Dear friends,
It is so good to be back in this peaceful forest surrounded by my Sangha sisters.
To my surprise, i was greeted on return by a full hall of several groups of friends who came throughout the afternoon, which we all, young and older, spent enjoying meditation and joyful Dhamma reflection and discussion together.
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| meditating together before almsmeal dana |
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| making Buddha mudras with the children |
I returned to find that two new tent platforms had been built by -- us! -- while i was away :-). Several venerables and friends had their very first mentored experiences using power tools, as well as blessing the new platforms together. Friend Lee will be staying on one which is her new secluded spot of meditation. The other will become our temporary kitchen, as we are about to have an outdoor camp kitchen for a week or two of this fine weather while our hermitage's kitchen trailer undergoes much needed renovations.
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| teacher and student building the new meditation platform |
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| new temporary camp kitchen is up |
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| blessing this new place of forest meditation |
we did it ourselves!
It brought joy for us to do it ourselves, and we also always very much welcome your helpful participation. Our 4th of July Volunteers Week at the hermitage is coming soon! Please do join us for all or any part.
I hope to write again soon to share with you a little about my time away with the Generation X Buddhist Teacher's Conference and the International Vipassana Teacher's Conference -- both very different and very valuable and enriching gatherings.
Also, look out for further news on the coming Volunteers Week and other preparations for our Three-Monthlong Vassa-time Retreat which begins just 5 weeks from today. We have a full house here at the hermitage now with 7 bhikkhunis and samaneris as well as 3 aramikas (hermitage stewards) in residence -- a total of 10 of us :-)).
Sending metta to you
heart to heart,
from this peaceful patch of regrowth forest,
amidst these amazing and peaceful robed beings and friends,
in the life of the Dhamma ~
peacefully,
Ayya Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni
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