Abhayagiri News

Upasika Renewal Day

2012-05-23T16:27:54+00:00

Friends,

We hope you can join us at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery for the annual Upasika Renewal Day on Sunday, June 17, a day of community, Dhamma study, meditation, and renewal.

Our theme for the day will be "Practice in Daily Life: The Four Right Efforts." Luang Por Pasanno will lead us in study and discussion of developing Right Effort in our ordinary lives: how do we abandon and avoid unwholesome mind states, and cultivate and maintain wholesome mind states, day in and day out, in our inner, personal, social and work lives?

The reading for the day is Majjhima Nikaya 2, Sabbasava Sutta, "All the Taints" (or "All the Fermentations"), available in translation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu online, at Access to Insight: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.002.than.html and in translation by Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi in The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha (Wisdom Publications, 1995).

Also, as an example of right effort in daily life and its beneficial impact, please view this news clip: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/globalhealth/jan-june12/thailand_05-17.html

June 17 will also be the annual Upasika Program Renewal Day, on which new and "returning" Upasikas can choose to make a formal commitment to the program for 2012. (Program guidelines are listed below and online at http://www.abhayagiri.org/index.php/main/content/C59)

For those who have already taken the Upasika vows, we will publicly renew our commitments to this practice as a group. For those who would like to make this commitment for the first time, you are also invited to do so. 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.

For all those planning to take the Upasika vows, please bring a simple offering of candles, flowers, and incense with you. (See below for more details on the ceremony.)

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 may 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:

10:30 a.m. Upasika Renewal Ceremony, Refuges and Precepts. Please plan to arrive at the monastery a bit early, perhaps by 10:15, so that we can prepare the offering trays without hurry.

11:00 a.m. (sharp) Meal Offering (please bring a dish to share)

1:00 - 4:30 p.m. Study/Practice Session

4:30 p.m. Tea with the monastics (optional)

Remaining 2012 Upasika Days and themes are:

Sunday, August 19 -- Meditation: Brightening the Mind
Saturday, October 20 -- Sutta Study: The Gradual Training
Saturday, December 8 -- Practicing in a Global Context: Relating to the Natural Environment

For directions on getting to the monastery, please visit http://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.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/upasika

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Upasika Program Purpose

*To enhance individual practice and increase self-discipline through making a formal commitment to spiritual training.
*To deepen both the intellectual and experiential understanding of the Dhamma.
*To have more supportive contact with like-minded people and the ordained Sangha.
*To be better equipped to communicate the Teachings to others.

Upasika Program Guidelines

*Undertake to live by the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts, with the Theravada Forest Tradition as the focus of one's practice.
*Attend regular gatherings with other Upasikas, either at the Monastery or in your own homes.
*Visit the Monastery and formally take the Refuges and Precepts at least quarterly.
*Observe the Uposatha Days of the full and new moon in some fashion appropriate to your living situation.
*Practice meditation daily.
*Find some time each year to go on retreat.
*Attend at least one festival day or communal gathering at the Monastery each year.
*Cultivate a basic working knowledge of the Teachings.
*Support the Sangha according to your means and abilities.
*Keep to the training for at least one year after having made the formal commitment.

Upasika Commitment Ceremony

* The person who wishes to make the commitment as an Upasika prepares a small tray of traditional offerings - candles, flowers and incense (For those renewing for a second or subsequent year, offerings will be combined on a group tray with other renewing Upasikas.)
* At the ceremony, new Upasikas come forward to the ajahn one at a time and offer their tray, bow three times and state: "My name is Mary Q. Person and I wish to request the ThreeRefuges and the Five Precepts." (Renewing Upasikas present the group tray of offerings.)
* The ajahn then gives the Refuges and Precepts to the whole group.

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 exclusivity 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 June 12.

Kind regards,
Jeanie

Upcoming Ordinations

2012-04-23T17:19:38+00:00

On Saturday, June 2, the Upasampada (bhikkhu ordination) for Sāmaṇera Khemako and Sāmaṇera Pesalo will take place. Weather permitting, the ceremony will be held at the ordination platform in the early evening (4:00pm-6:00pm).

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Forest Sangha Publications

2012-04-09T17:14:39+00:00

Forest Sangha Publications, http://forestsanghapublications.org, is the main publications site hosted by the monastic community and supporters of Aruna Ratanagiri Buddhist Monastery, in Northumberland, UK. This site contains all of the free Dhamma publications released by teachers and monasteries in the Western Forest Sangha, as well as links to many other important and informative sites. The site hosts a massive archive of Dhamma e-books and audio teachings, as well as contact information for getting physical copies of many of their publications.

2012 Winter Retreat Successful

2012-04-03T16:21:34+00:00

The 2012 Winter Retreat has now concluded and the community is emerging for the new spring season. Please stay tuned as old dates and links will be updated in the coming weeks.

Abhayagiri Photo Album 2011

2011-12-05T17:28:19+00:00

This photo album contains the events and activities of the Abhayagiri community during 2011. All the descriptions and Dhamma quotes are in both English and Thai. The album describes the physical buildings and environment around Abhayagiri and the Pacific Hermitage, and shows the resident community practicing Dhamma in its various forms. The events include: Kathina, ordinations, visits from senior monks, alms round, Yosemite camping trip, Spirit Rock Family Retreat, Teen Weekend, Buddhist Bicycle Pilgrimage, working, attending puja, Upasika Days as well as other daily activities. We hope you enjoy this year in the life of Abhayagiri.

Abhayagiri originally created the photo album as a printed book through Blurb.com. If you would like to order a printed copy of the book from Blurb, visit the link below for more information.
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2703878
(Abhayagiri does not receive any money from a purchase through blurb.com)

Kathina Celebration at Abhayagiri

2011-10-01T04:33:57+00:00

On Sunday, November 4th, Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery will hold its Kathina Ceremony. Since the time of the Buddha, this annual ceremony has taken place during the month after the Vassa Retreat, which is the three-month rains retreat season (the monsoon season in Southeast Asia) for the monastic order. It is the time of the year when new robes and other requisites may be offered by the laity to the monks.

The day will commence with the meal offering promptly at 10:45 am. After the meal, the robe-offering ceremony will take place, commencing at 1:00 pm, followed by a Dhamma talk. Please feel free to join us for this special day. Please contact us if you wish to help with any of the practical aspects of the day, such as preparing the monastery for the event.

If you are interested in viewing a list of the material needs of the monastery, please see the Kathina Dana List or contact Iris Landsberg by email at Kathina2011@gmail.com or by phone at (707) 972-0760.

What Is the Kathina Ceremony?
And How Can You Get Involved?
by Jeannie Bendik

Since the earliest days of Buddhist monastic life a three-month Rains Retreat has been observed. During this time that begins with the full moon of July, the renunciants would commit to staying in one place to live and practice together. As the name suggests, the rainy season was a logical time to stop the wandering aspect of the homeless life since travel during this time was so difficult. When this practice period (also called the vassa or pansa) was over, the lay community supporting the monastery gathered to celebrate the completion of the retreat with a festival called the Kathina.

Though the monsoon season affects life less in modern times, the tradition of the Rains Retreat continues. And while summer and early autumn are the driest times in California’s Mediterranean climate, the Kathina celebration at Abhayagiri also marks the end of the Rains (or “no rains”!) Retreat. The Kathina day begins with a traditional meal offering and is followed by chanting and taking the precepts. A Dhamma talk is offered and the celebration includes gifts of supplies that are needed by the community for the coming year. A central gift is the offering of cloth for monastic robes. Traditionally the monastic robes were sewn together from bits of cloth collected from charnel grounds. At some point, a generous supporter decided to offer fresh, clean cloth for a robe, and that continues in the formal part of the Kathina ceremony. Even today, an individual (or sometimes a group) will ask to offer the Kathina cloth. Some years at Abhayagiri the cloth has been offered by the Ft. Bragg lay Sangha, in other years by long-distance supporters from Thailand, and once by the Sanghapala Board of Directors.

If you haven’t attended a Kathina celebration before, you’re in for a treat. I’ve come to think of it as the equivalent of all our lay holidays rolled into one. There is the abundance of Thanksgiving with gratitude for the completion of a long retreat and for having monastics in this country. The chance to gather together with gifts resembles the winter holidays of Hanukkah and Christmas, combined with a kind of birthday anniversary marking another year of monastic life. It’s a particularly joyous time to show appreciation for those who have gone forth into the homeless life and who provide support and inspiration to lay practitioners. It’s especially timely as fall and winter draw nearer, when visitors become less frequent and a full storeroom of supplies is so valuable.

If you are new to the Kathina celebration, you might be wondering how to join in. There are many ways to take part and greatly varying degrees of offering support. For those living near enough to attend in person, there are many tasks to be done ahead of time. The day before, you might find yourself making signs, helping put up awnings, arranging flowers or hanging prayer flags. On the day of the Kathina there are even more ways to pitch in, from directing cars for parking to receiving food, tidying bathrooms to the inevitable clean up. It’s a joy to work together with both lay and monastic community members.

If you can’t attend because of distance or calendar conflicts, you can still take part in the Kathina offering. If you enjoy shopping for a specific item that you know is needed, a Kathina “wish list” is available. Many small and medium-sized gifts can be sent by mail. You can notify a contact person when you’ve chosen what you’d like to give, and they will update the list accordingly, which helps eliminate duplication. Financial offerings are also gratefully received. Abhayagiri has many ongoing expenses. You can designate your gift for general operating costs such as medical insurance or utility bills or earmark your contribution for building projects or publications. Gifts of all sizes and kinds provide needed support and bring much happiness to both givers and recipients.

Whether you are able to come and enjoy the actual day of Kathina or can only participate “in spirit,” it is a rich experience to lend a hand, in whatever way, to the support of Abhayagiri. The monastic Sangha, as alms mendicants, exists completely through the generosity of lay supporters. In turn, the teachings offered by monastics (both by formal talks and by living example) are given freely. Their generous example helps our dana (generosity) flow out in response. It’s such a lovely circle of giving and receiving between the lay and monastic communities.

I recall a story of several medieval craftsmen working on an enormous church. When asked what each was doing, the first answered that he was building a wall in the nave. Another replied that he was carving a panel for a side door. The wisest worker responded, “I am building a cathedral.” No matter how we give or whether it’s in person or from a distance, we too are “building a monastery.” Please join us in whatever way you can as we celebrate the end of the Rains Retreat, this year on November 4th, 2012.

Monastic Retreat 2011 (Registration Closed)

2011-08-23T17:14:46+00:00

The retreat is now full and registration is closed.

Abhayagiri Monastery in Redwood Valley, California and the Sanghapala Foundation invite you to join Ajahn 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 18, through midday Sunday, November 27, 2011, 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 any 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. Incense and candles are used at the morning and evening chanting periods.

August Community Work Day

2011-07-29T16:28:44+00:00

For this month of August the community work day is cancelled as it falls on the Uposatha day.

July Community Work Day

2011-06-16T16:28:30+00:00

The next community work day is Sunday, July 10 . Following the usual Community Work Day format, we will have two work periods, and you are very welcome to come and help out with either one or both of them. The first period is from 7:30 am to 11:00 am, then we break for the meal, and resume the activities from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm. Folks are then welcome to stay for our teatime if they wish.

Community work days are an opportunity to help us build and maintain the monastery, and are a much appreciated offering of service as well as an opportunity to spend more informal time with the monastic community.

June Community Work Day

2011-05-26T16:28:28+00:00

The next community work day is Sunday, June 12 . Following the usual Community Work Day format, we will have two work periods, and you are very welcome to come and help out with either one or both of them. The first period is from 7:30 am to 11:00 am, then we break for the meal, and resume the activities from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm. Folks are then welcome to stay for our teatime if they wish.

Community work days are an opportunity to help us build and maintain the monastery, and are a much appreciated offering of service as well as an opportunity to spend more informal time with the monastic community.