On June 22, 2016, Luang Por Pasanno and Ajahn Jayanto, the abbot of the Temple Forest Monastery in New Hampshire, attended and shared their reflections on Buddhism and its role in peace and conflict resolution.
This event was hosted by Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and co-sponsored by the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C. You can read more about the event at the Berkley Center's website.
ATTENTION: Registration for the 2016 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat will close on July 31. Because registration must be postal mailed in (there is no online form), please mail your registration well before the July 31 closing date.
November 18-27, 2016 at Angela Center, Santa Rosa, CA
Abhayagiri Monastery in Redwood Valley, California and the Sanghapala Foundation invite you to join Luang Por Pasanno and the Abhayagiri Community for a 10-day retreat over the Thanksgiving holiday.
We will create a monastery environment during our time together, and we offer you this opportunity to explore the Dhamma in a setting that differs somewhat from a typical meditation retreat. We will all live the monastery life, following the Eight Precepts, taking only what is offered, and attempting to reflect on our every activity as part of our practice. This will include noble silence, morning and evening chanting, sitting and walking meditation, a work period, and daily Dhamma talks and teachings.
The retreat will be held from Friday afternoon, November 18th, through mid-day Sunday, November 27, 2016, in the Ursula Hall at the Angela Center in Santa Rosa, California. The closest airports are Santa Rosa, Oakland and San Francisco, with shuttles available to Santa Rosa. Because of the length of this retreat and the adherence to the Eight Precepts, you must previously have sat at least one five-day meditation retreat. Retreatants are requested to attend the entire retreat, from the opening taking of the Precepts on Friday evening to the closing ceremony on Sunday morning.
The facility is wheelchair accessible. We are unable to accommodate special dietary or environmental needs. We will eat a light breakfast and, in keeping with this monastic tradition, the daily meal (vegetarian) is eaten before noon; there is no evening meal or use of kitchen. Incense and candles are used at the morning and evening chanting periods.
The retreat will be offered solely on dana (freewill donations); there is no set fee.
Due to the popularity of this retreat, registration is via lottery and a deposit is required for registration. (For those who attend the retreat or are on the waiting list, or who cancel by October 25th, the deposit can be refunded upon request or it can be offered as a freewill donation to Abhayagiri Monastery. The deposit cannot be refunded to those who cancel after October 25th.) Out of respect for others, please register only when you can make a clear and wholehearted commitment to attend.
Please note: registration for the 2016 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat will close on July 31.
If you are interested, please download and review the information sheet and sign-up form.
The reflections page shares inspirational readings from monks at the Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery or other Thai forest teachers. We apologize for the hiatus in postings which you may have noticed in recent months. A gracious volunteer has recently offered to support the continuation of the reflections page by managing a selections of readings and teachings to share.
Reflections may be viewed by going to the Abhayagiri website and clicking on the Menu icon and then clicking on Reflections.
You may also receive these supports to your practice by having them sent to your email without having to visit the Abhayagiri website. If interested, please click here.
On Sunday, August 14, 2016, Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery will be hosting an Upasika Day. All are welcome.
The theme for this day is Meditation: "Meditation on Ten Perceptions." You can read more to find out times and curriculum on the calendar page.
For those unable to attend, we will also be live streaming the event. People will be able to listen to the day's teachings and reflections and ask questions during the discussion periods. To participate in the live stream, please come to the website on Saturday and look for a link on the homepage or this article.
On Sunday, October 8, 2016, Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery will be hosting an Upasika Day. All are welcome.
The theme for the day will be Practice in a Global/Social Context: Right Speech and Living With Ourselves - From the Mind to the Mouth, What Happens? Luang Por Pasanno and senior Abhayagiri monastics have graciously agreed to lead us in teachings, discussion and guided meditations on how speech that contributes to harmony with others and happiness with ourselves begins with attention to and cultivation of internal mental processes.
Those interested in other versions can find translations by Bhikkhu Bodhi here:
Earlier this year, Luang Por Sumedho, Luang Por Pasanno, Ajahn Amaro, Ajahn Sucitto and others gave reflections at the Buddhadasa Indapanno Archives (BiA) in Thailand on the theme of Sīladhamma. We are very appreciative that BiA has recently made these talks, in both video and audio format, available to the public:
BiA chose this saying of Venerable Ajahn Buddhadāsa, translated as “Come back, sīladhamma, please come back,” as a theme of practice for the year of 2016. You can read more about sīladhamma in an essay by Venerable Santikaro Bhikkhu or read more about Ajahn Buddhadāsa and Suan Mok on BiA's website.
In one of the talks on the theme of sīladhamma, Luang Por Pasanno first started with a short instructive guided meditation. He then reviewed the meaning of Siladhamma and why the benefit of Siladhamma is non-remorse. Non-remorse naturally leads to a sense of well being, to joy, then tranquility, happiness and stability of mind or Samadhi. Luang Por reflected on how Siladhamma and leading a life of virtue lays the foundation of well being or harmony which radiates out from all parts of our lives, creating a sense of security and safety for ourselves and those around us.
Additional talks and reflections are available in both English and Thai and are available at the following links:
On Sunday, October 23, over 400 people attended Abhayagiri's annual Kaṭhina celebration–the largest gathering ever. The Kaṭhina offering was held in the soon-to-be-completed new Dhamma Hall. Abbotts from the other North American monasteries in our tradition attended including Ajahn Vīradhammo from Tisarena Monastery, Ajahn Sona from Birkin Monastery, Ajahn Jayanto from Temple Forest Monastery and Ajahn Punnadhammo from the Arrow River Hermitage. We also had a bonus elder from New Zealand's Bodhinyanarama, Ajahn Kusalo, as well as Ajahn Sudanto from the Pacific Hermitage and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo who will soon be re-joining Abhayagiri.
Please see photos of the 2016 Kaṭhina on our gallery pages:
In addition, the Dhamma talks from Kaṭhina and the days before and after are also available on our audio section:
On November 7, 2016, in the presence of the Abhayagiri community and Ajahn Tiradhammo, who was visiting the monastery at that time, three ordinations took place at Abhayagiri. The former Ven. Kyung Bon went forth as Sāmaṇera Sampanno, taking robes as a novice with Luang Por Pasanno as his preceptor. Going forth as a sāmaṇera is training for taking upasaṃpadā, full ordination as a bhikkhu. Also on November 7, 2016, Gary and Ryan went forth as Anagārikas, taking the Eight Precepts and committing themselves to practice and service to the Abhayagiri monastic community.
The audio for the ordination and Luang Por's advice to them is now available.
There are also photos available of the ordination on our gallery
Sāmaṇera Sampanno was born in 1986 and raised in Michigan and Missouri. While attending Indiana University, he encountered the Buddha's teachings and the practice of meditation and found a completely new direction. Continuing to practice during his college years, he realized that devoting himself to these pursuits would be the most beneficial and meaningful thing he could do with his life. After graduation, an affinity with the Mahayana and Zen Traditions led him to South Korea and ordination as a monk at Songgwang-sa Monastery. During his seven years of practice in Korea, as he became interested in studying the Pali Cannon and living a monastic life based on the Vinaya, he was fortunate enough to encounter the Ajahn Chah tradition. After being inspired during a short visit to Abhayagiri, he returned and changed monastic affiliations, ordaining as a Sāmaṇera at Abhayagiri in November of 2016.
Anagārika Gary was born in 1961 in New Jersey. He lived most of his adult life in Oregon. As a young man he was drawn to the samana life he read about, but at the time he was not able to follow that path. Many years later, after a life in the world, a timely reading of Bhikkhu Bodhi's In the Buddha's Words inspired him to once again explore monasticism. He found accord with the beloved and respected teacher Luang Por Pasanno, along with the Dhamma-rich Thai Forest Tradition community. Gary took anagarika precepts in November, 2016.
Straight out of high school, Ryan was first exposed to Buddhism in Thailand during his gap year in 2011. Over the next five years of graduated exposure, predisposition and curiosity would compel him to learn more about the Buddha’s teachings in order to live a more meaningful, beneficial, and harmless life; motivated by one of life’s most elusive question: what is happiness? After serving the 2016 winter retreat, Ryan returned to Abhayagiri, inspired by its community, and went forth as an Anagārika on November 7th later that year. Acknowledging the significance of this opportunity and its benefit, he would like to recognize and give thanks for the incredible love and support of his parents and family members, friends, and the many mentors along the way that have encouraged him over the years, leading him to where he finds himself today.
On
Sunday, December 11, 2016, Abhayagiri will be hosting the last Upasika Day of
2016. All are welcome.
The event will be live streamed and you can also participate online by going to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onlshJhImrM. The live stream is scheduled to begin at 1 pm.
The theme for the day will be Devotion and Ritual: The Art of Being Human. Ajahn Jotipalo and senior Abhayagiri monastics have graciously agreed to lead us in teachings, discussion and guided meditations on art as an expression of devotion to the Dhamma and devotion to the Dhamma as a source of and channel for artistic creativity.
The schedule for the day will be
Readings and videos for the day
Link
to drawing for the chapter The Fourth Noble Truth: http://www.cittaviveka.org/files/books/dawn/images/ch08.jpg
Link
to Introduction: http://www.cittaviveka.org/files/books/dawn/dawnintro.htm
Link
to the Table of Contents: http://www.cittaviveka.org/files/books/dawn/dawntoc.htm
UPDATE We received word that Luang Por Pasanno's talk on Christmas eve had audio problems. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. However, there will be talks by other Ajahns to be broadcasted everyday up until New Years on the Wat Nong Pah Pong Youtube channel. This also includes a scheduled talk by Abhayagiri's Ajahn Ñāniko to be given sometime on New Years eve.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWGBRlhyd3eYYlrTpzXQ1gg
In addition, we also have recordings of Luang Por Pasanno's reflections that he has been offering during his stay in Thailand on our audio page. You can also see the list here:
Temporary Occupancy for Reception Hall; Phase 4 to Begin
We are happy to announce that on Tuesday, March 14th, we called for an inspection of the Reception Hall building. The county inspector passed the building and gave us a temporary occupancy permit. This permit allows us to start using the building immediately.
There are still a few days worth of cabinetry, tiling, and carpentry work, as well as the elevator to be approved. Hopefully, this will be completed within the next couple of weeks. Once the community ends our winter retreat we will move into the building and start using it.
We still have a significant amount of work to do with regard to finishing the entire project: this work will be done in Phase Four of the project. We need to complete Phase Four so the building permit can be “finaled,” which means that all required inspections have been satisfactorily completed. At present, there are some funds available to get started with Phase Four, but we will likely have to proceed in discrete stages until full funding becomes available.
Phase Four, the last phase of the project, involves landscaping the area between the new building and the existing Dhamma Hall. This includes removing the old house/kitchen, creating a turn-around with a radius big enough for a fire truck (called a hammer head “T”), new wheelchair accessible pathways and area drains to deal with rain water. We will also need to landscape and re-grade the area below the new Reception Hall. This includes improvements to paths and steps down to the parking lot. Work will also include continuing the trellis from the new Reception Hall to the old Dhamma Hall, building a covered deck and moving the bell tower.
We’d like to thank Bob Madlem for his excellent
work as contractor. Bob had delayed his retirement to see this
building through to completion. We appreciate Bob’s commitment,
good work, good friendship and we wish him a happy retirement.
We hope you can join us at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery for the annual Upasika Renewal Day on Sunday, April 30, 2017, a day of community, Dhamma study, meditation, and renewal.
Our theme for the day will be “Devotion and Ritual: Becoming The Buddha.” Luang Por Pasanno and senior Abhayagiri monastics have graciously agreed to lead us in reflections on the ceremonies, April 14, 15 and 16 (see www.abhayagiri.org/news/consecration-ceremony-for-new-buddha-statue for details), to consecrate the Buddha rupa in the new reception hall. Luang Por will reflect on the meaning and significance for the monastic and lay community of this traditional ceremony. All are warmly invited to attend the ceremony on one or more of the days, as well as the Upasika Day.
The day will also be live streamed starting at 1:00pm. You can participate by clicking on the following link:
April 30 will also be the annual Upasika Program Renewal Day, an excellent time to make a first-time formal commitment to the program, or to renew your commitment for 2017. (Program guidelines are listed below.) Please arrive between 10:00 and 10:15 a.m. so we have time to prepare for the ceremony to begin promptly at 10:30 a.m.
For all those planning to take the Upasika vows for the first time, please bring a simple offering of candles, flowers, and incense with you. (See below for more details on the ceremony.) For those renewing their commitment, we will do so as a group, presenting our offerings of candles, flowers and incense on one tray. And for those who choose not to make formal commitments, you are most welcome to join with us as well in celebrating spiritual friendship and Dhamma practice.
We hope you will also join us for the daily meal, beginning at 11:00 a.m. It’s customary to bring a dish to offer to the monastics and to share with others. Our material support of the monastery community is an important aspect of our role as upasikas (literally, “those who sit close by”), and our generous offerings of food are a tangible means of extending this support.
Attendance at Upasika Days is open both to those who wish to make a formal commitment to the program and to those who simply wish to attend for the day. All are welcome. Please spread the word among those who may be interested.
The schedule for the day is as follows:
Remaining 2017 Upasika Days topics and themes are:
For directions on getting to the monastery, please visit www.abhayagiri.org. And if you’d like to carpool, please feel free to utilize the "upasika@yahoogroups.com" email group as a means of contacting others planning to attend.
Please be aware that everyone is most welcome to attend Upasika Days, whether they have made a formal commitment or not. There is no 'in’and ‘out’ group or exlusivity of any kind (and no “secret teachings” for an inner circle!). These opportunities to draw closer to the teachings are offered freely, and the occasion to make a public statement of one’s intentions and aspirations is simply made available to support those who find such skillful means helpful to them.
Hope to see you on April 30.
On April 14, 15 and 16, Abhayagiri will be having ceremonies to consecrate the Buddha image in our new meditation hall, and everyone is welcome to come and join in with us. Although it is not the grand opening which we will have when the building and grounds are completely finished (hopefully within a year), this building has been a construction site for a very long time, and we feel that it would be auspicious to come together and inaugurate the hall as a shrine, puja, and meditation space.
We will be having three sessions (one on each of these three days) of chanting, recitations, and meditation. In addition, each of the sessions will be live streamed over the Internet for those that cannot participate in person.
Each of these days will have the same program, as follows:
For a complete copy of the daily program and text of ceremony, please click here. The chanting book used in the ceremony is the new two-volume edition from Amaravati. Volume One and Volume Two are available on the Amaravati website.
Additionally, Sunday, April 16th is Songkran (Thai New Year), and we will have have additional events that day:
