🌸🌺🌸 Entering Vesak Season Dhammadharini newsletter 🌸🌺🌸

[Dhammadharini Sangha]

Dear Venerables and Dhamma friends,

Following this New Moon, on May 12th we enter into the Vesak Season. Vesak Season Greetings to you!

Vesak is celebrated in many countries and Buddhist cultures and is also spelled Wesak, Vesaka, Visakha and Vaishaka. The Vesak Season lasts for one lunar month thru June 9th this year, with its highlight the Vesak Full Moon Buddha Day on May 26th. On this full moon we celebrate three great events in the Buddha's life: the birth of the Bodhisatta, the Buddha's great Awakening, and the final passing or Maha Parinibbāna. In the Buddha's home country of India this month is known as "Vaishaka," and in the Himalayas, "Saga Dawa." In India, the Vesak full moon is called the "Vaishaka Purnima" and when specially celebrating the Buddha, "Buddha Jayanti." In Thailand the Vesak Full Moon Buddha Day is known as Visakha Puja. This year the Vesak full moon will be a Super Moon Eclipse!

 

Birth of the Bodhisattva | In Himalayan traditions the month of Vesak is known as Saga Dawa and is considered extremely auspicious

This year our Dhammadharini community will be offering a "Week of Vesak" with small, outdoors Covid-safe gatherings and online Vesak programs spread over the Vesak Full Moon week. Learn how you can join in below, and see some of the highlights of our "Entering Vesak Season" newsletter:

• Dana Sala Project goes ahead
• Vesak Week events
• Covid-safe visits to monastery and hermitage and stewardship opportunities
• Satima (Trudy Mitchell-Gilkey) undertakes Samaneri Pabbajja
• Ayya Suvijjana's teachings at Empty Cloud
• In memory of Sangharaja of India Ven. Bhikkhu Satyapal Bhanteji
  
• Gratitude to Linda for Winter Retreat service plus

Dana Sala Project at Dhammadharini Monastery | examples of Forever Redwood's Del Norte Pavilion 

Dana Sala Project goes ahead

     On Monday May 10th our Dhammadharini Support Foundation went ahead with putting a deposit down on a Del Norte Pavilion from Forever Redwood which will be used as gracious Covid-safe outdoor place for making offerings, receiving blessings and listening to the Dhamma in the meditation garden at our Dhammadharini Monastery. Such a sala is very much traditional in Buddhism as a space for such activities, as well as a comfortable dedicated place for sitting and walking meditation. We are rejoicing together with all the friends who made large and small contributions towards the Dana Sala Project during last year's Kathina, Holiday Giving Season and Lunar New Year. The Dana Sala will be a wonderful gift to our whole community for years to come. 

With the blessing of Dhammadharini support foundation directors and the resident's community, Ayya Sobhana has been appointed to lead up the Dana Sala project at our monastery. We hope to install the Dana Sala after Vesak, aiming for completion by the end of June for use on Dhamma Day (in July) and this year's Vassa (July thru October).

Birth of the Bodhisatta (Buddha-to-be) in the Lumbini Grove | Great Awakening in Bodhgaya | final Nirvana in Kushinagar

Dhammadharini special Vesak Week events

     This year our Dhammadharini community will be offering a "Week of Vesak" with small, outdoors Covid-safe gatherings and online Vesak programs spread over the Vesak Full Moon week. Welcome to use the live links to sign up for programs 1-5.

1. Outdoors in-person Visits to Dhammadharini Monastery During Vesak Week 
from Sat May 22nd thru Vesak Full Moon May 26th 10am-1pm
(you must sign up to get information to make a Covid-safe in-person outdoors visit to Dhammadharini Monastery)
2. "The Buddha's Legacy for Us" live via Zoom/Youtube Vesak Guided Meditation & Sutta Reading with Ven. Sobhana Theri 
May 23, 9:30 - 10:45am and 1:00 - 2:30pm

3. "Being Supported by the Qualities of the Buddha" live via Zoom/Youtube Vesak Full Moon Eve Meditation & Dhamma Talk from Ven. Tathaloka Mahatheri ,May 25, 7pm – 9pm

4. "The History and Meaning of Vesak" via Zoom Vesak Full Moon Night guest keynote Dhamma talk from Ven. Tathaloka Theri hosted by Hawaii International Buddhist Association May 26th 7-8:30pm Hawaii time = May 26th 10-11:30pm California time = May 27th 12-1:30pm Thai time (register by May 22, Zoom link will be sent May 24th)

5. Vesak Daylong Retreat with Ven. Sobhana Theri live via Zoom/Youtube
Saturday May 29th 5:30am – 7pm. 

The 2021 May Vesak full moon is a Full Flower Moon, Super Moon and Eclipse
Farmer's Almanac May 2021

     

Covid-safe visits to monastery and hermitage, and stewardship opportunities

Visiting Dhammadharini 

Dhammadharini is currently welcoming both day visitors, and overnight visitors who can stay for one month or more, with some restrictions to protect everyone’s health during the COVID-19 pandemic. See www.dhammadharini.net/visit for details. We are not currently accepting shorter-term overnight visits.

Day Visits

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we are welcoming only brief outdoor day visits at both Dhammadharini Monastery and Aranya Bodhi Hermitage. All day visitors are asked to wear face masks, maintain social distance, and remain outside the buildings at both facilities.

Stewardship Opportunities in 2021-2022

Stewardship at Dhammadharini is an opportunity to live fully immersed in the monastic community for an extended period of one month or more. Stewards participate in all aspects of community life at Dhammadharini Monastery and Aranya Bodhi Hermitage, including teachings and Dhamma discussion, morning and evening chanting, group meditation time, events, and offering service around 4-6 hours a day, with one quiet day a week set aside for individual practice. 

We especially welcome applications for stewards to join us for two dedicated practice periods in 2021-2022:

• Vassa: July 24 - October 21, 2021

Vassa is the traditional “Rains Retreat” observed by the monastic Sangha since the time of the Buddha, from the full moon of July to the full moon of October. Vassa-time stewards are invited to stay on through the Kathina season if they wish, until November 19, 2021.

•  Winter Retreat: January-March 2022 (for experienced applicants)

Winter Retreat is a time of greater quiet, as all external community activities are set aside and we turn our focus inwards through deeper formal practice. Generally there is a shared theme of practice and teachings for the community during this time, in addition to a rotation of secluded individual retreat times for all community members, including stewards who are able to offer service for the full three months.

Trudy Mitchell-Gilkey (before) now Samaneri Satima (after, with Ven. Sudarshana Theri)
photos from Dhammadharini on Facebook

Satima (Trudy Mitchell-Gilkey)'s Samaneri Pabbajja (video)

   A new samaneri appeared in the world on April 25th: our long time friend Trudy Mitchell-Gilkey, now Samaneri Satima. Our whole monastic community shared our blessings with Samaneri Satima after her undertaking Samaneri Pabbajja and the Ten Samaneri Precepts with her long-time mentor Bhante Gunaratana as preceptor and Bhante Seelaratana as teacher. Prior to her pabbajja, Satima had visited us often, living as an anagarika and nekkhamma renunciate for several years. She served for 20 years as a mindfulness-based cognitive therapist, and for 15 years a Vipassana Dhamma teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC before entering monastic life. Ven. Bhikkhuni Sudarshana Theri from Florida and Samaneri Dhammadinna from Sri Lanka supported her ordination.

Ayya Suvijjana's teachings at Empty Cloud (video)

   After visiting Ayya Sudhamma at the Charlotte Buddhist Vihara in North Carolina, Ayya Suvijjana has travelled to Empty Cloud Monastery in NJ where she is currently regularly offering Dhamma teaching with Buddhist Insights. Check out the Buddhist Insights Youtube page for her Dhamma talks, together with Dhamma teachings from Ayya Soma, Bhante Suddhaso, Tan Nisabho, and many more wonderful teachers.

In memory of Sangharaja of India Venerable Bhikkhu Satyapal Bhanteji

   This last week we received news that HH the Sangharaja of India Ven. Dr. Satyapala Bhante had passed away in Bodhgaya due to Covid. This news came on the heals of one of the senior monks of the Bhutan Monastery in Bodhgaya and two of our bhikkhunis in Nagpur also dying from Covid, and was followed by news yesterday of a senior monk abbot from Burma in Nalanda also passing away from the Coronavirus. All of these monastics were great benefactors and beloved to many people. We offer our condolences to all who miss them, and wish they may enjoy the peace and bliss of Nibbāna. The situation in India now is a great tragedy. We very much appreciated friend Wangmo Dixey has been organizing essential aid for Bodhgaya through the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International and Ayya Yeshe has been organizing aid through Bodhicitta Foundation for those hardest hit in Nagpur, via the Alliance for Bhikkhunis for our bhikkhunis' community there.

Gratitude to Linda for Winter Retreat service plus
   We would all like to express our gratitude to Upasika Linda who joined us last autumn and served as kitchen manager and steward at Dhammadharini Monastery for a full five months through winter retreat and one month beyond. Not only that, Linda helped organize and edit all Ayya Khema's Dhamma talks for the winter retreat. Thank you Linda for your outstanding service! - we appreciate you very much! On Saturday Linda returned with Ayya Niyyanika to Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery in Placerville where she had come to us from. Dhammadharini Monastery now has open positions for kitchen manager and steward - please see above if you or someone you know maybe interested.

Finally, we would like to express all of our love, gratitude, appreciation and support to everyone!

Blessings of all the merits and joys of the Vesak Season to you! ~

~ from our Dhammadharini Sangha

left to right: Anagarika Thavira, Samanerin Kaccayana, Ayya Niyyanika (on short return visit), Ayya Sobhana, Ayya Tathaloka, Ayya Sucitta, Samaneri Dhammavara, Upasika Linda | photo thanks to Sophie

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Dhammadharini

 Sangha dhammadharini.net

 

☸ our monastery

Dhammadharini Sonoma Mountain Bhikkhuni Monastery

6791 Sturtevant Dr, Penngrove CA

 94951 USA

Email: dhammadhari...@gmail.com

Phone or text: 707.583.9522

 ☸ our hermitage 

Dhammadharini's Aranya Bodhi Awakening Forest Hermitage

Email: awakeni...@gmail.com

Mailing Address: PO Box 16, Jenner, CA 95450  USA

Voicemail or text: 707.583.9523

[❧ Dhammadharini Monastery]

Warm greetings dear Dhamma friends,

The Vesak moon is getting brighter (when you can see it through our wonderful NorCal fog), and we are less than one week away from beginning our "Week of Vesak" at Dhammadharini Monastery. 

Our monastic community will be gathering all together, with monastics coming in from Aranya Bodhi Hermitage to our monastery, for the week of the Vesak full moon. We are looking forward to seeing sangha and good Dhamma friends who we haven't seen for a long time--both in-person and online--as we are drawn together to celebrate the enduring treasures of the person, the being, who was and is the Buddha, with his Dhamma and Sangha.

Please register for what you would like to join in at dhammadharini.net.
Program offerings are still coming in - there may be more! 

Will update you with a full program again in a few days.

We look forward to seeing you!

Blessings of the Buddha! ~

from Dhammadharini Monastery
P.S. Shareable: Vesak poster & program postcards

P.P.S. Ayya Tathaloka will also be offering a Vesak Full Moon night talk on "The History and Meaning of Vesak" for the Hawaii Association of International Buddhists on May 27th 7-8:30pm HST = Hawaii Time [register here].  

On Wed, May 12, 2021 at 3:01 AM Dhammadharini Sangha <dhamma...@gmail.com> wrote:

[dhammadharini] 🌸🌺🌸 Entering Vesak Season Dhammadharini newsletter 🌸🌺🌸

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Dhammadharini Monastery

6791 Sturtevant Dr., Penngrove CA 94951

tel or text: 707.583.9522

email: dhammadhari...@gmail.com

more info on the web @ dhammadharini.net