View From the Hill
Today, Monday 17th, is the Full Moon of June 2019. The next Full Moon falls on Tuesday 16th July which is also Asalha Puja Day. On the day after that, 17th July, the resident community formally enters our annual Rains Retreat (vassa); the dhammacakka sutta will be chanted during evening puja to mark the occasion. Coming up to vassa we are expecting to see significant changes to the community: Samanera Nipako will be headed to Santacittarama in Italy for about 4 months while on the same day Samanera Thitamedho arrives here from Italy to to spend the vassa at Harnham. Around the same time Tan Niddaro from Amaravati is expected to join us. Back in May Samanera Jayamangalo departed to take up residence at Cittaviveka and Anagarika Jason became Samanera Sucinno. Tomorrow Ajahn Vimalo will leave us after having lead our first lay retreat this year and later on this week we look forward to having Tan Akaliko staying with us for a few days. Shortly before vassa begins we should have two more bhikkhus in the Harnham community with samaneras Mahesako and Samvaro taking up the bhikkhu training (upasampada) at a ceremony at Amaravati on 13th July with Ajahn Amaro serving as Preceptor. We were appreciative of the extra support we received on our last lake work day back on 1st June; the next lake work day will be 6th July and as usual any additional support is very welcome. That same week the roofers were here concluding the work on the new scullery and larder which they completed quickly and efficiently despite particularly unsuitable weather. Another significant change on the hill is yesterday receiving word that all the land surrounding the monastery has just been sold by it's previous owners. We look forward to how that might impact the monastery.
