Dear Friends,
This autumn, Dhammapala Monastery is a construction site. At least until Christmas, our guest-accomodation and events will be somewhat limited, because our staircase is being completely renovated. At the end of it, our staircase should be fireproof, creak-free and, of course, elegant, as well as equipped with a platform lift for wheelchair users and guests and community members with walking difficulties.
Following this project, we hope to convert one of the toilets in the stairwell to be handicapped accessible, and to install a handicapped accessible bathroom for community members in the monks’ corridor as soon as the funds are available. Since we recently received an unexpected large individual donation, it is likely that we will be able to start these projects as early as spring. Such surprising generosity, which once again enables us to further develop the monastery for both the community and all our visitors, is another opportunity to gratefully contemplate the wonderful qualities and possibilities of our human nature!
We don’t know yet whether I might be the first beneficiary of this new facility. At the moment, my state of health or illness seems stable and I can still walk around quite well – climbing stairs included. The last examination, this November, showed that the tumors have shrunk; the easiest tumor to measure, in my lymph node, even by about 60%. My oncologists were very pleased about this and now assume that the drugs they are giving me will continue to support my body successfully for a while. Although “a while” is not further defined.
That doesn’t mean that I’m full of energy and ready to take action again. The effects of the cancer and the side effects of the treatments are at times quite exhausting. I will therefore continue to remain more withdrawn and contribute just what I can. Fortunately, we have a handful of competent monks at Dhammapala who can step in for me where needed.
Our other community members are essentially well and have all returned here after various absences during or after the vassa. That means there are six of us again: Ajahn Khemasiri, Ajahn Abhinando, Ajahn Kancano, Ajahn Viranando, Tan Manuñño and Samanera Nikkāmo, who hopes to be accepted into our Sangha as a Bhikkhu in the spring. We intend to spend the upcoming winter retreat, our annual time of quiet, together here in this constellation.
The summer has been eventful as usual for us here at Dhammapala, with the planning of the staircase project, the completion of smaller repairs and renovations and many guests. The september retreat led by Ajahn Khemasiri as well as the introduction weekends for newcomers were all well attended. In October Ajahn Khemasiri also led a retreat in Gdynia in Poland. Also this year’s VHS (adult education) course, taking place over three evenings in November, is, with more than 20 participants, unusually large.
We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved, helping to make our kathina celebration in the Kandersteg community hall a complete success and a joyful event. With Ajahn Kongrit, who gave the Dhamma talk, and Ajahn Dto, this time we had two Thai monks from our Sangha as guests.
In the days and weeks after the Kathina we were able to welcome Ajahn Sucitto and Bhante Sukhacitto. In December, Tan Mettiko, an Austrian monk from Wat Pah Nanachat, will be with us for almost two weeks.
We are expecting many monastic guests again next year. Among others, Luang Por Viradhammo (abbot of our Tisarana monastery in Canada), Ajahn Karuniko (former abbot of Cittaviveka, England) and Ajahn Jayanto and Ajahn Anando (co-abbots of our Jetavana monastery in New Hampshire, USA) intend to visit in April and May. We are also expecting one of our Thai Ajahns from Santacittarama (Italy) for our Wesak celebration on May 18th.
If our Samanera Nikkamo ‘sticks to it’, some of us will travel to Santacittarama on May 10th, where the next Upasampada is scheduled to take place, and also Nikkāmo would be accepted into the Sangha.
Otherwise, we hope that our new staircase will be fully operational in the spring, as planned, and that all events in the monastery can be held as planned. You can find the dates of all events in the calendar or, with booking details, under ‘Events’. If you would like to take part in courses or stay at the monastery for a few days outside of the courses, please contact Tanja at guests@dhammapala.ch or follow the instructions in the course descriptions. We look forward to your visit.
With kind regards,
Bhikkhu Abhinando
