As it is Silent Week the blog will be postponed.

The Dana List will continue to be updated.

Ajahn Chah's Shrine

Last Saturday 16th January was the Ajahn Chah Memorial Day, marking eighteen years since our teacher’s passing. The day was internationally commemorated at our Mother monastery Wat Pah Pong in NE Thailand with several thousands of supporters and sangha members coming together. Also it was observed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with a large gathering where many teachers, including Luang Por Sumedho, gave talks throughout the day. Here at Harnham we remembered the passing by listening to one of Ajahn Chah’s talks being read aloud by Tan Nyanavisuddhi. The following day Ajahn Munindo gave a talk called Gratitude Inventory to our Sunday visitors focussing on how making gratitude conscious can aid and support our practice. Saturday also saw the annual Dana organised by Amara Jayaweera and the wider Sri Lankan community to remember Sushila, one of the earliest supporters of Ajahn Chah's Sangha in UK, a well-respected figure in the early Sri Lankan community. After the Dana the community gathered to listen to the chanting the Parittas and a Dhamma talk. Fortunately the Dhamma Hall was heated as we now have a full tank of gas to see us through the rest of winter. Meanwhile this week our very skilled and diligent computer expert, Anagarika Gábor, has been working hard to fine tune our aruno.org website. He has now made available a podcast for the Dhamma talks given at Harnham - http://aruno.org/podcast/. And for those of you who are new to podcasts he has also written a very helpful how to guide. To read it click here. Finally, one of our lay friends staying here to help keep things running through the winter Retreat time, Richard Thomas, is doing an inventory on the contents of Kusala House Library. If you have books or CDs that should have been returned it would help to have it back. If you signed it out (which we hope you did) you are likely to get a gentle  reminder (or not-so-gentle, depending on how long).

A fire to keep us warm and healthy

The second week of retreat is coming to a close and we are all settling into the quietude. Winter Retreat doesn't mean everyone is intensely focussed on hours of formal practice. During the three months periods there will be weeks when we go into strict silence and follow a routine of group sittings (probably no group walking though). For some of us winter retreat is a time to work on memorising the chanting, and then others will be into study. The support team all seem to be settled in to their routine doing a splendid job in helping keep things running. No doubt they’re receiving some interesting history on the place from our old friend Richard Wilson, the monastery caretaker of a few years ago, who has arrived to stay for a several weeks. Back when he was living here Kusala House was still evolving from a dilapidated cottage and the meditation room was a workshop, filled with tools instead of zafus. He’s astounded by the progress. Within the greater picture Harnham Hill’s snow has begun to melt as the weather has crawled up a few degrees, but still we are without a proper supply of gas as the gas truck scheduled to visit was deterred by the slushy road conditions. (At the time of writing sangha members have been out with spades attempting to clear the road hoping that the tanker might make it up today. A few days ago the sewerage truck also got stuck....)  Meanwhile blankets, hot-water bottles, electric heaters, and extra socks have become the norm as we save what little gas we do have for the cooking. Fear not! as Tan Nyanavisuddhi is on the job, talking with the distributors and trying to get our heating up and running as soon as possible.

Tan Nyanamoli shovelling

Like much of the rest of the country Harnham residents have been helping each other deal with the unexpected big freeze. Nothing like a crisis to get folk to be friendly! And friendliness has been the theme as we saw in the New Year. Billy, Moe, Koko and Lin from Glasgow took up the challenge of a very icy hill to spend several days here. Then Richard Thomas arrived to join Ralph who had come a few days earlier to offer assistance through the winter retreat. Ralph will be here for three months. A reshuffle of rooms to give ourselves a bit more space (anagarikas occupying Kusala House annex) and we have all now settled into a welcome quiet routine. Not even road noise from the A696 to break the silence. Saturday morning however found us all talking a bit more than usual when we discovered the main gas tank was empty. Looking at the small amount of wood left in the wood-pile we broke out the (rarely-used) electric heaters and telephoned our gas suppliers. They did a sterling job of coming within a few hours to deliver an emergency 2 or 3 bottles to tie us over until the tanker can attempt the hill. Meanwhile concerned friends have been leaving their cars at the bottom on the hill and walking up with arms laden with offerings. Bright smiles and rosy cheeks make somewhat cooler living conditions quite tolerable. We have noted for next year the need to look out for cheap firewood in June/July.

The Shrine on New Year's Eve

It’s the New Year and a new decade has begun. Despite the weather, with several showers of snow on New Years Eve, our annual forgiveness and aspiration ceremony was well attended by many old friends who have come from the far corners of the country (and beyond). The week has seen a steady flow of guests arriving as we prepared for the ceremony, including Ralph, who will be staying at Kusala House for the next three months and lending his support for the winter. On New Year's Day the snow was heavier than ever with at least five inches, but one determined Sri Lankan family managed to brave the journey and came down from Glasgow to hear the Sangha chant the Parittas during the afternoon. The near future of Harnham will be much of a contrast, as in a few days time we will enter the winter retreat. We will also be bidding farewell to Myke. For the past six months Myke has been doing a terrific job taking care of Kusala House and he will be missed. He is expected to become a guest himself in March to help with our work project, so we can look forward to seeing him again soon.

Tan Nandiyo

The snow still remains here at Harnham on Christmas day and covers most of the surrounding area. The hill to Harnham was very treacherous earlier in the week but fortunately Myke has applied some grit making it much safer. The monastery is still host to a few guests but even amid the activity it has been quiet and peaceful. The local birds have had no trouble with finding sustenance during this harsh weather as Gabor has taken to throwing seeds for them outside the office window resulting in a throng of chaffinches and blackbirds. We hope all of you have a pleasant and peaceful festive season and we look forward to seeing many of you this New Year.

Harnham Hill

Silent Week has come to its conclusion and Harnham has returned to its quiet but not silent self. The monastery is now growing busier as we quickly approach New Years Eve, which is expected to draw a gathering for our annual forgiveness and aspiration ceremony. On Tuesday the Ajahns and Tan Nyanamoli were invited to attend a Persian Dana by our old friend Farad, whose building skills and efforts helped many of the projects here including the new kitchen as well as Kusala House. On Thursday Tan Nandiyo arrived from Dhammapala Monastery in Switzerland to spend the winter retreat here at Harnham, we hope he has a fruitful and pleasant stay. This Thursday we also saw the first snow of the year has Harnham Hill was lightly frosted but the snow soon turned to hail, though more is expected this weekend.

Ajahn Sawaeng

The monastery is currently engaging in a Silent Week, the final one of 2009. Pujas and work period have been put aside allowing the community more time to focus on individual practice. Needless to say these silent weeks see Harnham slowing down and much quieter than usual, but this one has been the home of many a return and departure. On Wednesday, after spending several months at Harnham, Ajahn Sawaeng returned to his monastery in the north east of Thailand . Ajahn Sawaeng is a greatly valued member of the community there, being the second most senior monk, but we hope he will be able to visit Harnham again soon, perhaps next year. On Thursday Samanera Ariyo left in the small hours of the morning to visit his family in Florida for two weeks, and will return on Christmas day. On Thursday afternoon Tan Nyanamoli, Tan Nyanavisuddhi and Samanera Bodhinando returned from Scotland, thus completing the cycle of Scottish retreats. All this has taken place in as much silence as possible.

Kim Plastering

The month of December in upon us and the cold chill of winter is now more felt than ever, with the whole monastery routinely covered in frost during the mornings. Community activity has not been hampered though. In fact there have been several trips up to Scotland and back. Ajahn Abhinando and Gabor arrived at the monastery on Wednesday evening, and Tan Nyanamoli, Tan Nyanavisuddhi and Samanera Bodhinando have gone on retreat in their place. Only a day after he arrived Ajahn Abhinando went westward to Carlisle to visit the meditation group there while Ajahn Punnyo has gone to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Meanwhile back at Harnham the Dhamma Hall has had the first stage of redecorating done. Kim, who was a resident here many years ago (bhikkhu Sobhano), lent his plastering skills to touch up some of the more aged areas of the hall’s walls. March next year will see the project completed - we hope.This coming week is a silent practice week for most of us here. Then the rest of December will probably be quiet until the later portion when we expect many guests for the annual Forgiveness and Aspiration Ceremony on New Years Eve. We hope to see many old friends for the occasion.

Samaneras Ariyo and Bodhinando working on the shed

This week the community was a little smaller as Ajahn Abhinando, Ajahn Punnyo and Anagarika Tomas were on retreat up in Scotland. Tomas and Ajahn Punnyo have now returned and Anagarika Gabor has gone up in their place. The stone dressing has been completed in the conservatory, ready for the overhaul we have planned for March next year. Martin Reilly was here for most of a week teaching us some stone-working skills at the same time as he laid the steps to the  entranceway for what will become the doors into the new conservatory. On Saturday our long-term friends Moe and Koko from  Glasgow came to the monastery to witness the installation of a commemorative plaque, in honour of Moe's parents. Samanera Ariyo has finished work on the shed at the back of the Dhamma Hall, bringing an end to the big outdoor projects for this year here at Harnham.