Looking back on the year 2017, living at the monastery, it feels that we have been blessed on so many fronts – blessed with the presence of many of our elders and of Luang Por Sumedho earlier in the year, blessed with newcomers to the sangha, blessed by the numbers of supporters and visitors to our monastery, blessed by the sincerity and goodwill of those who practise. There continues to be a healthy interest in the training on offer for monks and nuns, the meditation workshops, the Dhamma talks, the school visits, the guests, the retreats, so all in all, the year up to now has felt very full for the resident community. The focal quality of our samana lives is to be present, lending to the experience of the passage of time a sense of akāliko, timelessness, completeness in the moment. It is good too to reflect back on all the effort and generosity that made it possible to host Luang Por Sumedho’s Retreat earlier this year, then the Elders’ Meeting, as well as to continue to provide all the usual activities at the monastery and to follow the monastic routines of the year. Not only reflect, but also rejoice that by and large, these events went by without major incident. This shows the power of the practice in very practical, immediate terms. Practising to be greater than our immediate impulses and giving the gift that never fails, the gift of trust. This trust comes from knowing that right now, everyone is practising the Precepts. How wonderful, how relaxing it is to know that one is practising with sincerity that way oneself, amongst others who have chosen to do the same. What a great gift for oneself and for others that is.
This issue contains the full retreat schedule for the coming year (2018), also showing the dates retreats become available for booking on the website. Included with the monastic retreat schedule is the list of retreats and practice opportunities offered by the lay organisations that use the Retreat Centre for regular activities; the ALBA, The Buddhist Women’s Network and the Family Events.
To read the newsletter, follow this link Looking Ahead Autumn 2017 Newsletter
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