| FEBRUARY 2004 UPDATE
Dear Friends,
We've recently enjoyed several days of clear sunshine reflecting off fresh snow, accentuating the evergreen trees against a deep blue sky. Everyone who comes to the abbey is taken with the natural beauty of this place.
Miles (age 18) and Harold (age 73) stacking wood.
 |
Our work party last weekend was a lot of fun as well as productive and harmonious. Nanc, the chairperson of the four requisites committee (food, shelter, clothing, and medicine) did an excellent job of organizing the work team and finding everyone's special skills. Morgan, our “foreman,” held the bigger vision of what we could accomplish in 48 hours, and had everyone working to capacity. Ordel and Sean, both National Guardsmen, hung sheetrock on the ceiling of one room; Ven. Tsepal, Deb, Ana Lilia, Rebecca, Susan, and Miles practiced the perfection of patience with mudding and taping in another; Tom put up insulation in a third. Pierre and Travis, a father and son team, dismantled extraneous boards in the garage. Jan sewed. And everyone took turns cooking and cleaning up.
From early morning til 10:00 at night, a very hard working and happy group of volunteers contributed towards transforming the basement into livable quarters. In between mudding jobs, Ven. Tsepal, an American nun who is visiting the abbey for three months, taught those interested how to “roll mantra,” i.e. how to prepare sheets of printed mantras rolled around incense and covered in yellow cloth which will be used to fill our life-size Buddha statue upon its arrival this summer
As the finale to the work party, Miles and Rebecca built a snow stupathe first stupa (pagoda) built on abbey land. Gorgeous!
In the last month, I have taught twice at the fledging Dharma group in Coeur d'Alene, about an hour from the abbey, and one Sunday people from the group came up for Sunday morning meditation and potluck lunch. In April, we will begin regular Sunday sittings at the abbey for the local community.
I also taught in Seattle in early February. It was delightful to again be with students and friends from Dharma Friendship Foundation and from Chi Yuan Temple. The talk at DFF was packed, and a sincere group of practitioners attended the four-day retreat DFF organized.
Fiesta for Sravasti Abbey
 |
Meanwhile, Amigos de la Abadía SravastiFriends of Sravasti Abbey Mexicohas formed a board and just had a “party for Sravasti Abbey.” People donated their artwork and other things to sell at a fair and from the pictures they sent, there was lots of yummy food too. Other groups in Mexico and USA will have parties in the upcoming months. If you're also interested in hosting one, see http://www.sravastiabbey.org/party.html.
Friends of Sravasti Abbey Singapore is going strong, too. They maintain www.thubtenchodron.org, which is no small task.
Hwee Leng, Soon Ann (from FOSA Singapore), HHDL, me
 |
Good news. Rejoice, we met the $30,000 challenge grant! Many thanks for your generosity!!
The next month will be a quiet one. I will do retreat, beginning Losar (Tibetan New Year; this year February 21) and ending March 24. For this reason, the next e-newsletter will be sent in early April.
Belated Happy Valentine's Day. May your love and compassion for all beings continuously grow.
|
|