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JULY 2005 UPDATE

Dear Friends,

Summer at the Abbey is glorious. The meadows are luscious green and with the spring rain, long native grasses wave in the wind. In addition to our Open House which was mentioned in our June e-news (by the way, we've been having difficulties with the program we're using to send out the e-newsletters, so if you think you're missing an update, please go to the website where they are posted), the big June event was our Second Annual Friends of Sravasti Abbey Board and Volunteer Meeting, June 22-26, 2005. Here's a summary by Board Co-chair, Kathleen Herron:

Twenty-two people met over four days at the Abbey with the main purpose of exploring how to improve FOSA's support for Sravasti Abbey. We aimed to create conditions to allow Ven. Chodron to spend more time at Sravasti Abbey and less time traveling. We also worked on improving our website, creating a FOSA database, and improving dissemination of Venerable's teachings.

The spirit of the meeting was enthusiastic, cooperative, fun, and generous. We consistently kept Dharma values in mind and action. Everyone enjoyed meditating together morning and evening and hearing the sound of group chanting fill the room. We took turns fixing delicious vegetarian meals and took walks in the beautiful forests, meadows, and gardens during the breaks. We were grateful for this opportunity to be together and to engage in this important effort to help pure Dharma take root in the United States by supporting training for Westerners monastics and those interested in ordaining.

We began by getting to know one another better and then shared information about the mission, history, and background of Sravasti Abbey and of FOSA as the support organization to the Abbey. Ven. Chodron and various board chairs reported on past and current efforts in the following areas:

  • Monastic training
  • Lay education
  • Dissemination of the Dharma (via the Web, and CDs, etc)
  • Financial Reports (The 2004 report is on the website)
  • Inviting generosity (Fundraising)
  • Building plans
  • Providing the four requisites to the Abbey: food, clothing, shelter, medicine
  • Developing and nurturing the FOSA board and volunteers
  • Developing a FOSA database
  • Improving our Public Relations efforts and materials, including the website

The FOSA Board would like to request Venerable to stay at the Abbey as much as possible for the next year to develop the program for those exploring monastic life. For this to occur, FOSA wants to increase the effectiveness of our efforts in the above areas at inviting generosity, developing and increasing volunteers, disseminating Venerable's Dharma talks, and improving public relations. We agreed to continue coordinating construction, gardening, and forest preservation, and providing the four requisites to the growing number of residents. We will coordinate the search for and hiring of a full-time administrator for the Abbey.

We worked in large and small groups to create plans to carry forth each program area, each person committing to several tasks. The full report of the FOSA meeting is on the Sravasti Abbey website. It contains more details about the discussions, strategies, and tasks. If you'd like to participate in a particular area that interests you, please contact .

We are grateful for the kindness, energy, and generosity of those who attended and of all who will continue FOSA's mission to help the Dharma flourish by nurturing and supporting Sravasti Abbey.

After the FOSA meeting, I went to Madison WI to study with Geshe Sopa-la as I've done for the past seven years. He is teaching Je Tsongkhapa's Illunimation of the Thought, a wonderful text that delves into the ten perfections. Being with my teachers, studying and learning from their example, is essential to my own Dharma practice.

The abbey in summer is spectacular with huge white clouds in an azure sky. Many volunteers have

Dave Ferre
come from near and far. Dave Ferre from Oregon has kindly offered his carpentry expertise to build the writing studio/meditation cabin. Take a look at the progress! Dave has had some great helpers, including Joan and Chris. Over the 4th of July weekend, the Garner family from Montana visited again and it was amazing to watch them help with whatever was needed. Kristin, 11, baked some delicious goodies for the hard working volunteers and Tim, 13, helped another teen, Nate, from Spokane cut up scrap lumber for kindling. Wendy single-handedly cut the entire lawn having a lot of fun on the riding mower, and Sean helped Jan frame in the doors and windows for the multi-purpose room.

We were delighted to see Barry Flaming again on a short visit from Thailand where

Chris
he is now working. Barry was at our first volunteer service weekends at the Abbey and wrote our forest stewardship report. Nerea happily moved back to the Abbey after working in Spokane to pay off part of her school loans. Tracy, one of the abbey's most consistent volunteers, made a great 4th of July vegetarian picnic for everyone, while Eric from Spokane stayed two days to practice with us and to finish the roof on the wood shed. His wife and children put together a wonderful food offering box complete with homemade jam and local honey. Kathleen and Mary also stayed at the Abbey for several days. Coeur d'Alene Dharma Friends just had a garage sale and donated all the proceeds to the Abbey. Many thanks!

Each month we have an All Day Practice Day when you can come and spend the day at the Abbey, meditating and discussing the Dharma with us. On July 9, 15 locals came together to share the Dharma. We dedicated our practice for all beings and especially for His Holiness the Dalai Lama in honor of his 70th birthday.

We're gearing up for the new Exploring Monastic Life program in August. Eleven people will attend, coming from many places around the country. We'll record the teachings so that you can listen to them on the web in the future. If you'd like to make offerings to support the program and its participants, you are welcome to do so.

The Abbey is looking for an Administrative coordinator. This position offers an excellent opportunity to live at the Abbey, benefit from teachings and meditation there, as well as offer service. More info is on the website.

Some good news for all the Spanish speakers: A new website is ready where you can hear Dharma teachings in Spanish! Many thanks to Patricio Ortiz and Peter Aronson for setting it up. (http://dharmaentuidioma.com)

We just heard the news that two houses down the road from us are for sale. If you're interested in becoming our neighbor, let us know and we'll put you in touch with the owners. One house is a beautiful house with a big barn, and several outbuildings (including two cabins) on 12 acres; the other is a smaller home on 3.9 acres.

May wisdom illuminate your mind like the bright sunshine of summer fills the sky,

Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron

  • July 22 – 24 Cleveland OH
    Ven. Chodron teaches at Jewel Heart and makes two prison visits
    Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon
    Info: aewarren@sbcglobal.net
  • July 22 ? 24 Volunteer Service Weekend at Sravasti Abbey
  • Friday, July 29 Chicago
    Ven. Chodron speaks on “Working with Anger” 7:00 PM
    Swift Hall, Room 107, 2029 Sheridan Road
    Northwestern University (Evanston Campus)
    Info: Tibet Center 773-671-7775 Email: tibetcenter@aol.com
    www.buddhapia.com/tibet
  • Aug. 8 – 26 at Sravasti Abbey
    Exploring Monastic Life
    http://www.sravastiabbey.org/calendar.html
  • August 20 Sravasti Abbey 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
    All Day Practice. Join Abbey residents in meditation and Dharma discussion.
  • Sept. 2 – 5 Labor Day Retreat at Sravasti Abbey
    A Labor of Love”
    Register: Nerea@keesee.us
  • Sept 25 (Sunday) Sravasti Abbey 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
    All Day Practice. Join Abbey residents in meditation and Dharma discussion.
  • Sept. 23 ? 25 Volunteer Service Weekend at Sravasti Abbey
  • Sept. 29, at 7:00 PM Seattle WA
    How to Make the Dharma Your Own: Keeping the Purity of the Tradition while Making Adaptations to Our Culture,” at 7:00 p.m.
    Dharma Friendship Foundation, 3204 W. Lynn St., Seattle
    www.dharmafriendship.org; info@dharmafriendship.org
  • Oct. 7 ? 9 Volunteer Service Weekend at Sravasti Abbey
  • Oct. 21 ? 23 Volunteer Service Weekend at Sravasti Abbey
  • Oct 23 Sravasti Abbey 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM All Day Practice. Join Abbey residents in meditation and Dharma discussion.
  • Nov. 2 and 3, at 7:00 PM Seattle WA “Opening Our Hearts: Far-reaching Generosity” (Nov. 2) “Getting Our Lives Together: Far-reaching Ethical Discipline (Nov. 3) Dharma Friendship Foundation, 3204 W. Lynn St., Seattle www.dharmafriendship.org; info@dharmafriendship.org
  • Nov. 4 – 13 Castle Rock WA
    Vajrasattva Retreat and teaching on dependent arising and emptiness by Ven. Chodron
    Cloud Mountain Retreat Center, Castle Rock WA
    info@cloudmountain.org
  • Nov. 15, 22, and 29 at 7PM Newport WA
    Dealing with Stress”
    The Create Place, 900 West 4th Street, Newport WA
  • Nov. 18 ? 20 Volunteer Service Weekend at Sravasti Abbey
  • Nov. 25 – 27 Sravasti Abbey
    Rejoicing and Giving Thanks” Retreat
    Info: barbaramcdaniel@earthlink.net
    You're also welcome to come the evening of Wed., Nov. 23 and take the 8 Mahayana precepts with us on Thanksgiving Day. Please register with Barbara.
  • Dec. 6, 2005 – March 10, 2006 Sravasti Abbey
    Vajrasattva Retreat

 
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