Sangha Entering First Vassa at Aranya Bodhi

Warm Dhamma greetings from our Aranya Bodhi Hermitage, in Vassa.

Pictured are Ayya Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni (center), Ayya Sudhamma Bhikkhuni (right front), Adhimutta Samaneri (mid-rt), Phalanyani Samaneri (fore-rt), Ayya Sobhana Bhikkhuni (left front), Suvijjana Samaneri (mid-left) and Anagarika Marajina (fore-left) in the hermitage's Dhamma-sala yurt. Full photo album is here.

For all those who worked so hard to prepare this beautiful space, it was an aspiration come true when, quietly this past Monday morning, in our yurt Dhamma-sala surrounded by mist-shrouded redwoods, 7 women dedicated to monastic life entered into the traditional Buddhist vassa retreat period.

This is the first year, in North American history, that our Theravada Buddhist women's monastic community has gathered together to observe the vassatime retreat together. It is a beginning; a beginning that is the culmination of many years of dedicated effort and slow nurturing of the causes and conditions for women's *Sangha* to come together.

Our first week of retreat together has been one of intense yogi work, lovingly collectively laboring to prepare and arrange the public and monastic commons areas, tent and kuti sites and trails for our full 3-months retreat time together - the completion of the past 2 years and 2 months of efforts by so many dear Dhamma friends. This month of August will be spent here in our Awakening Forest in monastic community life training, and preparatory training for ordination for the 3 samaneris who will be being fully ordained as bhikkhunis at the end of the month. The remain two thirds of the vassa retreat is dedicated to deep, quiet meditation retreat time, in seclusion and together, in the heart of the practice here in this great forest land.



Our thanks to all dear friends whose dedicated efforts, in kindness and generosity, have made and are making this retreat possible. We hope that this time will bring profound benefit to not only our own hearts and lives, but to our society as a whole, to our world, and all living beings.

Abiding pervading all quarters of the all encompassing world, with a heart of loving kindness, compassion, joy and great peacefulness,


The Sangha at Aranya Bodhi

Now We Are Four

This post is a follow up to "Now We Are Three" from last month.

On July 18th, after weeks of very much intense hard physical labor preparing the hermitage --raising the yurt, building outhouses, putting together a solar system, building kutis -- early one mistly morning, the four of us wrapped our robes over both shoulders, and set of to our neighboring bhikkhu monastery in Redwood Valley, Abhayagiri.

July 18th was Ajahn Amaro's last day at Abhayagiri, where he has been founding co-abbot for more than the past decade. The following day he was to return to Amaravati, the monastery where he had trained for many years before, to become the abbot there. We went went to ask his forgiveness, according to the Thai tradition. We were warmly and beautifully welcomed by the monastic Sangha there, despite our late arrival due to road blockage by a bike-a-thon along the way. Ajahn Amaro gave an inspiring talk to all on forgiveness, and the meaning of "Abhay" which in Thai means forgiveness and in the Pali language -- fearlessness. This was especially meaniningful for Ayya Tathaaloka and for all of us. We deeply appreciated the visit with both Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno, together with our venerable monk brothers in the Holy Life.

But really, we were not four -- we were five -- as we went together with Anagarika Marajina, the newest member of our monastic community. So, really, it should be: "Now We Are Five" -- soon to be more.

Peace and Loving Kindness to All

The Yurt Is Up

Full slideshow here

by Sara Sacksteder  - June 23, 2010

Shortly after the summer solstice of 2010, an excellent, skillful crew assembled the large yurt at our hermitage. Many thanks to Kemanthi, who gathered her friends for a pizza party fundraiser to buy and offer a 27 foot diameter, well insulated yurt. For now, this will be our main indoor space for Dhamma talks, meals, and meditation. It can seat up to 30 people comfortably for meditation and up to 50 for a talk.

It is impossible to state how important Jill has been. She has been stewarding the land and spearheading and doing so much of the development work. On this day she had arranged to have Tina, Charles and Michael available to provide the expertise and the wonderful good cheer necessary to put up the yurt. Tina and Charles found a way to be available to answer questions and give guidance all day long. They also kept us right on track until the last nail was in place. Michael found answers to problems repeatedly throughout the day. He spent a lot of the day hoisting things up to be placed on the central ring of the Yurt and then helping with the placement of the yurt ceiling beams, ceiling liner, ceiling insulation,and the roof.

Dominic and Brian were invaluable. Dominic spent much of his day at least 12 feet above the ground with Michael supporting and inserting beams into the central ring of the yurt, placing insulation and installing the roof. Brian found a way to be in the right spot to help with his height and strength all day long (on one occasion he was in the wrong spot, I clipped him on the head with a beam as I swung around). I saw him help with placing the ceiling beams, the side walls, the side wall insulation, and the external walls of the yurt.

Jurasri provided transportation for Sister Suvijjana on the way up and for Ayya Tathaaloka and Sister Suvijjana at the end of the day. She gave us wonderful food in large quantity. She helped with every stage of the raising of the yurt. She also donated much needed plates and silverware to the hermitage. Jill Zwicky arrived just in time to infuse some fresh energy and effort. I saw her doing whatever was needed and spent the most time with her as she was helping to install the insulation between the inner wall and outside wall of the yurt. Sister Suvijjana arrived on Tuesday. Ayya Tathaaloka arrived on Monday evening with Sister Adhimutta.

Sister Adhimutta will be staying on the land from now until at least the end of the Vassa. Marcia arrived on the land last week and is also going to stay and help with the many hermitage projects that we would like to complete before the Vassa actually begins. All worked all day to complete the yurt.

Warm welcome and thanks for all the efforts of the newest arrivals and best wishes for a wonderful time leading up to and during the Vassa. We started the work day, paused at lunch and ended the day with chanting led by Ayya Tathaaloka.

The hermitage is on the way. None of this could have happened without your help. We continue to need your contributions for the development of the hermitage. Thank you.

Getting Ready for Full Operation

 Ayya Tathaaloka, Ayya Sobhana and Beebe at the site of a future kuti

The Aranya Bodhi: Awakening Forest Hermitage is on the way to becoming a comfortable setting for monastic women and dedicated lay aspirants to practice for liberation… (Read more...)

The yurt platform ... soon to be our main Dhamma Hall

Now We Are Three

Warm greetings, dear friends of our sangha,

I am very glad to share the news with you that the Venerable Ayya Sobhana Bhikkhuni has accepted my invitation to become a full time resident of our Aranya Bodhi Hermitage, special Monastic Advisor to our Dhammadharini board, and full time co-leading participant in our hermitage project.

In past years, Ayya Sobhana has visited our Dhammadharini Vihara on numerous occassions, as well as our Bodhi House and hermitage land. We have travelled together to Germany at HH the Dalai Lama's invitation and to Australia on two occassions. She participated in our first bhikkhuni camping retreat together as well as coming this previous winter for a month long retreat on the land together with our Samaneri Suvijjana. She knows the land well and has a great love and respect for it. Her advice was invaluable at our recent Easter weekend Visioning Retreat which she participated in, as well as subsequently with our Dhammadharini board meetings.

Ayya Sobhana has been a student of Bhante Henepola Gunaratana ("Bhante G") since 1989, served on the Board of Directors of the Bhavana Society during the 1990s, and took novice ordination at the Bhavana Society in 2003; her full ordination was at Dambulla, Sri Lanka, in 2006. Bhante G has now given Ayya Sobhana formal independence — meaning that she is competent to independently practice and to serve the Dhamma.

During her eight years of residency at Bhavana Society, Ayya Sobhana worked closely with Bhante G as an assistant; provided continuity for the ever-changing community of female residents and guests; learned Dhamma and teaching skills under Bhante G's tutelage; learned Vinaya rules and protocols and became adept at their modern applications; learned Pali language; counseled and taught lay residents and retreatants; consulted with the Board of Directors; learned to lead traditional rituals of Theravada Buddhists; managed logistics of dozens of retreats led by senior monks, and began leading retreats herself at Bhavana. As her skills have become known, she has been increasingly invited to teach at outside venues including Philadelphia, Annapolis, Hot Springs NC, Washington DC and Calgary. She also revised the Pali-English chanting book, Bhavana Vandana: Devotions for Meditation; managed the Bhavana Society's library; and served as Kammavacacarini (Advocate) in the October 22, 2010, bhikkhuni ordinations in Perth, Australia.

We are blessed by her many skills and talents that she brings with her, and hope that our hermitage will be a most excellent place for the practice in nature that she has found so conducive, together with her heart to share such space and opportunity with fellow monastic-minded women of similar heart and intent.

Bhante Gunaratana's Support

Graciously, Ayya Sobhana's mentor Bhante G has fully blessed and encouraged Ven Sobhana's participation in our Aranya Bodhi Awakening Forest Hermitage project.

We are very appreciative of Bhante G's unstinting outreach to women over many years. He has now announced his support for bhikkhunis to establish their own independent centers, recommending this above our practicing in the shadow of the bhikkhu communities. The Bhavana Society will donate a starter library of Dhamma books to the Aranya Bodhi Hermitage. Bhante G has pledged his ongoing support: to participate in women's full ordination when invited to do so; to visit our hermitage to teach or lead retreats; to continue as an Senior Advisor to the North American Bhikkhuni Association; and to invite qualified monastic women to lead public retreats at the Bhavana Society. Finally, by sending Ayya Sobhana to Aranya Bodhi Hermitage (at some inconvenience to the Bhavana Society), Bhante G is helping in a most practical, tangible and wise fashion. Thank you, Bhante G!

With a heart full of metta and great gladness, gratitude and appreciation,

Ayya Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni
for our Dhammadharini Sangha

first Bhikkhuni Training Retreat on the land

Becoming Sangha

The first Theravada Bhikkhuni Training Retreat in North America was held on our hermitage land from June 9th through 16th.

Bhikkhunis came from all around America: Ohio, South Carolina, Minnesota and California. For seven days, led by Ajahn Chandako, a senior Western bhikkhu in the Thai forest tradition, we focused on mindfulness in the forest tradition monastic discipline for our own development and for developing our sense of community - Sangha - with one another.

This is a big step for us here in North America, as most of our bhikkhunis have been and are strong, independant individuals. Spending time, learning how to train together as a community - as a sangha - with one another, is a very big step ahead.

~ Participants ~

- Ven Ayya Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni, Theri - Dhammadharini, Aranya Bodhi Hermitage

- Ven Sudhamma Bhikkhuni - Carolina Buddhist Vihara

- Ven Satima Bhikkhuni - Minnesota Buddhist Vihara

- Ven Maduka Bhikkhuni - Great Determination Hermitage

- Sr Suvijjana Samaneri - Dhammadharini, Aranya Bodhi Hermitage & The Bodhi House

~ Training Teacher ~

Born in America, our training teacher, Ajahn Chandako, lived and trained in the Thai forest tradition of Ajahn Chah, and is currently abbot of Vimutti Buddhist Monastery in New Zealand. He spends retreat time each year in the early summer at the King's Creek Hermitage near Vajrapani in the Boulder Creek area of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

~ Teachings ~

Saraniya Dhammas (see Anguttara Nikaya - Numerical Discourses of the Buddha - AN 6.12)

Natha Karana Dhammas (see Numerica Discourses - AN 10.17)

Kor Wat - Monastic Discipline of the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah

Vinaya - The Original Buddhist Monastic Discipline

Community Building, Mindfulness and Respect in Monastic Discipline

See the full Slideshow from our Training Retreat here at
Awakening Forest on Picasa

Anumodana

~ ~ ~

~ ~

Many thanks to all friends who made this historic first training retreat possible, especially: Jill, Ruwinie, Christopher, Jerry (Jinaraso), Brenda, Kemanthi, Joan, Asha & friends from Sacramento, Supatra, Sima & Siman, Jacqueline & Nai'a Rose, Shari, Brian and family, David and tipi.com, Dominic & Gaora, Judith, Jeannie & Kitty, Khun O, Liz, and especially Ajahn Chandako.

reopening the way

The Feeling and Real Vision

of the Way Reopening

With the blessings and encouragement of our experienced venerable monastic Elders (see the post directly below this one), on October 22nd, after 25 years, the old logging access road and its double landings were reopened and cleared.

This is the first real step in developing the very basic infrastructure for our monastic hermitage here on this land.


Having been well cleared, the road and landings will need to set now through the Northern California winter rainy season, and in the late spring / early summer 2009, a little rock will be put down. Then, under the sun, the road will bake. After baking, it should serve as a good, strong access road to the common areas of our hermitage for years to come.


Funding for the clearing of the road and landings was provided by donations from the small women's monastery/retreat "dream" trust established in 2004/5.


Our gratitude and appreciation to Ayya Tathaaloka's late Grandpa Gil for his establishment of the dream trust, as well as the friends of Wat Buddhanusorn and founding Dhammadharini Board members for their contributions.

walking in the newly cleared access road

the newly cleared upper landing

The old road continues off of the newly-cleared landings leading through the forest, past many lovely nooks and crannies for meditation, perhaps the places of future platforms, tent sites and kutis. Walking on, one comes to the pathway down the mountainside and to the creek.

the blessings of our kalyanamittas

Visit of Bhante Gunaratana and Ajahn Pasanno to the Hermitage Site

On July 10, 2008 we welcomed elder master Bhante H Gunaratana Sangha Nayaka Thera (Bhante G), the venerable Ajahn Pasanno Bhikkhu, Ayya Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni, Samaneri Sister Suvijjana and the Dhammadharini Board of Directors to the land to see what was then still known as the proposed hermitage site.

We all felt greatly honored, delighted and blessed by their visit, as both Bhante G and Ajahn Pasanno have probably the most extensive experience with Buddhist forest monasteries and hermitages both in North America and in their original context in Asia as just about anyone alive.

Bhante G is the founding Abbot of the Bhavana Society Forest Monastery in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia and Ajahn Pasanno previous Abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat (the International Forest Monastery in North-eastern Thailand) and current Co-Abbot of Abhayagiri Forest Monastery in nearby Mendicino County. Both have been respected as teachers/mentors/advisors by Ayya Tathaaloka and her Dhammadharini Board members for many years.

After Jill's gracious offering of the late morning almsmeal to all of the visiting monastics, we set out to take a good look at the land. We passed first through the area that is used for the vipassana meditation and women's mindfulness in nature camps, then across the creek, up the steep hill to the saddle between the mountains and across the ridge on Dhammagiri to the old logging access road. We then came down the road to the first and the second of the two old logging landings and then, passing many beautiful secluded potential platform or kuti sites, hiked the trail down the mountainslope to what friends have begun calling the "bhikkhuni beach" .

All along the walk both Bhante G and Ajahn Pasanno shared invaluable reflections, insights and advice from their many years experience.

We learned much about trailers, propane, "off the grid", solar and wind, satellite phones, yurts, kutis and platforms, and especially about the Pelton Wheel micro-hydro technology, which, with such a strong year-round water flow and steep slope could provide any and all electrical needs for the hermitage.

All in all the two Mahatheras seemed to think that it was an excellent site with fine potential and left us with their blessings. An excellent visit.

A few of the photos taken follow here:

Bhante G on the porch at land steward Jill Rayna's cabin

on the bridge crossing the creek.

walking in down the old logging road from the ridge of Dhammagiri

coming to the first of the old logging landings (now cleared) recommended as the central community area for the hermitage

the second, lower landing (now also cleared)

coming into the forest and onto the trail leading from the second, lower landing through many beautiful, secluded camping or khuti sites down to the creek

hearing from the Master at "bhikkhuni beach," the monastic hermitage's landing on the creek

the first woman's "going forth" on the land

The Samaneri Pabbaja (going forth into the noviciate)

of Anagarika Carol Porter -- now Samaneri Suvijjana

[clipped from an announcement mailed to friends on June 04, 2008:]

A Historic Happening for Buddhism in North America

Dear friends,

Soon an important event in the unfolding history of Buddhism in Northern California and the Western United States will be taking place.

The Buddha spoke often of his longterm commitment to having an Ubhato Sangha--a monastic community of two harmonious halves--female as well as male, bhikkhunis and bhikkhus, as other Buddhas of antiquity had also had in the past. He often spoke of his commitment to well establish, before his entry into final Peace, what he called the Fourfold Assembly, and regularly praised those of all four assemblies as amongst his great disciples. The four assemblies: those of the bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, upasakas and upasikas he often compared to the pillars of his house, the wheels of the vehicle of his Sasana, each balancing and uplifting one another in harmony.

This was the Buddha's vision and dedication.

It takes at least 4 bhikkhunis or 4 bhikkhus gathered together to make a Sangha.

On the 21st of June, in the afternoon at 1:30 pm, an ordination will happen, the novice (samaneri) ordination of Anagarika Suvijjana, to which you are welcome.

This ordination marks another historic event. For the past years, in the absence of Theravadan bhikkhunis to ordain women into the Sangha, Theravadan bhikkhus and bhikkhunis of other traditions have served to fill that gap, as they are allowed and called to do so by Vinaya. Now, for the first time, with the presence of Theravadan Bhikkhuni Sangha here, we will ourselves ordain and welcome a woman into the novice training in our Sangha.

On the day of the ordination, we expect the presence of 5 bhikkhunis, 1 or 2 siladhara sisters, and one samaneri = 7 or 8 monastics:

* Ven Bhikkhuni Sudarshana Theri, Chief Incumbent of Samadhi Buddhist Meditation, Florida

* Ven Bhikkhuni Ayya Tathaaloka Theri, Abbess, Dhammadharini Vihara, Northern California

* Ven Bhikkhuni Sudinna, Bhavana Society Forest Monastery, W Virginia

* Ayya Sudhamma Bhikkhuni, Abbess, Carolina Buddhist Vihara, S Carolina

* Ayya Sobhana Bhikkhuni, Bhavana Society, W Virginia

* Siladhara Sister Ajahn Chandasiri, Amaravati, England

* Siladhara Sister Ajahn Anandabodhi, Amaravati, England

Our great appreciation to all supporting lay retreatants and supportive friends for making this event possible.

Anumodana.

May you be well, happy and peaceful,

Ayya Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni

photos of Samaneri Suvijjana's ordination day from friend Darlene ~

Anagarika Carol Porter with younger brother David and elder sister Eileen before her "going forth"

lunch dana

foot washing before ascending the ordination platform

exhortation being given the novice candidate with the examination of the prepared robes

returning with the two bhikkhuni instructors carrying offering tray ready to request the novice precepts

requesting and avowing herself to the novice training

the new novice, Samaneri Sister Suvijjana with her son Matthew. Congratulations!!

our first retreat together on the land

The first gathering of our Theravadin Bhikkhuni Sangha in Northern California happened at the San Francisco International Airport on June 11th, 2008. On June 14th we travelled up to the Sonoma Coast for our retreat.

Photos from the first Bhikkhuni Sangha Wilderness Camp Retreat

Jill and Ayya Sudhamma walking the land

Ayya Tathaaloka's tent/campsite (on top of the knoll in the center of the saddle, other bhikkhunis campsites are just a little farther down over the knoll)

Ayya Sudhamma mindfully walking through the forest, over the cave, and down to the creek

Learning creek walking

wild white azaleas above the creek

pindapata, almsmeal and Anumodana Dhammakatha at a friend's cabin, our "village"

Peaceful afternoon abiding (if you look very carefully you can see Ayya Sudinna meditating next to the middle of the lower right tree trunk :)

Late afternoon light on the saddle

sunset

more photos are posted on flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25760881@N08/