VesakTo honour the life of the Buddha! To bring a grateful focus to the blessings we receive as a result of his life. It is still a couple of months away but just to get the date into your calendar: Sunday, May 30th.
Taupo TudongA couple of weeks ago Ajahns Kusalo, Thitasippo and Buddhisaro hitch-hiked and walked to Taupo and back. It was a nice opportunity for vens. T & B to see a bit of the countryside. Going tudong is to go on a journey into uncertainty with lots of time to practice patience and equanimity in a variety of unplanned situations. We also paced our travel so there was lots of time, mostly afternoons and evenings, for solitary meditation. The weather was stunning – in fact your author’s nose was so stunned it lost several layers! We travelled there and back in safety, generally having no trouble getting a ride. People’s respect for the robe is quite inspiring. photos There is another planned trip up to Taranaki.
City MeditationNormally on the 3rd Thursday of the month – this month it will be on the 4th Thursday; the 25th. The Business Center, Ground floor, Block 6, Clyde Quay Wharf, Te Aro. The monastery has been quite busy so apologies that this change was not announced last week.
Monks’ KutiWith such good weather progress has been steady. We should get the roof on this week. It has been a very happy and harmonious sangha project with almost everyone taking part. There will be a short intermission after the roof and then the finishing work will be done. It should be ready for vassa. We had planned to have a working bee but have had so many people here that getting materials on site and generally putting them together has flowed together very nicely. photos
2021 RetreatsTwo weekends have been set for retreats:
See the retreat information for details.
Pine TreesSeveral years ago we had the pines up the ridge above the sala poisoned with a view to opening that area to the possibility of more lay kutis. Since then the council has started an initiative to clear pines from native areas. They organised a contractor for us and you will increasingly notice the browning-off of the pines at the top end of the valley; in fact in several areas of Stokes Valley. The absence of pines increases the growth of natives; a long term process but the results are worth it.
Monks MovingOur monastic population has been very steady for some time now but there is a kind of ‘post lockdown’ drift underway with several monks getting ready to depart. The challenge of course is finding our way through the process of getting new monks across the border; it is complicated – and expensive. We have started one application and hope to receive a ‘border excemption allowance’ some time this week – it could well be a rejection! 🙁 but we are optimistic and will keep you posted.
Stupa StairsThere have been several suggestions to upgrade the stairs going up to the stupa; above the concrete entrance-way at the end of the car park. The current thought is to do the stairs in concrete and the track in asphalt. It will take a while to finalise details and set the work out but the plan is to have a working bee, probably in two phases… the concrete stairs first and then the asphalt. This may happen before vassa – or may not. We will let you know.
Tudong supportersMany thanks to those who have written expressing an interest in supporting monks who are wandering on tudong. Our trip to Taupo had a couple of scheduled stops and to be able to take a shower and have a ‘square meal’ every few days is a blessing. Going pindapat to collect food is inspiring and spiritually nourishing but not necessarily filling. The peripatetic lifestyle was the norm in the time of the Buddha and stepping outside the safety of the monastery proffers an unpredictable review of one’s attachments; not always comfortable but very rewarding.