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Thursday, 17 September 2009 14:31

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Picnic at the Sneep Farm

 

 

Our annual Sangha picnic was held on Saturday at The Sneep, the home of Micky and Trudy Macgregor, which is about an hours drive from Harnham. The day started with a shared meal out in the garden where fortunately the sun shone persistently all day (hats and sun-cream were wisely worn). After the meal Ajahn Abhinando and Micky led the Sangha and many friends on a trek around the neighbouring countryside, up hills, through woods and over streams and after three and a half hours (seven and a half miles) we returned to the garden for a cup of tea. The following day Harnham Monastery was paid a visit from Peter Harvey, the Buddhist scholar and Professor at Sunderland University. He led a day of study on the suttas, focusing on the Mahasatipatthana Sutta of the Digha Nikaya. In this crucial discourse The Buddha expounded the four foundations of mindfulness as a means to liberation. We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to Professor Harvey for his time and effort and we eagerly await his next study day. Ajahn Munindo reached the age of 58 this Wednesday. Abramina offered a full Dana to commemorate the day, and also her last day at the Monastery as she leaves for The Netherlands on Thursday. We wish her a safe journey and hope she returns soon.

On Friday Ajahn Punnyo’s weekend retreat begins in which 20 or so meditators are expected to join in a few days of mindfulness and reflection, and at the same time Ajahn Abhinando is visiting Edinburgh to also lead a retreat for the weekend. This union of meditation joining the two countries is an inspiring thing to witness and we hope to see many people attending.
 

UPDATED EVERY FRIDAY

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Announcements

Monastery Trust Meeting

The Harnham Buddhist Monastery Trust meeting will take place on Friday 10th September, from 1pm at Kusala House. All those interested are welcome to attend.
 
Guest House Manager Vacancy

At Aruna Ratanagiri Monastery we are looking for a new guest house manager to start at the beginning of April 2011.

Applicants need to be male, fluent in English, comfortably familiar with Theravada Buddhist monastic practice, and able with general repair work. Also, they will need to have a clean driver's licence and be available to commit to the minimum of six months. The manager will receive without charge: a single room, two meals a day, the opportunity to participate in retreats and the opportunity to participate in daily meditations. Anyone interested could contact us by our website form, or on the +44 (0)1661 881 612 phone number to arrange an initial meeting.
 
Newcastle Meditation Group

Interest has been shown in beginning a new regular meditation group in Newcastle. If this is an idea that you wish to support, please contact us at the addresses below, and also if you have suggestions of suitable venues etc. Monastery Office (01661 881 612), Rolf Wojciechowski (0191 258 1751 ) or Pauline Firn (01661 853 600).
 
Experience in breeze-block building

Harnham is looking to replace our current wood frame larder with a simple concrete block structure approximately 2 meters in width x 2 meters in depth x 2 meters in height. Anyone with knowledge of concrete block construction or similar experience with a wish to contribute please contact us by e-mail at: sangha@ratanagiri.org.uk or by using the contact page on this website.
 
Cushion- sewing project

We are currently looking for volunteers to sew approx. 18 cushions for the chairs which are soon to reside in our new conservatory. Anybody interested should contact the monastery for further details. You can use the contact page on this website, or leave a message by phone on our answer machine +44 (0)1661 881 612 .
 
Cooking Volunteers wanted!

If you would like to be part of a team of local supporters who undertake to prepare the Friday meal for the Sangha, please contact one of us:

Kath Jones - 01207 283 361
Anna Potaro - 01875 320 581
Monastery - 01661 881 612
 
Paritta chanting on Sundays

This is to inform you that on every Sunday at mealtime from 11:15, the Sangha will be chanting the parittas before the anumodana, the verses of appreciation of support.
 
Meditation for Beginners Six Day Courses

The classes take place at Kusala House, on six consecutive Sundays, from 17:30 to 18:00 (before Sunday evening puja).

Starting on Sunday 8th August, and will be led by Ajahn Abhinando.

Everyone is welcome and no booking is necessary. Lessons are, of course, free of charge.
 
Mealtimes

Now that Daylight saving time is in effect, mealtimes at the monastery have changed. The meal offering takes place at 11:15am, and the meal itself begins at 11:30am.
 
Food offerings for the monastery

A list of friends and supporters of the monastery is held by the Monastery Committee. Each Friday somebody acting for the Committee calls the monastery's kitchen manager to see what is needed or, at least in short supply. If you'd like to be included on this list, please contact Kath Jones.

Mobile: 0770 7621 717
Landline: 0120 7283 361
Email: kathannejones@aol.com
 
Parking Notice

Recently there seems to have been an increase in people parking at the sides of the roads (sometimes in the middle of it) while visiting the monastery. In order to foster good relationships with our neighbours, we ask that visitors make use of the ample space in the car park, just a few yards down the hill at Kusala House. We thank you for being considerate in this perennially sensitive matter.
 
Calendar 2010/2553

The Calendar for 2010/2553 is now available for download as a single PDF file. Please note the size is around 1.71 MB, so it might take few minutes to download it. To download please click here.