreat crew will be conducting ourselves in Noble Silence as much as possible. We thank all our supporters for this wonderful opportunity to cultivate deep practice. From now until 31 March we will not be hosting overnight guests, although we are always open to day-visitors. Also our usual Saturday afternoon program is suspended, it will resume in the spring when t...
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Ordination: Anagarika Peter becomes Samanera Sirimedho

Peter's ordination: 15 Dec 2017 -  email message from Luong Por Viradhammo: Peter is now officially Samanera Sirimedho. We had a simple Pabajja ceremony this morning and Sirimedho is radiant in his new robes - happy fellow. I’ll try to get some photos to you shortly.  The ordination took place in Chennai, India with Luong Por Sumedho as preceptor.
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Ven. Khema wanders away

In our monastic training tradition a monk spends his third year "abroad". Tan Khema completed his 3rd rains retreat (Vassa) in October. Today he left to visit family and friends before heading to Bodhivana Monastery near Melbourne, Australia, where Ajahn Kalyano is the abbot.  The community at Tisarana wishes safe travels and good faring for Tan Khema.
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Abhayagiri's Firefighter Stories

Abhayagiri's Firefighter Stories: From Ajahn Jotipalo: About the "Loop Trail"  I asked the crew from New Mexico how it was fighting the fire.  They had been on the property for about 5 days.  They said it was the weirdest thing, like the monastery refused to burn.  They said one evening (probably the day Timothy Luke was forced to leave Mt Tabor, and he reported seeing 200 foot tall flames on the ridge)  that 10 battalions (20 to a battalion) were out on the loop trail fighting the fires...
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Abhayagiri Survives the Redwood Fire

Ajahn Jotipalo of Abhayagiri Monastery in California posted this news tonight after having visited the property today and talking with the fire crews there: "We just got back from the property.  About as good of news as we could have hoped for.  There are still about 100 personnel on the property, as fires are still smoldering, but it appear no structures were damaged, except maybe a bridge or two on the "loop trail" - which we should rename the "Sacred Loop Trail" Or "Dhamma Protectors Tra...
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Reminder: Public Meditation CANCELLED on October 21, 2017.

This is to remind our community that due to the Annual General Meeting on the 21st of October, our regular Saturday public meditation is cancelled. However, we welcome everyone to participate and attend the AGM.
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Come to Kathina, Sunday Oct 8th.

On Sunday October 8th, the Tisarana community will celebrate the end of the Rains Retreat by offering the Kathina cloth to the monastic community. The event will be held at the monastery (1356 Powers Road, Perth ON) and will start at 10.45 AM, followed by the meal blessing and a meal. At 1 PM, the ceremony of offering the Kathina cloth will take place followed by a Dhamma Reflection given by Luang Por V. We are delighted that Ajahn Punnadhammo from Arrow River and Venerable Suneetha from Otta...
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Notice of the Annual General Meeting - Saturday October 21, 2017.

The Directors of the Board of Tisarana Buddhist Monastery invites all members of good standing to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled on Saturday, October 21, 2017 at 1.30 PM. Please note that the public meditation normally scheduled for Saturday afternoons will be cancelled on the 21st of October due to our AGM.
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Week long retreat, Wan Phra (28th Sept) & Talk by Nick Scott.

Starting Saturday 23rd till Saturday 30th September 2017, the monastics and residents at Tisarana will be on retreat. The public meditation sessions on Saturdays (23rd & 30th) will happen as scheduled. However, there will be no Dhamma Talk on the Lunar Observance Day on Thursday, September 28th. On Saturday 23rd September at 1,30 PM there will be our usual public meditation session starting at 1.30 PM followed by a talk by Nick Scott who is visiting us from the UK. Nick has had a long ...
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Anagarika Siddarth's Going Forth.

On the New Moon of Wednesday 20th September, Luang Por Viradhammo will act as Preceptor as Anagarika Siddarth takes on Samanera precepts and joins the Tisarana Sangha as a Samanera at 7 PM. The evening will start with a meditation sit, followed by the ceremony of 'Going Forth - Pabbajha' and reflections by Ajahn V.
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2017 Kathina Wish List

Here is a link to Tisarana's 2017 Kathina wish list. It contains recommendations of useful objects that would help to support the monastery. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vwdsOXxCJPgPh9JT_LPWrjueMn___vG9-tJbcrIauy4/edit Please be sure to cross off any object that you have purchased, by following the instructions on the first page, so that others will know what has already been purchased. The Tisarana Buddhist Monastery MAILING ADDRESS for deliveries is: 1356 Powers Road, RR ...
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Journey Towards The Deathless by Khema Bhikkhu

Click on the image below to read "Journey Towards The Deathless" a poem-recollection of the recent trip to England by Khema Bhikkhu:
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Alms Round in Perth - Tuesday August 8th, 2017.

This week, the Lunar Observance falls on Tuesday 8th August and our monastics will be in Perth on Alms Round Tuesday 8th August. All other details remain the same. If you would like to offer alms Tuesday alone, please email tisarana.office.webmail@gmail.com before 9 PM Monday 7th August with the words "Alms Round" in the subject line and body of your email, your name and address. Thank you very much! Alms round details can be found at: https://tisarana.ca/alms-round-in-perth/
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Non residential retreat @ Tisarana - September 2, 3 &4th 2017

We are happy to announce a non-residential retreat at the Monastery led by Ajahn Viradhammo this Labour Day Weekend - starting on Saturday 2nd of September and ending after the morning session on the 4th of September. This retreat is designed to offer maximum flexibility and allows participants to select their sessions. Registration for this retreat can be done by clicking on this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DFPDWQ9 More details are available on the form itself that will open ...
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Alms Round in Perth - Monday 24th July 2017.

This week, the Lunar Observance falls on Sunday 23rd July. Our monastics will be in Perth on Alms Round on Monday 24th July. All other details remain the same. If you would like to offer alms Monday alone, please email tisarana.office.webmail@gmail.com before 9 PM Sunday 23rd July with the words "Alms Round" in the subject line and body of your email, your name and address. Thank you very much! Alms round details can be found at: https://tisarana.ca/alms-round-in-perth-starting-soon/ &nbs...
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Memories of an English Spring - Chittaviveka & Amaravati visits May 2017.

On the 30th of April 2017, a day after Ajahn V’s 70th birthday celebrations, Ven. Cunda and Ven. Khema accompanied by An. David, An. Siddarth and Noriko (lay guest) departed to spend ten days at Chittaviveka Monastery and attend Luang Por Sumedho’s open retreat followed by the international elders meeting at Amaravati. While the weary travelers trudged along, Fort Tisarana was steadfastly held by Ajahn V, Ven Khemako, An. Peter, Niraso (aka Brian) and the visiting bear. Ajahn Sucitto, Ajahn...
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Alms Round in Perth.

Almsround is a great way to strengthen community spirit - an opportunity for monks and supporters to participate in an act of sharing, generosity and mutual appreciation. Keeping with this tradition, the monks at Tisarana walk on almsround once a week in Perth. As we strive to make this as convenient, flexible and stress-free as possible, we may occasionally tweak our plans with adequate notice. Your feedback and suggestions are important,  please let us know if you have any ideas that...
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Asalha Puja, Samanera Ordination and Vassa Aradhana- July 8th & 9th 2017.

This years Asalha Puja falls on Saturday July 8th. The scheduled events for the day include the dana offering at 11.15 AM followed by a Meditation Sit at 1.30 PM. After the sit, Anagarika David takes on the Ten Precepts and joins the Sangha as a Samanera (novice). Luang Por Viradhammo will conduct An. David's Pabbhajja Ceremony immediately after the meditation sit. The Sangha at Tisarana begin this years Rains Retreat (Vassa) on Sunday the 9th of July. The commencement ceremony for the Rai...
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The Contemplative's Craft: Internalizing the Teachings of the Buddha

To commemorate Ajahn Viradhammo's 70th birthday on April 27th, the electronic edition of his upcoming book of Dhamma reflections entitled The Contemplative's Craft: Internalizing the Teachings of the Buddha, will be made available on April 27th through a number of different websites. These websites include forestsangha.org and the forest monastery websites of Tisarana, Amaravati, Abhayagiri, and Temple Forest. The print edition of Ajahn Viradhammo's book will be published in the fall of 2017,...
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Vesak Celebrations, Ajahn Viradhammo birthday celebrations, and Ajahn Viradhammo's new book

To commemorate Ajahn Viradhammo's 70th birthday on April 27th, the electronic edition of his upcoming book of Dhamma reflections entitled The Contemplative's Craft: Internalizing the Teachings of the Buddha, will be made available on April 27th through a number of different websites. These websites include forestsangha.org and the forest monastery websites of Tisarana, Amaravati, Abhayagiri, and Temple Forest. The print edition of Ajahn Viradhammo's book will be published in the fall of 2017, ...
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Ajahn Sucitto's departing message - Winter Retreat 2017

As I'm writing this, I'm coming to the end of my (near) three-months' stay at Tisarana. The time here has been idyllic, a very special occasion in this ongoing opportunity for simplicity, for discipline as a craft of the heart rather than blind conformity, and for meditation that is grounded rather than pie-in-the-sky. The elements that I appreciate in many monasteries of this lineage are all in place; brevity requires me to merely mention the fullness of the support from the lay people and thei...
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Resuming Our Regular Scheduled Events

Beginning Saturday, April 1st, we will resume our regular schedule. Therefore, our first Saturday meditation & Dhamma talk will be on April 1st at 1:30 PM. Please check the dates on the calendar for the regular weekly teachings on the Lunar Observance days. Luang Por Viradhammo will also be teaching in Ottawa (OBS - Quaker House) on Friday, April 7th.
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Entering Our 2017 Winter Retreat

Dear Friends, For our 2017 Winter Retreat (January 1st to March 31st) the Tisarana community will not hold its regular Saturday afternoon meditation and Dhamma Talk sessions. The last Saturday afternoon talk this year will be held on December 31st, New Years Eve. We will resume these sessions on Saturday, April 1st. During the winter time, you are welcome to come here any time you wish and use the Dhamma Hall for sittings or the library for reading. On our Observance Day we will cont...
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Ajahn Sucitto to give Saturday, December 24 Dhamma Reflection at Tisarana

Ajahn Sucitto is visiting us this winter (arriving on December 23) and will be offering the Saturday, December 24 Dhamma Talk this week. The meditation sitting will begin at 1:30 pm and Ajahn Sucitto will offer a Dhamma reflection around 2:30 pm (assuming all goes according to plan).
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New Volunteer Request Option Available on the Website

Dear Friends, We'd like to let you know that the subscription form on the website has been updated to include a Volunteer Requests subscription option. We are planning to use this list to ask those who sign up to volunteer for jobs we might need, such as audio work or getting a ride to the airport, or picking an item up from Toronto. Right now, we are looking for anyone with intermediate to advanced audio editing skills who can help us edit Dhamma talks using Audacity or a similar audio...
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A Long Breath Out . . .

Now that the Kathina and Ten Year Anniversary are over we are breathing out long . . . Over the next two weeks, the Tisarana resident community will be taking a break from pujas and formal work until November 24th. Feel free to come by for a visit, but please note that most of the monks will not be around, practicing diligently in our kutis. Our email will also be on hold until then, but do call and leave a message if there is an urgent need you have and we'll try to get back to you within co...
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October 30, Sunday, 2016 Kathina & Anniversary: Update & Reminder

Dear Friends, As the Tisarana Kathina and 10 Year Anniversary weekend is fast approaching we wish to remind you of the event and update you on some changes. We are sorry to say that we do not have any more room for overnight guests during the Kathina/Anniversary weekend. Please try to arrange your travel so you can be here with us regardless. Again, for our 10 year anniversary, we will have many visiting Ajahns including: Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Jayanto, Ajahn Kusalo, Ajahn Punnadhammo, Ajahn Ca...
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Tisarana Kathina and Ten Year Anniversary, Sunday, October 30, 2016

Dear Friends: We are happy to let you know that arrangements are well under way for the Tisarana Kathina celebration and Ten Year Anniversary scheduled to take place at Tisarana Monastery at 10:00 am on Sunday, October 30th. All friends of the Tisarana community are welcome to participate in this happy and auspicious occasion. For the Ten Year Anniversary we have invited several Ajahns to take part in this celebration, including Luang Por Pasanno from Abhayagiri Monastery in California, Ajahn ...
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Ajahn Viradhammo's India Pilgrimage Slide Show

Ajahn Viradhammo will be showing slides of his 2015 pilgrimage to the Buddhist holy sites in India. There will be two showings, one in Ottawa and one at Tisarana: Ottawa: Saturday, July 16 on the Day of Mindfulness around 2:30 pm at the Trinity United Church (1099 Maitland Ave, Ottawa). Please see the OBS website for more information: http://ottawabuddhistsociety.com/activities/days-of-mindfulness/ Tisarana: Saturday, July 23 after the 1:30 pm meditation (beginning around 2:30 pm)
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Annual General Meeting Rescheduled for Sunday, July 24, 3:00 pm, 2016

Due to a lack of key members, necessary paperwork, and a working internet connection, the Tisarana Annual General Meeting scheduled for June 26 was canceled. It has been rescheduled to Sunday, July 24 at 3:00 pm. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
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Tisarana Annual General Meeting to be held on June 26, 2016

This year's 2016 Tisarana Annual General Meeting will be held on Sunday, June 26, 2016, 1:00 pm at the Tisarana Dhamma Hall at 1356 Powers Road, Perth, Ontario. The meeting was originally to be held on Sunday, June 12, but due to unforeseen circumstances, this date needed to be changed.
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Ajahn Punnadhammo is Looking for a Steward

Dear friends, Ajahn Punnadhammo, the abbot of Arrow River Forrest Hermitage, is looking for a steward to stay at his monastery. The hermitage is located in Northern Ontario, fifty miles southwest of Thunder Bay, with 92 acre of land in a beautiful mixed forest. This year Ajahn is short handed after having had some cancellations of stewards. If interested, please write him at: arfh@xplornet.com As a small hermitage in a non-Buddhist country, Arrow River operates by dependence on a lay stew...
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Bhante Yogavacara Rahula visiting, June 10 to 17, 2016

This week Bhante Rahula is visiting Tisarana Monastery, arriving June 10 and departing June 17. He will be invited to give the June 11 Saturday afternoon meditation session and Dhamma talk beginning at 1:30 pm (at Tisarana) as well as the June 12 Sunday evening meditation session and talk beginning at 7:00 pm (also at Tisarana). If Bhante Rahula is unavailable, Luang Por Viradhammo will offer one or both of these talks in his stead. Bhante Rahula was born in Southern California as Scott Josep...
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A Reminder: Vesākha Pūjā at Tisarana, Sunday, May 22, 2016

Dear friends, In case you missed the first announcement we wish to remind you that Tisarana will hold it's annual Vesākha Pūjā on Sunday, May 22. Vesākha Pūjā commemorates the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and passing away. The commemoration will begin with the taking of the 5 Precepts at 10:45 am under the large outdoor tent (conditions permitting). At 11:15 am the monks will receive the meal danā (a potluck lunch). At 1:15 pm, after everyone is finished eating and the di...
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Ajahn Punnadhammo to offer a Dhamma talk Thursday evening, May 12, 2016

Ajahn Punnadhammo, from Arrow River Hermitage in north west Ontario, is visiting Tisarana this week and will offer a Dhamma talk Thursday night, May 12th after the 7:00 pm pūjā and meditation. Ajahn will also hold a tea time question and answer session on Monday evening, May 9th, beginning at 5:00 pm. Ajahn Punnadhammo is Canadian, born in Toronto in 1955. In 1992, he was ordained in Thailand as a bhikkhu (Buddhist monk) in the Ajahn Chah tradition. Ajahn began studying and practicing...
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Vesākha Pūjā at Tisarana, Sunday, May 22, 2016

Dear friends, Tisarana will hold it's annual Vesākha Pūjā on Sunday, May 22. Vesākha Pūjā commemorates the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and passing away. The commemoration will begin with the taking of the 5 Precepts at 10:45 am under the large outdoor tent (conditions permitting). At 11:15 am the monks will receive the meal danā (a potluck lunch). At 1:15 pm, after everyone is finished eating and the dishes have been cleaned, we will reassemble for blessing chants, a short ...
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Garden Work Bee, 8:30 am, Saturday, May 7th, 2016

Join us for a garden work bee on Saturday, May 7th beginning at 8:30 am. Bring your gardening gloves and tools! We'll work for about three hours and the meal will begin at 11:30 am. A meditation, followed by a Dhamma talk will begin at 1:00 pm.
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New Times for the Meal (11:30 am) and Saturday Afternoon Program (1:30 pm)

During the spring, summer, and fall (April 1 to November 6), the meal will be offered at 11:30 am. The Saturday afternoon program (meditation and Dhamma talk) will henceforth begin at 1:30 pm rather than 1:00 pm in order to allow sufficient time for post-meal clean-up.
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A New Year's Greeting

Dear Friends, I have just returned from a most inspiring journey to India and Thailand. The trip to India was on invitation from Luang Por Sumedho to join him on pilgrimage to the Buddhist holy sites. Bodhgaya, Sarnath, Lumbini and Kusinara — the place of Enlightenment, the first teaching, birth and Parinibbana — these places bring forth devotional feelings of deep gratitude and inspiration to anyone who has practiced the way of the Buddha. Being on pilgrimage with my teacher and good frien...
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Kathina at Tisarana: Sunday, November 8, 2015

Dear Friends: We are happy to let you know that arrangements are well under way for the Kathina celebration scheduled to take place at Tisarana monastery at 10am on Sunday November 8th. The lay members of the Board of directors heartily invite friends and supporters of the monastery to participate in this happy and auspicious occasion. This year’s Kathina ceremony will be held at Tisarana monastery in the large white tent on the front lawn. The tent will be enclosed and several heaters will ...
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Kathina at Tisarana: November 8, 2015

Each year since the time of the Buddha, at the end of the three-month Rains Retreat, lay people who support Buddhist monasteries have gathered to celebrate the completion of the retreat and offer the monastic community gifts of robe cloth and requisites that will be useful for the coming year. The cloth is cut, sewn and dyed by the monks that same day to make a robe to offer to a member of the monastic Sangha. This 2,500-year-old tradition is still carried on here in the West, initiated b...
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Samanera Khema's Bhikkhu Ordination on Sunday, October 11, 2015 at 1:00 pm

On Sunday, October 11 at 1:00 pm, Samanera Khema will take full ordination (Upasmapadā) and become a Bhikkhu under the preceptorship of Luang Por Vīradhammo. All are welcome to attend. There will be a pot luck meal at 11:00 am. The ceremony is planned to take less than one hour and will be followed by a Dhamma talk given by Ajahn Vīradhammo. This will all take place in our large outdoor tent at the monastery. In addition to the tent, canopies will be available in case there is a large atte...
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I get by with a little help from my kalyāṇa-mitta . . .

If you have ever wondered how the Tisarana free distribution books are produced, here is a description by Lisa explaining the process. It also illustrates how the life of Tisarana Monastery is made possible by an extended family of volunteers . . . In October of 2013, Philip and I began our “special volunteering project” for Tisarana Buddhist Monastery. At that time, its abbot, Luang Por Viradhammo, was contemplating publishing his second collection of Dhamma reflections based on 10 of hi...
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Schedule Updates and the Noble Eightfold Path Study Group

We would like to update you with the following Tisarana schedule changes: 1) The Tisarana Kathina will take place on Sunday, November 8th at Tisarana Monastery 2) Teachings on the Noble Eightfold Path and the Satipatthana Sutta will be offered once a month by Ajahn Viradhammo and other monks at Tisarana Monastery in the outdoor tent. Program: 11:00 am Dana (Potluck lunch) 1:00 pm Chanting and meditation 1:50 pm Dhamma talk on chosen theme 2:45 pm Break (those who have just come for ...
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Upcoming Luang Por Liem Visit, June 19 to 24, 2015

This coming week, June 19 to 24, Luang Por Liem, Luang Por Jundee, Ajahn Seyk, and Ajahn Thaniyo will be visiting Tisarana Monastery. Luang Por Liem (who has been monk for more than 50 years) is the abbot of Ajahn Chah's main monastery in Thailand, Wat Nong Pah Pong and was the monk who succeeded Ajahn Chah more than 25 years ago. Luang Por Liem is a highly respected elder and central figure in our tradition. He is known for his wisdom, humility, and quiet, even temperament. Over the past two...
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Vesākha Pūjā: Saturday, May 30, 2015

This year we will hold our annual Vesākha Pūjā on Saturday, May 30. This is a day commemorating the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death. The commemoration will begin with the taking of the 5 Precepts at 10:30 am under the large outdoor tent (conditions permitting). At 11:00 am the monks will receive the meal danā (a potluck lunch). Around 1:00 pm, after everyone is finished eating and the dishes have been cleaned, we will reassemble for blessing chants, a short sitting, and a D...
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Community Work Bee: Landscaping at Tisarana, Saturday, May 9, 9 am to 4 pm.

From Akka Janssen . . . Two Springs ago Tina suggested I become a garden keeper at Tisarana and the role has given me great pleasure. The monastery is a wholly welcoming and peaceful place with a wonderful community of monks and lay people. I frequently schedule my garden work visits to coincide with Saturday's meditation and Dhamma talks: gardening, and food for the soul. The property is large and there is always brush to be cleared, suckers to be cut back, pathways to be raked as well a...
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2015: Endings and Beginnings

As we enter a budding spring time at Tisarana after the ending of our winter retreat, many changes have been brought to the fore. The Saturday Afternoon Program Resumes Beginning at 1:00 pm. The first Saturday of April brought many old friends back to the monastery and we would like to announce a small change in schedule. A request was made from lay supporters to have the Saturday program begin at 1:00 pm instead of 2:00 pm due to the long wait for the practice session to begin after the m...
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Temporary Suspension of Saturday Afternoon Talks for the Winter Retreat

During Tisarana's Winter Retreat (January 1st to March 31st) we will not be holding our usual Saturday afternoon meditation and Dhamma talk sessions. However, for anyone who is interested in attending any of the Lunar Observance Day evening sessions, we will have our usual puja and sitting beginning at 7:00 pm and a live or recorded talk held shortly thereafter. The monks and community residents will continue practicing until midnight. The Lunar Observance Days will be held on: January 4, 12,...
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New Year's Greeting from Ajahn Vīradhammo

Dear friends of Tisarana, I am drafting this New Year's letter, flying on a 747 high over the Arctic, just having the crossed the Bering Straights and now heading south over Russia, mainland China and then on to Hong Kong. I'm on my way to Thailand for a bit of teaching and a touch of monkish vacation. I trust your year has been edifying and your practice of the Buddha-Dhamma has deepened and broadened your understanding of life. I hope you are well. I have had a very rewarding year, filled wi...
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New Year's Eve Vigil and Bonfire

On Wednesday evening, December 31st, we will have our regular puja and meditation at 7:00 pm, followed by a Dhamma talk. Around 9:00 pm the Sangha will light a large bonfire outside the new Bhikkhu Vihara to bring in the New Year. All are welcome to join.
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Commemoration & Dedication Ceremony on Sunday, December 7th

Beginning at 10:30 am, the Tisarana Community will commemorate Luang Por Vīradhammo's mother's birthday and dedicate blessings for the King of Thailand's birthday. Also on this day, the Lay Saṅgha will offer the Bhikkhu Vihara and the new tractor to the Monastic Saṅgha. We will have a potluck meal at 11:00 am and afterwards everyone will be invited into the Bhikkhu Vihara Dhamma Hall for blessing chants.        
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Saturday, November 1st, 2:00 pm: Luang Por Pasanno will give a Dhamma Talk at Tisarana

Luang Por Pasanno, abbot of Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in Northern California, will be coming to Tisarana this weekend to participate in our Kathina. On Saturday, November 1st, Luang Por Pasanno will lead the weekly 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm meditation and Dhamma Talk. All are welcome to join us for his Dhamma Talk and for the Tisarana Kathina. The Kathina this year will be held at Civitan Hall in Perth (6787 Lanark County Road 43) and will begin at 10:00 am on Sunday, November 2nd. For mor...
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Tisarana Kathina Ceremony: Sunday, November 2nd, 10:00 am, Civitan Hall, Perth

This year's Kathina will be held in Perth at the Civitan Hall: 6787, Highway 43 (Directions) Each year since the time of the Buddha, at the end of the three-month Rains Retreat, lay people who support Buddhist monasteries have gathered to celebrate the completion of the retreat and offer the monastic community gifts of cloth and supplies that will be useful for the coming year. The cloth is cut, sewn and dyed by the monks that same day to make a robe to offer to a member of the monastic Saṅg...
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Tisarana Non-Residential Retreat Schedule, September 14 to 21

For anyone interested in attending all or part of the non-residential retreat held at Tisarana, September 14 to 21, the following is our planned retreat schedule: Sunday, September 14 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Evening puja, meditation, and Dhamma talk Monday, September 15 to Saturday, September 20 5:00 am to 6:30 am - Morning puja with the monastic community 6:30 am to 8:30 am - Monastic community and resident guests' breakfast, chores and rest time 8:30 am to 11:00 am - Instruction, ...
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Fall Residential Retreat with Ajahn Vīradhammo, October 24 to 31, Near Ottawa

Ajahn Vīradhammo will be teaching a week long residential retreat in Arnprior (very close to Ottawa), organized by the Ottawa Buddhist Society. Retreat Registration is now open. It will begin October 24th and end October 31st. Please note, space is limited so please register soon if you are interested. All information and the registration form for this retreat at the Galilee Centre in Arnprior is available at: http://ottawabuddhistsociety.com/activities/retreats/  
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The 2014 Tisarana Non-Residential Retreat: September 14 to 21

This years week long non-residential Tisarana retreat will be lead again by Ajahn Vīradhammo. The retreat will begin at 7:00 pm on Sunday, September 14th and end at 11:30 am on Sunday, September 21st. At this time all spaces available in the house have now been taken and we have no further accommodation left. Rather than using the Dhamma Hall connected to the house, we plan to have the group sittings and Dhamma talks under the large tent that has been erected for this years rains retre...
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The 11:00 am meal has been moved to 11:30 am

For the summer months we have decided to move the meal up half an hour to be offered at 11:30 am.
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Vassa Āraddhana: Saturday, July 12th, 10:00 am

Invitation for the Tisarana Saṅgha to Stay for the Traditional Rains Retreat On July 12th, Ambassador Pisan Manawapat, the Thai Ambassador to Canada, along with the lay community of Tisarana, will be inviting the Tisarana Monastic Community to reside at Tisarana for the traditional rains retreat and receive the necessary requisites during this period (July 12th to October 8th). Over 2500 years ago, the Buddha asked that Bhikkhus stay in one place during the vassa period, only allowing short...
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Goodbye Message from Venerable Subharo

Now that five years of seniority as a monk have accrued, my Majjhima (Middle) years as a monk have now come. I've been released from Nissaya (Dependence) upon my ācariya (teacher), and traditionally, this is now the time to seek out other training opportunities at other monasteries, and hermitages, with a variety of teachers. This is a chance for me to "round out" my training, as well as deepen my practice in situations of increased seclusion. I've been offered to spend the vassa (Rains Retreat...
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Reaching out

Please note that Ajahn Sumedho and Ajahn Vīradhammo will not be at the monastery June 17th-19th, as they will be travelling to meet with lay Buddhists in Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec. They will return the evening of the 19th, and will be offering Dhamma teachings here at Tisarana on the 21st for the "Gratitude to Parents Day." If you wish to participate in that event you are encouraged to arrive between 10:00 and 10:30 in the morning.
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Current Events

Gratitude to Parents Day at 10:30am on June 21st June 21st is “Gratitude to Parents Day” at Tisarana Buddhist Monastery.  It is an occasion for us to recollect our parents and dedicate merit for the sake of their well-being.  It is also an opportunity to express respect and gratitude to Venerable Ajahn Sumedho during his 80th year.  As usual, there will be a potluck meal at 11:00am.  Please try to arrive between 10:00am and 10:30am. The day will include an opportunity to take the ...
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Aniccā vata saṅkhārā...

Ajahn Kusalo's mother passed away on May 8th, 2014. Ajahn Kusalo lived at Tisarana monastery from its inception until 2012, and was of enormous benefit to the monastery and its extended community. In 2012 he moved to New Zealand to be the abbot of Bodhiñāṇārāma Monastery. We offer our sincere condolences to him. We wish him well in his development of the Buddha's way and his work in spreading the Dhamma. If you wish to send your condolences, you may address them to the monastery email.
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Working Bee: June 7th-8th, 9am-5pm

Our working bee has been scheduled for June 7th and 8th, instead of the 6th as previously reported. This will be two days in a row, so please feel free to come for either day or for both. You can also come for part of the time if you don't wish to stay for the full day; we will be grateful for any amount of time you would like to contribute. As usual, there will be a potluck lunch at 11am which you are welcome to join. Please bring work gloves and, if possible, a sturdy soil-rake (see this...
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Working Bee - Sat June 6 9am to 5pm

In  preparation for Luang Por Sumedho’s visit later in June, we are giving Tisarana a good spring cleaning. We have also purchased a marquee (a large tent) that needs to be erected. Lots to do so please do join us. Pot luck lunch What to bring: work gloves, a sturdy rake.
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Seasonal Preparations

More Construction Photos The construction of our new Bhikkhu Vihara is progressing rapidly.  Our new building now has electrical and hydro.  A well has been dug, and a new septic field is in the process of being dug. Photos here Workshop Improvements A new Table Saw has been generously donated and installed.  It has advanced safety features to help prevent injuries. A new Dust Collection System has been donated and installed, so that sawdust generated by various power tools wil...
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Change

Nothing is permanent - and this applies just as much within the monastery as outside of it.  As the year progresses a few changes are taking place here at Tisarana Buddhist Monastery...   Farewell to Our Beloved Peter Peter Pauls is a lay resident who has been living here at Tisarana for about one year.  He has been in charge of maintaining and improving the physical condition of the monastery; such tasks as carpentry, mechanical, earthworks, trailwork and a wide range of other valua...
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Abbot's Birthday

There was an error in our previous progress update.  Venerable Ajahn Vīradhammo's birthday is on April 27th, not the 22nd as was erroneously reported. In related news, he will he away from the monastery from the 17th to the 26th, as he will be leading an annual retreat in Hockley Valley.
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Emerging from Solitude

Another winter retreat has been successfully completed at Tisarana, thanks to the invaluable support of our beloved lay stewards.  As well as reestablishing our usual routines, there are a number of upcoming events that bear mention: April 13: Upāsika Day April 27: Ajahn Vīradhammo's Birthday May 11: Annual General Meeting May 18: Upāsika Day June 14-23: Ajahn Sumedho at Tisarana June 21: Gratitude to Parents Day   Gratitude for support during the Winter Retreat The W...
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Construction of Bhikkhu Vihāra has Begun!

Our new monastic building is underway, with several photographs of the initial stages available in our photo gallery.
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Kathina Photos

Photo Gallery of Kathina 2013 A gallery of photographs from our recent Kathina celebration has been posted by Nalaka:  Kathina Photos Many thanks to Aruna and Narada for photographing the event.
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Building Contract Signed for New Bhikkhu Vihara

Building Contract Signed for New Bhikkhu Vihara At long last, we have a builder for the Bhikkhu's Vihara. Yesterday we signed a contract with "The Lanark Design/Build Group", for the entire construction of our new monk facility.  They'll probably start digging the soil within the next two weeks.  The estimated time of completion is 28 weeks.  They are local builders, so they are accustomed to working through the winter. As for funding, 3/4 of the funds for this project have been raised, t...
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Visiting Teachers arriving for Kathina

We are fortunate to have two Ajahns visiting from the west coast for our Kathina on November 3. They will be teaching at the monastery, at the Quaker meeting in Ottawa, and at our Kathina celebration in Perth. Teaching schedule: Ajahn Sudanto - Abbot, Pacific Hermitage, (www.pacifichermitage.org) Saturday, Oct. 26,  1pm:     Tisarana Monastery - Meditation and Dhamma talk Friday, Nov. 1st, 7:30pm:    Quaker House, 4th Avenue, Glebe, Ottawa - Meditation and Dhamma talk Sun...
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Kathina 2013 Schedule

Kathina Celebration, November 3, 2013 at Civitan Hall Perth, ON The Kathina is a tradition that has been followed for over 2500 years. It takes place during the month following Vassa (the three-month rains retreat corresponding to the rainy season in India). At that time, lay followers make a special offering of Kathina cloth as well as additional requisites to the Sangha. Kathina is a very happy, warm-hearted time for celebration. It is a time to come together, focusing on the single act of ge...
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Winter Retreat Stewards Needed

Winter is quickly approaching, and we are now considering applications for anyone wishing to join the winter retreat as a steward. From the beginning of January until the end of March, the monks and Anagarikas at Tisarana put away projects and minimize their worldly commitments, so that these three months can be devoted to more intensive meditation and study. Each year, 4 or 5 lay friends join the retreat to help in the kitchen and office. Anyone interested in being a steward during the winte...
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Hockley Valley Retreat Dhamma Talks posted

Normally, we announce Dhamma Talks one at a time through our weekly podcast mailing list. This mini-newsletter is to announce an entire collection of 16 Dhamma Talks, all available for download now.  They were recorded earlier this spring (2013), at Hockley Valley, taught by Ajahn Viradhammo.  Enjoy.
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Progress Update: Fri Sept 6th, 2013

Ajahn Viradhammo Visits Abhayagiri Monastery Ajahn Viradhammo will be visiting his old time friend (back from their days together at Wat Pah Nanachat): Ajahn Pasanno, abbot of Abhayagiri monastery.  Ajahn Viradhammo returns to Tisarana Sept 11th. Upasika Program is Full We would like to thank all applicants for applying to our Upasika program. September Residential Meditation Retreat is Fully Booked Again, we would like to thank all applicants.  The spaces filled up very, very quickly!  ...
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Work Bee Sunday Sept 8th, 2013

Correction to last posting: Work bee is on Sunday Sept 8th, 2013, not Sept 6th Please come join us in a day of community-building work.  Our main project is to develop kuti meditation walking paths.  The heavy lifting will be done by our tractor bucket, however help is needed to smooth out gravel and dirt, as well as line the paths with logs.  Lighter work is also needed, in the way of trimming branches with loppers. The Work Bee starts at 8:30am.  A potluck lunch will be served at 11am....
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Progress Update: Tues Aug 20th, 2014

Work Bee Sunday Sept 8th, 2013 Please come join us in a day of community-building work.  Our main project is to develop kuti meditation walking paths.  The heavy lifting will be done by our tractor bucket, however help is needed to smooth out gravel and dirt, as well as line the paths with logs.  Lighter work is also needed, in the way of trimming branches with loppers. The Work Bee starts at 8:30am.  A potluck lunch will be served at 11am.  Afternoon work resumes at 1pm, ending at 4pm....
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Tisarana Website Hacker Thwarted

This posting is on our new website, which is free from all hackery (at least so far). Our new website continues to evolve every day, so please be patient as other missing parts and details are gradually filled in and updated.  Hopefully this process goes smoothly, but as Murphy's Law goes, there's bound to be at least a small amount of "turbulence." Contact Email Address Correction for the Vassa Aradhana Ceremony on 28 July 2013 The correct contact email...
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The Upasika Training Program

Definition The term upasika means “one who sits close by,” and it has come to refer to lay people who join with the monastics in the practice of the Dhamma. Following the model established at Abhayagiri Monastery in California, Tisarana would like to provide a similar structure for lay people to practice and study together. Regular Upasika Days will be held at the monastery roughly every 4 to 6 weeks at which time upasikas renew their commitment to the Three Refuges and Five Precepts, part...
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Vassa Aradhana Ceremony on 28 July 2013

The Kathina is a tradition that has been followed for over 2500 years. It takes place during the month following Vassa (the three-month rains retreat corresponding to the rainy season in India). At that time, lay followers make a special offering of Kathina cloth as well as additional requisites to the Sangha. Kathina is a very happy, warm-hearted time for celebration. It is a time to come together, focusing on the single act of generosity of offering the Kathina robe material. This will be t...
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Progress Update: Tuesday, June 4th, 2013

  Upasika Program Re-Started Two years ago, just before his mother died, Luang Por Viradhammo initiated a program of study and practice for lay friends of Tisarana.  It was called the 'Upasika Program' and it was intended for those who wanted to deepen their practice and commitment to the Buddha-Dhamma-Sangha.  Luang Por has decided to re-start the program.  An e-mail will be sent out with further details.  Please take a look if you're interested. Gratitude to Parents Day Gratitude to ...
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A Vesāk Greeting From Luang Por Viradhammo

Dear friends, May this Vesāk find you in good health and at peace with the way things are. It has been two years since my mum died and high time I composed a few words about life at Tisarana. I'm a frightfully lazy fellow when it comes to writing and would generally rather be doing something practical with my hands. Reflecting back to the time spent with my mum in the last decade of her life, I experience a lot of joy in the memory of our time spent together. Mum lived well beyond what she e...
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Progress Update: May 8th, 2013

Vesak Come and join us in celebrating Vesak on Sunday, May 19th.  The schedule for the day is as follows... 10:00am- Please try to arrive by this time if you are planning on joining in the morning activities 10:30am- Five precepts 11:00am- Rice pindapat (almsround) and dana.  Please try to arrive by 10am if you are planning on participating. 1-1:30pm (approximately)- Dhamma talk by Tahn Ajahn Dtun 7:00pm- Evening puja and circumambulation of the shrine Working Bee Tisaraṇa will have a worki...
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Progress Update - Monday, April 4th, 2013

Regular Monastery Schedule Resumes Spring is in the air.  The winter retreat has finished at Tisarana and we're back to the regular monastery schedule.  The community had a good winter retreat.  There were no serious illnesses and things seemed to go quite smoothly.  The retreat was broken up into times of individual practice and group practice.  Thanks to all who supported the community in holding the retreat.  It was an excellent opportunity for all involved to deepen their practice. Lu...
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Progress Update: January 1st, 2013

  Winter Retreat Schedule Tisarana will start it's winter retreat on January 5th.  During this time we won't be accepting any guests.  We will also only check the monastery e-mail infrequently and will respond only to urgent e-mails. Days of Mindfulness will continue as usual on Saturdays at 1pm.  Luang Por Viradhammo will be away until February 6th.  Hope that you have a great winter if we don't see you at a Day of Mindfulness.  All the best until April. Happy New Year We had a nice ...
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A New Year's Message

A new year's message from Venerable Pamutto: In July when I arrived the monastery was eerily quiet.  The community was on an open schedule.  A single kitchen steward woke every morning and prepared meals for two bhikkhus, while a single summer guest dragged a sprinkler across the newly-seeded lawn.  It seemed the monastery was waiting for something, and when asked about puja or work projects the residents would smile and say, "Soon enough.  The abbot is coming back, and abbots have a way of...
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Progress Update: Mon 24th Dec, 2012

New Year's Eve Gathering Come join us for a New Year's Eve gathering.  We'll begin with a group meditation at 7pm followed by a Dhamma Talk.  After that, there will be a bonfire for those who are interested.   Bring your own marshmallows!  After the bonfire, we'll gather together in the hall to ring in the New Year. Bhikkhu Vihara Planning Coming Along As some of you may know, we're planning a new large building it the big field next to the road.  It is called the 'Bhikkhu Vihara' and will...
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Progress Update December 11th, 2012

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 i...
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OBS Saturday Day of Mindfulness Cancelled

Dec 4, 2012 - The Ottawa Buddhist Society "Day of Mindfulness" event with Ajahn Viradhammo, scheduled for Saturday, Dec 8th, has been cancelled.
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Progress Update: November 18th, 2012

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 ...
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Progress Update: November 4th, 2012

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....
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Progress Update: September 7, 2012

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 ...
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Progress Update: August 27, 2012

Gratitude to Parents Day Gratitude to Parents Day is a chance to express appreciation and gratitude for the goodness we have received from our parent...
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Progress Update: August 7, 2012

Luang Por Viradhammo Returns Luang Por Viradhammo has returned from England. His trip seems to have been very successful. He visited Chithurst and Ar...
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Progress Update: July 5, 2012

Venerable Thai Ajahns Visit Our Venerable Ajahns from Thailand left this past Sunday for Abhayagiri Monastery in California. It was a lovely opportun...
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Progress Update: June 16, 2012

Venerable Ajahns From Thailand to Visit Our Venerable Ajahns from Thailand have finally received their visas and will be arriving at Tisarana on the...
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Progress Update: June 3, 2012

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 ...
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Progress Update: May 18, 2012

Vesak We will celebrate Vesak at the monastery on Saturday, June second. The day will begin at 10am with the taking of the five precepts and paritta ...
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Progress Update: April 23, 2012

Bon Voyage Ajahn Kusalo! Ajahn Kusalo's going away party was a great success. The hall was filled to capacity. Over 70 people came to bid Ajahn farew...
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Progress Update: April 11, 2012

Bon Voyage Ajahn Kusalo! Ajahn Kusalo's going away party was a great success. The hall was filled to capacity. Over 70 people came to bid Ajahn farew...
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Progress Update: January 5, 2012

Ajahn Kusalo Going Away Party Ajahn Kusalo will be departing in mid-April. He leaves to take over as abbot at Bodhinyanarama monastery in New Zealand...
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Progress Update: December 23, 2011

Ajahn Kusalo Arrives Ajahn Kusalo will arrive back at Tisarana today, after a two month trip around the world. A warm welcome back to Ajahn! New Yea...
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Progress Update: November 18, 2011

Hello, here's the latest news from Tisarana. Ajahn Viradhammo Returns Ajahn Viradhammo arrived back at the monastery yesterday, after a very success...
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Progress Update: November 5, 2011

Saturday, November 5th, 2011 Hello, here's the latest news from Tisarana... >> New Kitchen Volunteer Our normal steward, Raymond O'Neill is away fo...
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Progress Update: October 20, 2011

Hello, here's the latest news from Tisarana. >> Days of Mindfulness Ajahn Kusalo and Ajahn Viradhammo will be away from the monastery from October ...
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Progress Update: September 21, 2011

>> Kathina: This is the first year we will celebrate the end of the Vassa, the Asian monsoon season. Here in Canada it is a time when the sangha prep...
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Progress Update: August 23, 2011

>> Hot on the Heels: of our last working bee we have a working wasp - only in as much as it will have more sting than a bee. Am I on the edge of a ra...
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Progress Update: July 20, 2011

>> Diaries: I am sure yours is up-to-date and has the following item firmly inked in. >> Working Bee: This Sunday - 24th July. The barn will be th...
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Progress Update: July 12, 2011

>> Asalha Puja: The full moon of the month of Asalha, which marks the beginning of the three month vassa (rains retreat), is this Friday 15th. We wil...
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Progress Update: July 4, 2011

>> Memorial Day: A memorial ceremony for Mrs. Akers and the inauguration of 'Gratitude to Parents Day' will be held on Saturday the 9th of July. The ...
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Progress Update: June 6, 2011

>> Many Monks: We are delighted to be able to have two monks visiting with us at the moment. Ajahn Anando, a senior monk from Amaravati, will be with...
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Progress Update: May 4, 2011

>> Bees and Honey: There weren't many bees for the working bee but we made a lot of sweet honey. The whole north-west corner of the forest was cleare...
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Progress Update: April 21, 2011

>> WORKING BEE: Sunday 24th April. All day. All the sunny day long. Sun day - yes? As well as the forest there will also be the moving of the standin...
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Progress Update: April 15, 2011

>> AGM: Tisarana's 2010 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 1:00 pm. Agenda items include the 2010 Financial Report, Deve...
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Progress Update: April 7, 2011

>> Ajahn Viradhammo: You may already know that Ajahn's mother, Astrid Akers, passed away on Thursday 24th March at 6.40pm (Eastern). She was ninety f...
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Progress Update: December 28, 2010

>> Years End: You are welcome to join with us to see in the new year on Friday night - 31st. We will have puja (in the module) at 7pm with chanting, ...
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Progress Update: December 22, 2010

>> Newsletter: The newsletter for December has been printed. If you are not on our (postal) mail list then you can read this online or download the P...
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Progress Update: December 11, 2010

Hello, here's the latest news from Tisarana... Ajahn Viradhammo Departs Ajahn Viradhammo will depart for a five month trip on Monday. He will return...
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Progress Update: November 27, 2010

>> Atulo's Ordination: Everything went so well. There are several traditional, technical aspects around accepting a candidate into the Bhikkhu Sangha...
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Progress Update: November 4, 2010

>> Atulo's Ordination: Everything is on track for Atulo's going-forth on the 14th of November at the Civitan Hall on Craig Street, Perth [Hwy 43]. MA...
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Progress Update: October 12, 2010

>> Atulo's Higher Ordination: Having been with the community for over two years it is very happy news that Samanera Atulo will take the going-forth a...
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Progress Update: September 29, 2010

>> Weekend of Mindfulness: This weekend. Starts at 5:30am Saturday and finishes around 4:00pm on Sunday. Sitting and walking with some instruction an...
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Progress Update: September 16, 2010

>> MONASTIC MEALS: With Kelvin and Tina's change of plans and venerable Atulo's impending bhikkhu ordination it is unclear how the mid-day meals at t...
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Progress Update: August 27, 2010

>> Moving News: Many of you may already know of Venerable Sumangalo's decision to put down the Bhikkhu training and take up lay life again. His warm ...
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Progress Update: July 29, 2010

>> Wonderful News: The latest Wow Jones index shows that the relationally enhanced division of statistical dhamma ratios between pre- and post-medita...
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Progress Update: July 16, 2010

>> No News: After the wonderful whirl what was Ajahn Sumedho's visit things at Tisarana have settled to a fairly gentle pace. Venerable Khemaratana h...
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Progress Update: June 18, 2010

>> Family Day: This Sunday, 20th. Join us for lunch at 11:00. There will be a children's class at 12:30 (bring painting clothes). If you would like t...
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Progress Update: June 1, 2010

>> Vesak: Wow. Everything went right, nothing went wrong. Lots of people came - we estimate over 200. Luang Por Sumedho gave a large group the eight ...
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Progress Update: May 27, 2010

>> Friday Volunteers: We still need volunteers this Friday, May 27 to get ready for Vesak. It is an Uposatha day (Full Moon) so we will also have a 2...
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Progress Update: May 20, 2010

>> Whats the Buzz: Word on work has it that the bees are still needed at Tisarana. There is lots of light work to do indoors and out, so please consi...
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Progress Update: May 14, 2010

>> Working Bee: Next weekend - 22nd & 23rd May. This is mostly in prepartaion for Ajahn Sumedho's visit. Come in the morning and work up an appetite ...
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Progress Update: May 4, 2010

>> Work Weekend: This Saturday and Sunday, May 8 & 9, to help with preparations for Ajahn Sumedho's visit. We will work from 8 am to 5 pm BOTH DAYS, ...
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Progress Update: April 30, 2010

>> Thailand: It has been a while since Ajahn Kusalo was in Thailand attending alms giving ceremonies but we thought you would be interested in some d...
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Progress Update: April 5, 2010

** Visit NOW!! to help with preparations for Ajahn Sumedho's visit ** We have lots to do here at the monastery in the weeks leading up to this event ...
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Progress Update: February 24, 2010

>>Ajahn Sumedho Visit Date Change The dates for Ajahn Sumedho's visit have changed slightly. He will be arriving at Tisarana on Friday 28 May and dep...
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Progress Update: February 16, 2010

>>Farewell Janko Anagarika Janko is leaving Tisarana this week to continue his training in Asia. We appreciate all the service he has offered the com...
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Progress Update: January 24, 2010

>> Luang Por Sumedho Retreate Registration Now Open: Registration is now open for Luang Por Sumedho's weekend retreat in Ottawa June 12 and 13, 2010....
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Progress Update: December 29, 2009

>> Season's Greetings: The year is nearly ended and the monastery will be on retreat from Jan 4th until March 29th. These updates may not arrive duri...
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Progress Update: December 21, 2009

>> New Years Eve: Greet the new year at the monastery with auspicious blessings and delicious marshmallows. We begin the evening with judicious Puja ...
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Progress Update: December 4, 2009

>> Winter Retreat: The winter retreat will start on Monday, January 4th. There will be a week of all-day group meditation with dhamma reflections and...
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Progress Update: November 14, 2009

>> Anagarika Joe's Ordination: Anagarika Joe will take the going-forth as Samanera ??? His new name is a surprise. The white to the brown. You can ge...
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Progress Update: October 9, 2009

>> Ordination #1: Samanera Sumangalo will take the going-forth on Saturday 31st October. You are all invited to come and share the meal at 11.00 then...
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Progress Update: September 14, 2009

>> Lotsa News: It has been several weeks since news was updated but it has been pretty much a case of being too busy doing it to have the time to rep...
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Progress Update: July 27, 2009

>> Wildflowers: We are generally looking to reduce the amount of lawn we mow and one strategy is to plant wildflowers down the side of the front lawn...
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Progress Update: July 7, 2009

>> Family Camp: 5th - 7th September (Labour Weekend). An opportunity to spend time at the monastery with a range of activities for both parents and c...
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Progress Update: June 24, 2009

>> Mistaken: For those who didn't spot the error - the correct URL for the Satisaraniya web site is: www.satisaraniya.ca >> Floored: So far the pl...
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Progress Update: June 17, 2009

>> AGM: The Annual General Meeting for Tisarana will be held this coming Saturday after the usual day of mindfulness (approx. 3pm). All are welcome. ...
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Progress Update: June 2, 2009

>> Creatures: A bit of a critter review this week. The raccoons have been up to their usual food seeking tricks with their latest assault focussed on...
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Progress Update: May 20, 2009

>> Vesak: What a wonderful day it was with the dhamma sala full of friends come to celebrate the life of the Buddha. The weather was - as it was - bu...
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Progress Update: May 7, 2009

>> Vesak: The traditional story tells of the birth, enlightenment and parinibbana of Gotama the Buddha taking place on the full moon in the month of ...
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Progress Update: April 27, 2009

>> Anagarika Janko: A lovely group of friends joined us for Janko's anagarika ordination [photo]. It is always very inspiring to see young men confid...
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Progress Update: April 13, 2009

>> Janko's Ordination: Cause for an auspicious dhamma celebration. 18th of April - this coming Saturday. Join us for the dana at 11:00 and stay on fo...
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Progress Update: April 1, 2009

>> Winter Retreating: It is the first day of April and the monastic retreat has drawn to a close; winter has similar thoughts. There were no casualti...
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Progress Update: February 9, 2009

>> Retreat: The month of January has passed. Where was I at the time? We have had a wonderful series of lay supporters staying with us, for a week or...
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Progress Update: January 3, 2009

>> New Year: There seems common agreement that we have one. The transition here at the monastery was jolly and joyous with a lovely mixture of chanti...
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Progress Update: December 27, 2008

>> Samanera #1: Both as in 'the first' and as in 'the best.' What a wonderful occassion it was. About fifty people joined us for the day which began ...
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Progress Update: December 12, 2008

>> Portable Parthenon: Entering into the barn this time of year can coincide with cascades of snow off the roof onto the head, to say nothing of the ...
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Progress Update: December 4, 2008

>> ORDINATION: Anagarika Laurence will be ordaining as Samanera ???. His new name is a surprise. You can get it live, along with a shared meal, chant...
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Progress Update: November 16, 2008

>> Car Finder: And still, we need a small sedan. Some funds are available but, we need a qualified volunteer to find a suitable vehicle. Please conta...
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Progress Update: November 6, 2008

>> Children's Dhamma: The November class was well attended with two new families bringing attendance up to ten children. After the usual introductory...
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Progress Update: October 23, 2008

>> AGM: The Annual General Meeting for Tisarana will be held on Saturday, October 25th. This will be after the meal and before the regular Day of Min...
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Progress Update: October 17, 2008

>> Counting down: The winter retreat is still a while off but we are counting down the days remaining (see: Home Page). We are considering both the w...
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Progress Update: October 4, 2008

>> Anagarika Ordination: Joseph will officially leave the home life for homelessness on Saturday, October 11th. You are welcome to join us for the me...
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Progress Update: September 26, 2008

>> Buddha rupa Blessing: The spirit generated last Sunday was delightful and uplifting with both the morning and afternoon sessions well attended. A ...
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Progress Update: September 11, 2008

>> White to Brown: Anagarika Laurence has been invited by the sangha to take the going-forth as a samanera sometime in early December. This is very h...
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Progress Update: September 4, 2008

>> Hey Day: Omigosh.! It's *this* weekend. Sunday, September 7th. Just as well we are totally organised 🙂 with lots of fun projects. The main focus ...
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Progress Update: August 28, 2008

>> Weekend of Mindfulness: The last weekend of September - 26th-28th - At Tisarana. Space is limited. This is a first and there are several unknowns;...
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Progress Update: August 14, 2008

>> Ajahn V needs a ride Ajahn Viradhammo needs a ride to Tisarana from Ottawa for the Saturday Day of Mindfulness. Please contact him directly at vir...
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Progress Update: August 6, 2008

>> Schedule Change at Tisarana The day of mindfulness AT TISARANA has been moved from Saturday to Sunday. The DOM sponsored by the OBS in Ottawa rema...
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Progress Update: July 31, 2008

>> Conrad Our resident cat, Conrad, or very fondly known by his previous owners as Lord Conrad, died on July 29th 2008. He had stomach cancer. Conrad...
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Progress Update: July 20, 2008

>> Hip Hip Hoo-HAY! Last weekend's hay day was a huge success. First thanks goes to our neighbour Doug Goodfellow who lent us his tractor when ours b...
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Progress Update: July 8, 2008

>> Hay Day This Sunday, July 13th will be our second official Hay Day to remove the the hay from the barn. We will work rain or shine--it's mostly in...
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Progress Update: July 3, 2008

>> No ride for Ajahn As of Thursday no one has volunteered to drive Ajahn Viradhammo to the Day of Mindfulness at Tisarana for this Saturday. If you ...
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Progress Update: June 23, 2008

>> Hay Day This Sunday, June 29th will be our first official Hay Day to remove the remainder of the hay from the barn. We will work rain or shine--mo...
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Progress Update: June 19, 2008

>> Painting This Saturday morning (June 21) we will be continuing with he summer painting projects at the kutis, weather permitting. We could use you...
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Progress Update: June 10, 2008

>> Who ordered this truck load of Ajahns? Ajahn Brahmavamso will be giving a public talk on Monday, 30th June At the University of Ottawa, Auditorium...
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Progress Update: June 6, 2008

>>Buddha-phaichitr-sawasdi-mongkol In case you don't speak Thai, that means Beautiful Buddha of Good Luck and Blessings. It's the name of the standin...
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Progress Update: May 26, 2008

>>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, enlightenm...
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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 won...
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Progress Update: May 9, 2008

>> 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 var...
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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 t...
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Progress Update: April 18, 2008

>> Committe Meeting: We came together in harmony, talked in harmony and parted in harmony. Very good. Things generally look OK. Budgets approved, wor...
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Progress Update: April 11, 2008

>> 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 t...
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Progress Update: April 4, 2008

>> 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 hav...
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Progress Update: March 23, 2008

>> 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...
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Progress Update: January 27, 2008

>> 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/Ju...
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Progress Update: January 4, 2008

>> 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 ...
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Progress Update: December 24, 2007

>> Winter Winding: The winter retreat will start on January 6th and we are winding down - and gearing up. There will be a week of group meditation to...
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Progress Update: November 1, 2007

>> Newsletter: Many of you may have recieved this by post. It is now on the web site and a PDF download is available at the end of the second page. ...
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Progress Update: October 9, 2007

>> Kutis Obsessio Absentia: Dear Readers, Please excuse Ajahn Kusalo's absence over the last few weeks. There has been a high degree of kuti obsessio...
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Progress Update: September 15, 2007

>> Dhamma Dates: Ajahn Viradhammo is resuming meetings at the Pagoda and the Quaker House on alternate Wednesdays and Fridays. The next Pagoda meeti...
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Progress Update: September 7, 2007

>> Raise the Roof: The weather has been kind and Harry and crew have been kinder, giving generously of their time and skills to the building of the l...
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Progress Update: August 30, 2007

>> Kuti Walls: The little kuti has a third dimension - walls. [photo] And, by the time you read this much of the roof and cladding will have appeared...
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Progress Update: August 21, 2007

>> Tiny Kuti: Harry and Anagarika Alan have been putting in good time on this and the wall frames should be going up this week. The roof has been pre...
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Progress Update: August 8, 2007

>> Workshop Electrics: We recently had the electricians around and our workshop wiring is now done. Lots of outlets and a couple of fluorescent light...
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Progress Update: August 2, 2007

>> Vassa 2007: It was delightful to have so many people join us on Saturday for the meal and the days dhamma activities. Ajahn Viradhammo gave a fine...
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Progress Update: July 25, 2007

>> Vassa: Sunday 29th is the full moon of July - Asahla Puja. This heralds the beginning of the vassa (the three month rainy season in Asia). We will...
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Progress Update: July 18, 2007

>> Council Approval: Our zoning application was unanimously approved by council and there is now a 20 day appeal period. All going well our building ...
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Progress Update: July 11, 2007

>> Zoning Meeting: Our zoning application was presented to the Tay Valley Council last night (July 10th) and all went very well. Full council approva...
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Progress Update: July 4, 2007

>> DOM changes: Saturday "Days of Mindfulness" will be on Sunday on...... 15th July AND 12th August. Mark those days on your calendar. >> Big truck...
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Progress Update: June 28, 2007

>> Land Co-op: There is a meeting at Tisarana on Saturday 30th, 5pm, to discuss various options around living on a common property as well as other f...
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Progress Update: June 19, 2007

>> Monastic Visitors: There are several. The biggest the Tisarana sangha has been with seven ordained samanas. A while ago we welcomed Bhante Khemmar...
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Progress Update: June 13, 2007

>> Working Bee: This Saturday - Tisarana. Come anytime through the day, stay the night if you wish. There are lots of non-technical projects: swimmi...
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Progress Update: June 5, 2007

>> Welcome Bhante: Bhante Khemmaratana has been with us for about a week now visiting from Bhavana monastery, West Virginia. He is planning on stayin...
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Progress Update: May 30, 2007

>> Vesak: What a great day we had. The weather was not too hot, not too cold. Not too many bugs. Two extra portaloos. Could this be heaven? Ajahn Vir...
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Progress Update: May 23, 2007

>> Vesak - Saturday 26th May: Just to remind you that this is happening AND that it is at the monastery - NOT at the Pagoda as earlier advertised. 10...
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Progress Update: May 16, 2007

>> Cool Ordination: Last Saturday evening a small crowd gathered to witness the going forth of Anagarika Alan. Everyone had their lines learnt and al...
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Progress Update: May 9, 2007

>> Vesak - 26th May: The Pagoda has been double booked so we are having Vesak at the monastery. More details to follow >> Photos: There are quite ...
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Progress Update: May 2, 2007

>> Ajahn Viradhammo's Birthday: This was celebrated at the monastery on Saturday, 28th April. It was a delightful day and a success on many fronts. T...
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Progress Update: April 24, 2007

>> Marion Away: Many of you may know of Marion's ongoing friendship with Jarvis (in solitude on death row for most of his 43 years). She has gone to ...
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Progress Update: April 17, 2007

>> Ayya Medhanandi: Will be giving a public talk in Perth on Sunday, April 22nd - 2pm. This will be at the Yoga Connection, 32 North Street, Perth (6...
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Progress Update: April 11, 2007

>> Opanayiko Kuti: The old workshop is currently being 'winterised' and will become the first kuti at Tisarana. It is a VERY old shed so life expecta...
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Progress Update: April 3, 2007

>> Kitchen -- Steward: Both positions of Kitchen Manager and Male Steward have been filled. Many thanks to all those people who expressed interest. I...
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Progress Update: March 27, 2007

>> Stewards: We have need for both a male steward (general duties) and a kitchen manager (either gender). >> 20 Years in Robes It has been a delig...
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Progress Update: March 20, 2007

>> Stillness of Being: This collection of talks by Ajahn Viradhammo was compiled and printed to mark his 30th year as a monk. This is available on th...
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Progress Update: March 14, 2007

>> Beautiful barns: Some of you may have already noticed the photo of the horse barn; a taste of things to come. A virtual 3D model of the main barn ...
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Progress Update: March 6, 2007

>> Phone line: Our phone was out for several days last week and over the weekend due to a broken line (it is freezing cold :). Hopefully this didn't ...
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Progress Update: February 27, 2007

>> Dhamma Articles: Reflections from Ajahn Viradhammo. From a series of articles that appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on a range of topics. The aim is...
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Progress Update: February 21, 2007

>> Technical stuff: We are tidying our database(s). This mailing uses a 'merged' list so you may not have directly subscribed to the newsletter. If y...
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Progress Update: February 12, 2007

>> Day of Mindfulness - Saturday 10th: Ajahn Viradhammo was with us for the weekend. There were 12 meditators. Sadhu.! >> Kutis: Ajahn Kusalo visi...
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