Kathina Season:Amazing. A traditional time of giving which presented us with so many opportunities to be grateful. So many of you helped make it a wonderful day for all. Setting up, the food stalls, book stand and donation table, generous food offerings and other requisites. So many (14) monks joined with us and a lot (maybe 400+) of people added their voices and devotional energy to the occassion. Beautiful weather. And, of course, the Dhamma. Anumodana. Photos to come.
Lay Kutis:This was the focus for many of the kathina season donations and an incredibly generous amount was given. Almost the full amount to pay for materials for two kutis. There was a committee meeting last night and this news brought a unanimous agreement to proceed with preparation and the purchase of materials. Your generosity is very heart warming and both your kindness and presence for our kathina-season celebration was, and continues to be, an uplifiting sign of the support this monastery receives. Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu. [see next item]
Working BEE:Sunday 8th December.! Sites have been selected for two new lay kutis. A track needs to be opened through the forest and the building sites cleared of vegetation. You CAN help! Anyone able to walk can help. If you can lift a leaf – you can help. Make a day of it. Come in the morning for breakfast, 7am, start the fun at 8.30. Lunch in the sala at 10:30. More forest fun starts at 1pm. 50 people would not be too many. We need tea makers, chainsaw swingers, leaf lifters, log lumpers, dirt diggers, fern fondlers, salubrious supervisors and casual and cool captains. And more. Buzz off around 3.30pm. Come for all or part.
Monks:Venerable Kusalacitto has arrived safely from Thailand and is settling in to his new situation. Venerable Thitavijjo has just departed to Thailand. He will be missed on many counts and we wish him well in his new situation.
New Year Retreat:Semi-residential. Friday December 27th, 7pm – Friday January 3rd, 3pm. This will of course overlap with our usual New Year’s eve vigil and, as with all our retreats, you are welcome to join with all or some (but not none 🙂 of this eight day retreat. If you want to stay in the monastery please book early through the online guest form.
Public Office:This space is currently a store over the kitchen. To empty it requires the (re)organisation of three spaces; that store, the store over the dhamma sala and the top room of the upper house. Many things that have lain on shelves for decades are losing their lay status (which doesn’t quite mean they are ordaining). A re-evaluation of the stuff and clutter that we keep is always a healthy exercise. Do you ‘really’ need it? This clear out in the monastery is a nice metaphor. And, the office will centralise several functions. view photos
Lions:Cara has been giving a lot of time to repair and repaint the gaurdian lions at the stupa. She has popped in and out over the last several weeks and somehow was never there at the same time as the camera. view photos lion only 🙂
Hermitage:Work has started forming the access track. A photo doesn’t nearly capture the extent of this activity. Perhaps we could take a walk up while you are here for the working bee on the 8th December?
Christchurch:Ajahn Kusalo made his fourth visit there and the public talk on Friday night and the day of meditation were both well attended. The theme of ‘Peace in the World’ brought some good dhamma discussion. view photos