Earth Day Metta Greetings from Aranya Bodhi - the Awakening Forest

[Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni]

Metta greetings dear Venerables & Dhamma friends, as i emerge from this most blessed time of retreat at Vimutti Kuti, in the Awakening Forest at our Aranya Bodhi Hermitage,

After months away in Sri Lanka and Australia, it has been so good to return to the refuge of our Dhammadharini bhikkhunis' community here, and to the refuge of the earth, the land, great ocean and forest. I feel enormously blessed, in this world, to have the time and support to be able to meditate in a simple, little one room hut in the great freshness and ambiance of this forest, blessed by rains and coastal breezes, the fairy rings of towering redwoods intermingled with Doug firs and tan oaks, shining moon and stars, pure blue sky, and the many forms of life which call this forest home. And to be able to share this time and space, as this is what the expansive heart loves to do--to share--while loving the ringing silence and bliss of solitude.

Much much appreciation to all of you who have been a part of this forest hermitage being here as such a refuge, with it's very simple facilities that are just enough to live, and dear and great hearted women who are here: bhikkhunis, sikkhamana, anagarika and those exploring monastic life and who love to draw near to the Sangha. May the blessings of this beautiful time of practicing the precious Buddha's Teachings be shared with you.

About my patchwork saffron-robed human companions here during this time - 

We've had a visiting bhikkhuni and sikkhamana, bhikkhuni Ven (Ayya) Aggadhammagavesi and sikkhamana Adhicittasikkha. Some photos are attached taken by them in the past few days. Ayya Agga is a wonderful photographer, and you can really feel a sense of the forest, the creek, the plants and animals, in the photos attached which she's so kindly offered to all on this Earth Day. 

By the way, this mysterious and friendly snake you can see here which has been mysterious to us these past couple of years has been identified as a Coastal Rubber Boa (last photo). They are generally shy and not at all dangerous or harmful to humans. This year, there are many wild orchids blooming up by the ridge road around Freedom Kuti, the site of my retreat (fifth photo). Mushrooms are also popping up in that area too with the rain (sixth photo) - together with these kindly and timid snakes. A pair of osprey have returned and there were tweets that sound like a little one from the saddle area. We've seen more deer than before and more wildlife in general, as the forest reestablishes itself, and with us letting the land and all the forest beings have their own retreat during this past winter.

So happy to be a small part joining together in offering 400+ acres of redwood forest back to nature (as i wrote about here on Earth Day at Aranya Bodhi a couple of years ago). 

There is so much to learn, to know, about ourselves, our lives and world, that is so profound and excellent, in quiet and contemplative time immersed in nature. It was not an accident the Buddha retreated to the forests, or that the forest way has been a part of our Buddhist monastic communities bearing of wisdom since ancient times.

I wish that we human beings may much more come back into nature, and doing so, come back much more into ourselves, our being, and there awaken. Not to exercise, or conquer nature, or as consumers. But to realign our hearts and values, and return to and grow into an ethic of reverence and respect in our relationship with our natural world, which our own lives are made of, arise from, exist within, and to which we return. 

In the Buddha's Way we find this precious jewel--

by the power of this truth, may there be wellbeing. 

with loving kindness, 

Tathaloka Bhikkhuni

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Our photographers: 

Ven Bhikkhuni Aggadhammagavesi

and Sikkhamana Adhicittasikkha

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Aggadhammagavesi Bhikkhuni
Date: Sun, Apr 22, 2018