Vassa has begun at Aranya Bodhi Hermitage

[❧ Aranya Bodhi Hermitage]

Greetings from the Awakening Forest friends,

Vassa has begun at our Aranya Bodhi Awakening Forest Hermitage on the Sonoma Coast. 

On July 17th, the day after the July Asalha Dhamma Day full moon, our Dhammadharini bhikkhunis' community formally entered the Vassa, with approximately half our community at Aranya Bodhi Hermitage and half at Dhammadharini Monastery in Penngrove. 

We are so fortunate to have four bhikkhuni theris (senior bhikkhunis) this year, with two at each location.

Here at Aranya Bodhi we are full up. In residence we have:
--whole Vassa--
- Ven Tathaloka Maha Theri (on full silent secluded retreat during the whole month of August)

- Ven Sucitta Theri (available to visitors and guiding trainees during Ayya T's retreat time)

- Ven Suvijjana Bhikkhuni (on full retreat for the entire three months of the Vassa)

- Novice Kaccayana
- Nekkhamma Danielle (majority of Vassa)

--first half of Vassa--

- Probationary Novice Sikkhamana Varanyani

- Anagarika Tracy (our new anagarika :)

- Nekkhamma Satima

--second half of Vassa--

- Anagarika Dhammavara

- Nekkhamma Judith

- Nekkhamma Natasha

plus additional part-Vassa visitors

The first half of the Vassa is focused on a rotation of silent secluded meditation retreats here, and the second half of the Vassa on Dhamma and Vinaya Studies together with Dhammadharini Monastery, with focus on Vinaya Studies for the new bhikkhunis and aspirants. We will also be brainstorming our monastery build-out plan together with monastery-dwellers during the second half of Vassa, with the hopes to have a tentative plan ready to show by Kathina. This is so we can show those who want to contribute and support what the next project and next step is, in light of an agreed-upon overall plan.

Here at Aranya Bodhi, we are happy to share with you that before Vassa we were able to get the winter storm slides from this year and a previous year well repaired together with the enormous erosion on the steep part of the hill on our access road. Excavator Mark's grandma used to own the land our hermitage is on and did such a good job it's like driving in on a red carpet! Thanks ever so much to everyone who contributed to these storm damage repairs. Excavator Mark has worked with Sonoma Land Trust and knew best practices for water channelling to safely divert water off our forest dirt roads in ways that don't load Dharma Creek and the gulch below at the ocean with sediment. We are ever so happy with his knowledgeable implementation of environmental best practices here. 

This is where the 2019 winter slide was:

This is the old slide area which was making the bridge a mud pit, now well cleared and  repaired:

And this was the extremely eroded now ever-so-smooth steep section of the hill!:

We were also able to put a cork floor into Mangala Kuti--the Blessings Kuti--in which Ven Suvijjana Bhikkhuni is now undertaking her three-month long intensive retreat. Only the first two of our eight kutis had floors put in them, the rest have only had bare plywood subfloor. Now one more is floored! We are very happy to offer this concrete (cork!) support of Ayya Suvijjana's retreat. 

 

Hermitage Volunteers Service Weekend Campout Oct 5-6

We normally have a Summer Service Weekend Campout at Aranya Bodhi around the 4th of July to prepare for Vassa. We didn't this year because of the Global Buddhism Conference. So instead, volunteer organizer Jason V has offered to organize a Late-Summer Service Weekend at the end of the Vassa Oct 5-6 (if the weather is good) to help prepare for Winter Retreat. Sameera may also be organizing a one-day volunteers party (date TBD). Please get in touch with Jason or Sameera if you'd like to be a part of the October volunteers weekend or another volunteers day during the Vassa at our hermitage. 

Offering a meal at Aranya Bodhi during Vassa

Please email awakeni...@gmail.com or tel/text 707-583-9523 if you'd like to offer a meal to the monastic community at our hermitage during the Vassa. Or email our Dana Coordinator Lal if you'd like to contribute financially to a day of groceries once or more. A useful staple items and supplies list is posted here. You can also offer in person in Sebastopol on the monastics bi-monthly Friday almsround (contact Corina) or at our Dhammadharini Monastery in Penngrove. 

Vassa ends after three months on the full moon of October, October 13th. Our whole Dhammadharini community plans to join all together in the Kathina celebration offered by the Kodagoda and Jayagoda families at Dhammadharini Monastery on October 19th.

From our founding abbess Ayya Tathaloka -

Silence is ringing in the forest this evening, the raven speaking to its children. The ocean roars in the distance, and the ambiance of beautiful stillness and meditation pervades the forest, as evening light glows golden on the tops of the redwoods, saffron and green. 
We wish all a peaceful Vassa time, inspired, guided, uplifted, blessed and supported by the Buddha's teachings and this excellent Path of Practice.  

May the blessings and goodness of our practice be shared with you and with our whole world. 

Much metta,

from Vassa-time hermitage dwellers

in the Awakening Forest

-- 

 

 

 

"Beautiful in the beginning, 

beautiful in the middle, 

beautiful in the end"
--
Website