Dedication
(picture: carp in the Memorial Garden pond)
Once again, this time at Chithurst's Kathina, it was evident how much dedicated effort went into preparations for this annual festival. Four of our Harnham community joined in on the occasion, travelling down to West Sussex on Thursday and back up to Northumberland on Tuesday. Kathina season is over now for another year (well, it will be by the time you read this). If you missed out on collecting your calendar for 2016 you can go to the Forest Sangha website and request one be posted (if you live in UK); alternatively you could download and print out you own. At this stage, here we still have copies available to collect from the monastery. On Saturday our friends Pai and Ian from Cumbria took their dedicated offering of dana to another level. As they made their way to the monastery they were caught in black ice; the car rolled three times, dismantled a dry stone wall before ending up thoroughly written-off. Somehow that didn't stop them from arriving on time to offer the midday meal. Thankfully nobody was hurt. Anumodana. On Sunday, if it wasn't for Giovanni's judicious intervention the carp in the memorial garden pond might have already moved onto their next incarnation. Fortunately the leaking pipe was fixed before the water level sank too low and the carp live on. On Sunday evening Luang Por Munindo offered a Dhamma reflection on how we might measure progress along the path. Later this week we expect a visit from a local Cub Scouts Group who are keen to study another religion, also a university group from York. Then next week Ajahn Abhinando plans to visit the Carlisle Group (Wednesday), the Edinburgh Group (Thursday) and the Glasgow Group (Friday).
