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.

Martin Reilly

Ajahn Abhinando’s retreat, which was held at the weekend, was a somewhat cold one. In the previous week two new boilers had been installed, which had inadvertently caused a massive airlock resulting in the under-floor heating being temporarily disabled. This meant chilly morning and evening pujas, though the retreatants didn’t seem to mind as they sat huddled in their warm blankets. When the retreat finished, the boiler men returned and after some fine tuning we now have a warm Dhamma Hall which we’re sure our future guests will appreciate. On Monday our good friend from Perth, Martin Reilly, came to visit and offer his masonry expertise to the community. Tan Nyanavisuddhi, Samanera Bodhinando and Anagarika Gabor are busy dressing the stone inside the Dhamma hall conservatory, and outside, new steps are being constructed for its new entrance. Martin has also laid a new a paving on Ajahn Munindo's porch. In the midst of it all Ajahn Sawaeng has been imparting some of his impressive sewing skills to Ajahn Punnyo before the former heads to Thailand for a visit. Quiet time is on the horizon as much of the community will be taking it in turns to go on retreat to Nick and Penny's place in Scotland over the next few weeks, beginning with Ajahn Abhinando, Ajahn Punnyo and Tomas.

Ajahn Munindo

On Sunday, while Professor Peter Harvey gave his third and final Sutta Study Day at Kusala House for 2009, the reception room had become host to nearly 20 Thai people who had come to offer dana in celebration of Ajahn Sawaeng becoming a Mahathera at the end of vassa, meaning he has been a monk now for twenty years. The community wholeheartedly agreed that this was a very worthwhile occasion to commemorate. Later that evening Ajahn Punnyo set off on Tudong for a few days to Hexham. He arrived in the small hours of Wednesday morning, looking tired but content, no doubt happy to experience the welcome relief from the biting cold of Northumbrian Autumn (which is beginning to feel somewhat like the Northumbrian Winter). Also on wednesday, he, Ajahn Sawaeng and Tan Nyanavisuddhi were taken to a dana at the home of our friend and supporter Somjit and her husband, Chris, near Durham. Another lay supporter, who has come to offer her help in the kitchen, is Myke's sister Helena Evans, who arrived on Thursday in time for the retreat. The weekend retreat, which will be the final retreat of 2009, is being led by Ajahn Abhinando and we hope to see many a familiar face. The dates for our 2010 retreats have already been decided and many visiting Ajahns are coming to offer their experience, including Ajahn Thiradhammo, Ajahn Sucitto and Ajahn Amaro. Please visit www.kusalahouse.org for more information on how to attend.

Tan Nyanamoli and Tan Ariyo dyeing

Monday saw the Full Moon, bringing the Kathina month to a close, and the monastery begins to settle as the Winter Retreat approaches. Ajahn Munindo and Ajahn Sawaeng came back from Amaravati after a somewhat rainy Royal Kathina, and on Wednesday several guests came to wish Ajahn Sawaeng a happy birthday. Wednesday was also a robe dying day- it is customary in the Thai Forest Tradition for monks to sew and dye their own robes, and occasionally a robe will need to be re-dyed to prevent the loss of colour. The kitchen became filled with tubs and buckets which were in turn filled with the dark brown of the forest monk. This coming Sunday Kusala House will host the third and final instalment of Professor Peter Harvey's popular Sutta Study days.  The following weekend Ajahn Abhinando leads a 2 day silent lay retreat,the last one of 2009.  And finally, the new Kusala House website is up and running; we hope guests will find the resource helpful for finding out about visits, retreats and overnight stays.

Ajahn Chandapalo

As Ajahn Vimalo’s retreat came to a close the Monastery slowly returned to its normal state, with a steady flow of guests arriving to offer help and experience the quietude that the hill has to offer. On Monday we welcomed the arrival of Ajahn Chandapalo, Abbot of Santacittarama Monastery in Italy, who has come to visit for most of the week and leaves on Friday. Today saw Ajahn Munindo, Ajahn Sawaeng, Tan Hiriko and Myke head south to join the Amaravati in their Kathina celebration which will take place on Sunday the 1st of November. They are all due back on Sunday, except for Tan Hiriko who will be then moving to Chithurst for one year. We wish him all the best and are very grateful for the contribution he has made to Ratanagiri for all these years. Also, our new website, www.allisburning.org is now live, and www.kusalahouse.org is due to go live in the near future, and will include a forum; this was Tan Hiriko's last offering to us before departing for Chithurst. And finally a friendly reminder that as the clocks have recently gone back and we are no longer in daylight saving time, the meal offering will now be at 10:45am. Otherwise, our schedule remains the same.

Ajahn Vimalo

This week Harnham Monastery has been hosting a mixed retreat being led by Ajahn Vimalo, one of the senior monks at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, who has travelled up North to lend his teaching skills to a group of about twenty meditators. The monastery currently has two distinct sides to it: on the one hand the hill has become exceedingly busy with Kusala House currently full to the brim with retreatants and the sight of guests strolling mindfully between the monastery buildings has become a common sight. In contrast things still remain very peaceful and serene as the quality of silence pervades the hill and the shared respect for practice and quietude keeps the retreat running smoothly. This Saturday will see the clocks in Britain falling back an hour and as a result the times for the meal will change slightly. The meal will then be offered at 10:45am instead of the current 11:15am. And finally we continue to look for a new Kusala House manager to start work April. All those who are interested should contact the monastery.

Luang Por Sumedho

We are delighted to report that this year’s Kathina, offered by the Thai community on Sunday the 11th of October was a joyous occasion. Luang Por Sumedho and many monks from Amaravati and Chithurst as well as Ajahn Candasiri and two anagarika nuns came to take part in the celebrations (if you would like to see a picture of the Sangha together just after Kathina click here). During the Pindapat Ajahn Punnyo counted over 300 visitors, but perhaps as many as 400 arrived. After the meal everybody squeezed into the Dhamma Hall. Our heating system broke down the day before but the squeeze generated enough heat. After the Paritta chanting and offering of the Kathina robe to Ajahn Munindo we listened to a Dhamma Discourse from Luang Por Sumedho. Many of the guests then diligently set to tidying up and did a fantastic job. The visiting Sangha left for their respective monasteries a few days later and the monastery has now returned to its previous quietude. Now three of our Ajahns, Ajahn Munindo, Ajahn Abhinando and Ajahn Punnyo, have set off for Chithurst to take part in the twice-yearly Elder's Council. Ajahn Vimalo arrived on Wednesday to lead the mixed retreat which starts on Sunday, and we are all very grateful for his time and efforts in coming to Harnham. Finally we have news about Tan Hiriko. For those of you who don’t know him, Tan Hiriko is a Slovenian Bhikkhu who has been living at Harnham for much of the past five years, and on the 29th of this month he will be leaving Harnham to live at Chithurst Monastery for a year.