Happy New YearWe sincerely hope that all your days to come throughout this year are filled with calm, peace and all good things.
The new year meditation retreat went extremely well with full attendance and several people coming through the day. New year’s eve was especially beautiful with clear skies and a good crowd; many extra just here for the evening. We planted our ‘wishes and aspirations’ and then planted a new wishing tree (a kanuka) off to one side of the reclining buddha at the stupa.
New year’s day dawned bright and clear to welcome over two hundred friends to the monastery to join our various celebrations and ceremonies. Simple and elegant. Sadhu. photos
Covid RedJust a quick note to outline our situation here. There are limits but, with vPass, we can have up to 100 people. “From 4 February 2022, you must wear a face mask when attending a gathering” – this from the govt. website. Basically, we are open and you are most welcome to come and visit or join us for pujas or dana.
Family DayAbout 30 kids plus assorted parents gathered in the morning (surprisingly punctual 🙂 and we started with some discussion about buddha images. And then we cast a whole lot in plaster. Lunch. After that some time in the hall for chanting, dhamma and meditation. Then a bit more work on our buddhas then shifting a pile of firewood. Finish the buddhas… GOLD! then more chanting, meditation and dhamma in the hall to close at 2:20pm. A great day. Thanks to all who helped.
DoM‘Day of Mindfulness’ – a dhamma experiment; currently listed on the website event calendar (trialling) for 5 months. The third Saturday of every month. Start 9am, lunch at 10:30, resume 12:30 until 4pm. An opportunity to develop your meditation, ask questions about practice and Dhamma and generally extend your connection with the monastery. This will be led by Ajahn Kusalacitto. If you come… it will continue.
Sunday Arvo MeditationThis event, 1:30pm until 4:30pm, has worked very well for about a year now. It is encouraging to see how many come to join. The time is evenly divided into ‘sit, walk, sit’ and there have been some requests for a bit of teaching-guidance. The current thought is to take 1/2 an hour, at 2:30, during the walking meditation, for any questions and some (brief) discussion. Let’s see how this goes.
Sangha MovesAjahn Sudhiro has postponed his departure about four times over the last year. This time he is staying until after Ajahn Kusalo’s birthday and it looks like he will leave some time in early March; back to Thailand. Venerable Dhammavasa has been in Christchurch for some months and will be back in a few days. We are currently working on a new visa for him. Ayya Abhisamma, who was with us for six months last year is back for a short visit. NZ borders are still closed so no overseas monks are coming in the foreseeable future. Otherwise, no change in the lineup. Ajahns Kusalo and Kusalacitto and anagarika McBain are all well and happy.
Maechi AeshiniOne Wednesday the 2nd of March Aeshini will take maechi precepts. She has been living at Bodhinyanarama for about 6 months now and this latest move is a reflection of her ongoing commitment to dhamma and the holy life. The maechi form is from Thailand and is still quite experimental here. We had three women as maechi through last vassa and that went well. To have an opportunity for women to move to a more defined relationship with the monastic form and traditional training is the main goal. We wish Aeshini every success on her forward journey.