Dhamma teachings throughout Dhammadharini's winter retreat
❧ Dhammadharini Monastery
Greetings dear Venerable monastics and Dhamma friends -
The Dhammadharini community has entered into retreat for the Winter rainy season, from January 8th to March 31st — a three month time for silence and deeper practice. We warmly welcome you to join along with the monastic community, and experience the benefits of this practice opportunity.
We encourage everyone who can to join in undertaking a practice commitment together during this year's winter retreat, from near and far, wherever you are. We invite you to commit to a practice for this time - this could be as small or as large as you wish. If your life circumstances allow, you are invited to follow along with the Dhammadharini community for the full retreat, joining our online teachings together.
In support of this, we will offer public Dhamma teachings throughout the winter retreat, especially for those who join in the practice commitment together. All of the events will be live on Zoom (register for the links), and also streamed on YouTube and Facebook so you can watch at your suitable time.
Full Moon Uposatha Programs
Thursday January 25, Sunday February 25, and Monday March 25
Since the Buddha’s time, on the Full Moon and New Moon days, monastics and householders have gathered on the Uposatha. The monastics recite their precepts and listen to Dhamma talks, and dedicated lay practitioners undertake the Three Refuges and Eight Uposatha Precepts for one day, including evening fasting, celibacy and abstaining from adornment and entertainment. They have a daylong retreat, spending the day in sustained mindfulness and meditation, and listening to Dhamma teachings.
On each Uposatha day, there will be two offerings. We encourage you to join live on Zoom, or on YouTube or Facebook, or as much and as often as you can:
7:00 - 8:00 am: Three Refuges and the Eight Uposatha Precepts, followed by a guided meditation
7:00 - 9:00 pm: Full Moon Night Meditation, Dhamma Reflection, and Dhamma Discussion
Thursday 1/25 "Practicing in Accord with the Dhamma"
The Phussa Puṇṇamī (Pausha Purnima) Duruthu Poya Full Moon Day marks the successful teaching of the “Fire Sermon,” the Adittapariyaya Sutta, and the increase of the Sangha to 2,500; the return to Magadha, when King Bimbisara and many people became Buddhists; the offering of the first Monastery.
In Sri Lanka: Duruthu Poya marks the Buddha's pacifying of a dispute between tribes warring over the jeweled throne; the Buddha's first visit to Kelaniya; the Offering of the Mahiyangana Cetiya; and the Pilgrimage Season to Sri Pada.
Sunday 2/25: "The Arising of the Dhamma Eye"
The Magha Full Moon is known as Magha Puja and "Sangha Day" in Southeast Asian Theravada traditions and “Buddhist All Saints Day” in Sri Lanka. The first commemorates the appointment of Sariputta (Sariyuth) and Moggallana (Mugalan) as the first two chief disciples (Aggasavakes) of Gautama Buddha. Navam Poya also commemorates the completion of the first-ever Buddhist Council, which had been launched after the Buddha’s Parinibbana. These three events mark the transition from the Buddha as the one and only leader and preceptor of the Sangha, to Arahant Sangha leadership (then to Sangha leadership).
It also marks the announcement of the impending Parinibbana of the Buddha and that of his stepmother, Mahapajapati Gotami. The Buddha visited and taught at places across Northern India, from the Vulture’s peak above Rajagaha to Kusinara (Kushinagar) where he entered Parinibbana three months later. Mahapajapati Gotami taught the Dhamma to her assembled disciples for the next seven days, leading up to her Parinibbana on the following lunar quarter with her assembly of 500 Bhikkhuni companions.
On this day, the Uposatha program will be in addition to our regular Sunday program, so there will be sessions at 7am, 9am, 1pm, and 7pm.
Monday 3/25: "The Character of the Stream Enterer"
The Phagguṇa Punnamī (Phālguna Purnima) Medin Poya Day Full Moon, marks the Buddha's First Return to Kapilavastu, AND Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī & Suddhodana Rāja’s Stream Entry Day. In the East Asian Buddhist traditions this day is celebrated as "Sakyamuni Buddha Parinirvāna Day." This date has recently been unearthed in old manuscripts of Southeast Asia as the date of the Buddha’s former wife, Bhaddā Kaccāyanā Rāhulamātā Yasodharā's Parinibbāna — so this year will be a launching of awareness. This can be an enormously powerful time period for reflecting on Nibbāna!
Honoring the Parinibbana of Mahapajapati Gotami
& the Courageous Five Hundred
A Daylong Meditation program on the Atthāmī Half Moon, Sunday March 3
“Patipatti puja” is a gesture of respect for our Kalyanamittas, our spiritual benefactors - honoring them with the highest and most beneficial kind of respect: the offering of our Dhamma practice: listening to and contemplating the Dhamma and training our minds through meditation.
This important day comes one week after the Magha full moon. As the Magha full moon remembers the announcement of the impending Parinibbana of the Buddha, so too it also commemorates another event: Mahapajapati Gotami, the foster mother of the Buddha as well as the founding mother of the Bhikkhuni Sangha, decided her own Parinibbana (final nirvana) and commenced seven straight days of offering her final teachings [1,2]. A large number of her awakened bhikkhuni companions who had ordained together with her, thirty years before, decided they would follow her in going to final nirvana also. Then, on the Atthami Uposatha, the lunar eighth day, which is the half moon day following the Magha full moon – the great arahanti Maha Gotami Theri and the Courageous Founding 500 Great Arahanti Bhikkhunis entered their great final nirvana (their Parinibbana) together. The texts remember it as a very special day for the Sangha, with the Buddha himself offering Maha Gotami’s eulogy, her cremains held in his alms bowl in his hands, before their enshrinement in a stupa in Vaishali (Vesali).
In Pali, we call this special day: Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī saddhiṃ Mahārahantī Pañcasatabhikkuṇīparivārehi Parinibbāṇaṃ Aṭṭhamī
In English translation of the Pali: The Eighth Day Parinibbana Day of Mahapajapati Gotami together with her 500 Bhikkhuni Arahant Companions
This year, the half moon, the eighth day, is Sunday March 3rd (or it may be on March 4th for those on the other side of the world). Ayya Sobhana, Ayya Suvijjana and Ayya Brahmavara invite you to join them for this Atthami Uposatha in offering Patipatti puja, the gift of our practice.
Meditation and Dhamma reflections will be offered throughout the day.
7:00 am Three Refuges, Eight Uposatha Precepts and guided meditation
9:00 am Dhamma reflection and guided meditation
1:00 pm Sutta reflection and meditation
7:00 pm Dhamma reflection and guided meditation
If you would like to learn more about the inspiring story of Mahapajapati Gotami’s Parinibbana, here are some resources:
The Story of the Parinibbāna of Mahāpajāpati Gotamī Therī: Texts, Voice, Legacy - Ven. Tathaloka Theri’s presentation from the 2022 United Theravada Bhikkhuni Sangha International (UTBSI) commemoration of this day (detailed presentation rich in information, 1 hour).
Album of pictures commemorating Mahapajapati Gotami (5 mins).
Going Forth & Going Out ~ the Parinibbana of Mahapajapati Gotami - written reflection from Ven. Tathaloka Theri (10 mins read).
"Practicing for Stream Entry"
Weekly Programs, every Sunday and Tuesday
During this winter retreat, Dhammadharini’s regular weekly programs are dedicated to the Buddha’s teachings about Stream Entry, Sotapanna.
We have borrowed the outline of Ajahn Thanissaro’s 2012 study guide, Into the Stream, and are considering these important themes:
The Way to Stream Entry
Week 1-2, 1/5: Association with People of Integrity & Listening to the True Dhamma
Week 3, 1/19: Wise Attention & Practice in Accord with the Dhamma
Week 4, 1/26: Mindfulness and Clear Comprehension & Restraint of the Senses
Week 5, 2/2: The Three Forms of Right Conduct & The Four Establishments of Mindfulness
Week 6, 2/9: The Seven Factors for Awakening
Week 7, 2/16: Clear Knowing & Release
Stream Entry & its Results
Week 8, 2/23: The Arising of the Dhamma Eye
Week 9, 1/4: The Three Fetters
Week 10, 3/11: The Character of a Stream-winner
Week 11, 3/18: Rewards
Week 12, 3/25: Advice
The times above are given in Pacific Standard Time for California, USA. Please use a time zone converter for your local times. All of the events will be live on Zoom, and also streamed on YouTube.com | Dhammadharini Monastery, and Facebook.com/Dhammadharini so you can watch at your suitable time.
In between these online sessions, you are invited to continue your meditation and mindfulness day and night, throughout the Winter.
All Dhamma programs offered by our Bhikkhuni Dhamma and Meditation teachers are freely offered as Dhamma Dana, in the way of the Buddha. If you would like information on offering Dana of useful requisites or supplies to our Bhikkhunis’ community in honor of Mahapajapati Gotami Parinibbana Day, or on how to support our Dhammadharini teachers and their efforts, the Dhammadharini Support Foundation is the steward of our Bhikkhunis’ Sangha–welcome see their support page on dhammadharini.net.
