Looking Ahead Winter 2012 Issue: News From Amaravati

Looking Ahead is a quarterly bulletin of news and upcoming events at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery. This is the eighth issue, covering events relevant to this winter and beyond, including the recently published listings for retreats in 2012.

Click here to download a PDF file of this issue of Looking Ahead.

Here follows the cover article from this Winter 2012 issue:

Stepping back from routine

 This eighth issue of Looking Ahead marks the end of two years of the ‘new’ Amaravati newsletter. Time has passed – where did it go? What comes to mind is one of the Buddha’s reflections for skilful living as a samana or religious seeker: ‘The days and nights are relentlessly passing, how well am I spending my time?’ As our monastic communities in the western and northern hemispheres prepare to enter our annual three-month Winter Retreat, it seems an appropriate time to highlight and bring into focus this particular teaching that the Buddha encouraged us to reflect on daily. Somehow, when the passing of time becomes more apparent, this teaching can take on more of a sense of spiritual urgency. The days and nights are passing, and quickly!

The Winter Retreat offers our monastic community the opportunity to step back from the regular routine of life at Amaravati. Every year a dedicated team of lay supporters generously comes and stays with us, looking after the day-to-day running of this large monastery. Some of these supporters have been doing this for years, whereas each year some people are coming for the first time in this capacity. With these twenty-four people here with us, a new and relatively stable community is formed, everyone with the intention to practise in accordance with the Buddha’s teachings.

For the monastic Sangha, being able to lay aside duties for three months offers the mind and body an opportunity to settle. The mind looks deeper, perhaps seeing the more subtle aspects of our world, our being. The retreat structure will include periods of group practice, following an agreed-upon prescribed routine. Periods of a more spacious and reduced schedule are also part of the mix, as well as solitary retreat time when individuals are able to step back even further – you could call it a retreat within a retreat. And, as mentioned above, all of this is made possible because of the generosity and kindness of the lay community. Sādhu anumodanā (we rejoice in the goodness that has been done)!

Two major events within our Buddhist tradition take place during the winter. The first significant event is the death-anniversary of Ven. Ajahn Chah, who passed away on 16 January 1992, at the age of seventy-three. This year marks the twentieth year since his death. Each year on this day, thousands of monks, nuns and laypeople gather together at Wat Pah Pong, the first monastery established by Ajahn Chah, to commemorate his life and teachings. Ajahn Amaro, abbot of Amaravati, as well as a number of senior monks and nuns from our Sangha, will be in Thailand for this auspicious event. Here at Amaravati we will mark this event during our regular lunar observance night programme, which commences at 7.30 p.m.

The other major event from the Buddhist calendar that takes place during the Winter Retreat is Māgha Pūjā, which this year falls on 7 March, the full moon day of that month. This day, sometimes called ‘Sangha Day,’ commemorates the spontaneous assembly of twelve hundred and fifty arahants in the Buddha’s presence. One thousand of the gathered monks had previously achieved Awakening upon hearing the Buddha’s delivery of the Fire Sermon; the remaining two hundred and fifty were followers of the elder monks Ven. Moggallana and Ven. Sariputta. To mark this auspicious gathering, the Buddha delivered the Ovāda-Pātimokkha Gāthā, a summary of the main points of the Dhamma, which he gave to the assembly before sending them out to spread the teachings. Amaravati will mark this event during the lunar observance evening vigil, which commences at 7.30 p.m. The evening begins with chanting and will include silent meditation, a Dhamma talk and the opportunity for the lay community to determine the Eight Precepts for the remainder of the night. There will be a traditional circumambulation of the Amaravati stupa, weather permitting, including offering candles, incense and flowers in respect to the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. Everyone is welcome to join us!

One practical note this winter is that the monastery kitchen will be closed for major refurbishments from 3 January until at least the middle of February. All meal preparations, along with the offering of food to the monastic Sangha, will take place at the Retreat Centre kitchen. The Retreat Centre aims to provide the use of other rooms there, to accommodate this temporary shift, and to give visitors their usual opportunities to share the meal offering and to meet with the Ajahn afterwards.
During the Winter Retreat, a question frequently asked by people wishing to visit Amaravati is ‘Can I still come and visit the monastery?’ The answer is a resounding yes! Day visitors are more than welcome to come, as always, to enjoy the quietude of this special place, offer food at the daily meal, join in with the meditation routine and pūjās, listen to Dhamma teachings offered on the lunar quarter observance nights, participate in the Saturday afternoon meditation workshop, and any other public events. Please note that the Saturday evening Dhamma talks will not take place during this three month period. The most obvious change is that the monastery does not accept overnight guests, and visitors may notice the resident monastic Sangha being more aloof with regards to verbal contact, as we are encouraged to keep ‘noble silence’ during this precious time of retreat.

Lastly, to all of our supporters and friends in the Dhamma – the large and extended family of people on this Path to liberation – we offer our very best wishes for a peaceful 2012.