Dhammapala DHAMMAPALA Buddhist Monastery 2011 Dhammapala, Am Waldrand, CH-3718 Kandersteg, Switzerland
Vi sitors www.dhammapala.ch info@dhammapala.ch Dhammapala Monastery is open to visitors and guests for most of the year, however, during retreats (see retreat program), accommodation is reserved only for registered retreatants and, during January to the 25th of March, only for the resident community. Guests coming for the first time are normally required to attend one of the scheduled weekend retreats (please check with the Guest Monk). Prior notification is necessary and guests are required to follow the monastic (or retreat) schedule and abide by the eight precepts. Requests to receive the annual newsletter (in English, German, French or Thai), and general enquiries, are welcome. Tel. ++41 (0)33/675 21 00 Fax (0)33/ 675 22 41 With the exception of January and February, Margrit will answer the phone Wednesday Saturday inclusive from 9 11 a.m. At other times, please do leave a message on our answering machine, and we will call you back as soon as possible. Thank you! Daily routine: 05.30 Meditation 11.15 Main meal 06.30 Clean-up 17.00 Informal Tea 07.00 Breakfast 19.30 Meditation 08.15 Work period Most evenings at 19.30 there is chanting and meditation. On Saturday evenings the meditation is followed by a Dhamma Talk or a Dhamma dialogue. Participation in the activities of the monastery is free of charge. The monastic community is, however, dependant for its support on freewill donations. These may be made at the monastery or paid into the following account: In Switzerland: Spar + Leihkasse, 3714 Frutigen, 30-38188-9 Verein Dhammapala, IBAN CH65 0878 4016 2208 3700 7 In Germany: Deutsche Bank Lörrach, Verein Dhammapala, Acc.-Nr. 065 377 4; BLZ 683 700 34 For electronic transfer (also from other countries) on account of the Deutsche Bank Lörrach: IBAN DE27 6837 0034 0065 3774 00 BIC/SWIFT DEUTDE6F683
ews from Dhammapala Monastery News With the alpine meadows slowly turning to a pale green under the intense September sun, temperatures dropping close to zero during early morning hours and the last juicy bits of grass disappearing into the stomachs of mighty Swiss cows, the face of Dhammapala Monastery presents itself in a new and unusual way. Arrival of the Buddha Around early June a specially made statue of the Buddha appeared in Kandersteg from Thailand. It was delivered in an unpretentious wooden box and padded up with long bandages, as if the artist Christo had been directly involved. The whole Dhammapala community was engaged in the unwrapping process, and our first glimpse of Phra Buddha Vajira Trilokanat Satsada (that s its official name, meaning: The Awakened One with Diamond-like Wisdom, Teacher of the Three Worlds) revealed a most excellent and inspiring work of art. We immediately shifted it to its designated site, knowing that some more preparations would still have to be made before the Buddha could finally stand in its proper position. A few weeks later the existing terrace of the monastery was extended and a stone plinth, half a meter high, was placed on the south eastern side. This is where the statue of the Buddha with the fearless gesture has taken its place. It is facing Dhammapala Newsletter 201111
2 the direction where everybody passes through the maple lined avenue leading to the monastery. Without specific planning it so happened that the stones of the terrace were brought in from India, the Buddha statue itself is from Thailand and the plinth stones originate locally. A suitable symbolism for the connection of the original physical realm of the Dhamma, moving on into a new environment in Asia, and finally arriving in a small mountain valley in Central Europe at the beginning of the 21 st Century. It was surprising and delightful at the same time that the impressively aesthetic presence of an admittedly alien symbolic figure could engender so much acceptance and admiration. Not only the residents and guests of the monastery, but also the neigh- The Fearless Mudra bors, workmen Dhammapala Newsletter 2011 Girl drawing the Buddha and passers-by expressed comments of appreciation. Maybe this is the hallmark of a well crafted piece of art within a spiritual context: that people, from very diverse backgrounds and with different views on life experience, feel an intuitive resonance, without having to relate this to a specific faith or even a spiritual teaching. When the Good, True and Beautiful is represented in such an exquisite way, then the human heart tends to respond with spontaneous recognition. Ajahn Sumedho reflected on this in his book The mind and the way : When you contemplate a Buddha statue, you notice that it s an image of a human being who s composed, who s alert and serene. It is facing the world looking at things. It s aware of the world without being deluded or being caught up in it. It s neither ecstatic nor depressed. It represents the ability of a human being to be completely calm and see things as they really are and this provides a most skillful suggestion to the mind. When contemplating a Buddha image, you begin to feel a sense of calm. Hence, living with Buddha images is a pleasant thing; they are very peaceful objects to be with. Of course when we surround ourselves with sculptures showing great passions of anger and ecstasy and all that which is alluring and arousing to the passions within us, then we become passionate
and aroused. We become what we look at. What is around us affects our minds. So when you meditate more and more, what you choose to surround yourself with are things that lead you to peacefulness, rather than to excitement. The predominant purpose of religious sculptures and statues does not consist in exclusively serving our aesthetic pleasure, but it connects us first of all with the latent or even completely obvious properties of an awakened mind with something that is present as a potential within all of us. The resonance which we sense in the presence of an expressive Buddha statue can lead us instantly into a contemplative state and add to the understanding of the reality to which it is pointing. In this sense it is again the famous finger pointing to the moon rather than the moon itself. That sometimes we would like to stop and gaze, in silent enjoyment and delight, in front of a religious work of art is totally legitimate and prepares the heart effortlessly for the experience of one s own inner stillness, seeing and composure. The Buddha statue in the walking posture inside the garden of the monastery has an open and mindfully collected gaze. It is not completely absorbed in itself, but is turned out towards the valley. Its whole bearing is one of refined, flowing elegance and combines, in a balanced way, male and female aspects Circumnambulation of the Buddha into an androgynous whole. The gesture of fearlessness could also be taken at first glance as a gesture of rejection. It is not supposed to prevent people from drawing closer to the monastery, to the monks or even to the Buddhist teachings. The gesture of the open hand is initially meant for all those impulses of our own experience which are ruled by fear and whereby the heart is contracted with a sense of oppressive tightness. Predominantly it wants to communicate that the awakened heart the heart of awareness can stay fully present in the face of fear. The light rays of awareness can penetrate down to the finest roots of those emotional states, Dhammapala Newsletter 2011 3
4 where ignorance and mental blindness keep inducing us to identify with the processes of body and mind. In the representation of the Buddha with the Abhaya gesture, spiritual realization goes beyond any form of fear and its roots. Outward signs Since the summer of this year Dhammapala has been much more recognizable than before as a Buddhist monastery or as a spiritual place in general. Before this time the Chalet at the edge of the forest could hardly be distinguished from other buildings of similar style in the area. Besides the Buddha statue some other works of art from Thailand reached us in the spring, eventually in order to send non verbal messages to the random passers-by or to guests of the monastery. Their design consists of impressively intricate Dhammapala Newsletter 2011 Walking meditation Swiss style and ornate wood carvings. Directly beside the entrance door two wood carved Devas (heavenly beings) greet the monastery visitors with the gesture of Anjali. This gesture expresses welcome and respect at the same time. The greeting aspect speaks for itself. The gesture of respect, which is expressed in Asian countries in such a graceful way, is meant to address specifically all those people who are willing to engage in an adventure of inner exploration in an open, truthful and authentic way. In that sense this gesture is meant for all those who are really interested, independent of their individual world views, their momentary states of mind or any evaluations of their own spiritual competence. Looking up towards the roof of the monastery porch, one now receives another reminder, thanks to a wood carving which represents the first teaching of the Buddha, given in the deer park of Sarnath. There the Buddha presented the essence of his teachings, the four Noble Truths with the Eightfold Path to overcome all suffering, which since then has been symbolized by a wheel with eight spokes. The eightfold wheel,
which now has found its place in the gable end of the porch, belonged together with the lotus flower, the Bodhi tree, the footprint and the empty seat to the first symbolic representations of the Awakened One. During the first centuries after the Buddha s realization of Nibbana a figurative representation of the Awakened One seemed unthinkable, even though there never existed any prohibition in that respect. A verse from this historical period before the Christian era expresses adequately the attitude behind it: Because you, Awakened One, are unthinkable, immeasurable, unimaginable and beyond calculation; only you yourself are able to recognize yourself. Out of an immense respect for what the Buddha knew one hesitated for a long time to cast an image. It was not until after a few centuries within the Christian era that people started to overcome that hesitation and to depict the Buddha in human form. Since September a new, majestic monastery sign has been erected at the entrance to the monastery property. In rather large Roman and Thai letters it draws attention to the place. Admittedly all these changes are only of an external Devata nature. But after having finished the basic work projects, which were all indispensable to establish the monastery and took years to accomplish i.e. the meditation hall, the avalanche dam, the cellar and ground water drainage systems, the renovation of living spaces and installation of new bathrooms etc. as well as the repayment of the last mortgages we can now look towards the more refined aspects of the external features. In the 20 th year since the opening of Dhammapala in Kandersteg and New Monastery entrance Dhammapala Newsletter 2011 5
6 with an increased acceptance by the local population, there isn t so much the feeling anymore of wanting to play down our presence in order not to appear too obtrusive. There is now more a general sense of naturalness: We are here. This is what we do and that is on offer. Please come closer if you re interested. Activities and people As in the past, during this year diverse groups and individuals have taken up the invitation to use the monastery as a contemplative space for stillness and meditation. There was a Thai language weekend retreat with Ajahn Thiradhammo in April, during his annual return to the European hemisphere. Sister Kovida gave an English language weekend retreat in August, and Ashin Ottama and Ajahn Khemasiri gave a whole row of short and medium length retreats throughout the year. Various student groups came to visit within their Dhammapala Newsletter 2011 Sr. Kovida and Anagarika Maria visit Dhammapala specific religious curricula or just out of their own interest, to receive reflections on very relevant themes for modern societies, in particular on religious tolerance. Also the local VHS (Open University) attended a sequence of evening talks and received practical instructions in meditation. And last but not least the Swiss Thai community, who didn t just come in large numbers for the biannual festivities Vesakha and Kathina but again and again delighted us in between with their heartfelt enthusiasm. Even though the official inauguration of the Buddha statue in the monastery garden was planned for late October, we have already had a spontaneous unofficial one in September. Around 150 Thai people, seven monks and one Anagarika took part in an inspiring open air ceremony under perfect weather conditions. This Wandertag with Bhikkuni Visuddhu and Ashin Ottama
Blessing chanting included Dhamma reflections, a guided meditation, blessing chants and most of all an almsgiving ceremony for the monastery, which was the original reason for their visit. The money tree, which was offered to the monastic community at the end of the day, struggled hard to carry its burden of leaves and blossoms with dignity. On the 27 th of October finally the formal inauguration of the Buddha Rupa took place under the auspices of Luang Por Sumedho. A few days earlier he had already blessed our Kathina ceremony with his presence, together with the Japanese monk Ajahn Nyanarato and the Cambodian monk Bhante Ty Buntha from Péry. During the few days of Luang Por Sumedho s visit we became acutely aware, that this might well have been his last visit to Switzerland, as he plans to retire to the forest monasteries of Thailand towards the end of this year. The waves of immense gratitude expressed to him during his whole stay were a clear signal though, that everyone would love to see him again in our mountain monastery. As in previous years, the year 2010 also brought changes within the Dhammapala community. The winter retreat went by in an extraordinarily quiet fashion, with Ashin Ottama and Anagarika Jivan representing the constant presence, with the aid of Tan Gavesako, our Russian friend Dmitry who even stayed on for another half year and a small team of helpers. Towards the end of May Tan Nandiyo Buddha rupa inauguration ceremony Dhammapala Newsletter 20117
8 and Samanera Sunnyato came back from England, where they had spent the winter. In addition, as a temporary new member, the Portuguese monk Tan Dhammiko arrived for a couple of months. We also received for shorter visits members from other quarters of the wider Sangha during the mountain spring season. Around Vesakh time in late May Ajahn Preecha and Anagarika Sebastiano came from Monastero Santacittarama in Italy, and the Swiss Romande Tan Asoko arrived from Wat Pah Nanachat in Thailand. During June our old friend Dhammapala Newsletter 2011 Blessing Bhikkhuni Visuddhi together with a group of Czech friends and the Dutch monk Tan Jhaniko spent a few weeks with us. The month of July was, just as in 2009, a time of farewell. Ashin Ottama said goodbye to Dhammapala after having lived with us, on and off, for 14 years and established his new monastic home in Santacittarama. It was his explicit wish to live a quieter, secluded lifestyle in one of the meditation huts within the Italian monastery. We have heard in the meantime that his wish has actually become a reality, this being a good reason for us to be with him in spirit with our appreciative joy and good wishes for the future. Also Tan Dhammiko moved to Amaravati in England before the beginning of the formal rainy season. Alms giving ceremony in the Monastery garden
New Zealand beach A personal comment At the onset of the wildflower season I returned to Dhammapala after a beneficial 7 months sabbatical period. From November 2009 until the end of May 2010 I had the opportunity of living in a more secluded way in different monasteries around the world. The main part of this period was spent on the North island of New Zealand a longer stay at Vimutti and a shorter one in Bodhinyanarama Monastery, plus a one month journey into the unknown in the most northern tip of the island. My friend Ajahn Chandako had the ingenious idea that we should move about using Kayaks instead of relying entirely on walking boots in pursuit of secluded places like empty beaches or uninhabited islands. In theory not a bad idea, as the spaciousness of the primordial landscape, the steady presence of the ocean and the sparse population seemed all very promising. But wanting to paddle out into the Pacific Ocean as a lay Kayaker, who had never in his life sat in such a thing, seemed a bit too daring. After a few modest trial runs we decided to use more conventional means of transport: i.e. to hitchhike. It is an essential part of a journey into the unknown that you don t get what you expect or what you wish for. Once we had let go of the idea of idyllic places in lonely natural surroundings, we were more than compensated on the human level because we were entirely dependent on others for our daily nourishment. The sense of being at the mercy of others on a daily basis, of people we Root of a tree in Aukland, NZ Dhammapala Newsletter 20119
didn t yet know, brought back into our consciousness one of the most fundamental aspects of Bhikkhu life: we are living in a state of dependence even though life in monasteries can easily lead us to forget this, as we are normally looked after in such a caring way. Curiously after some initial hesitation, the impression of dependence on others induced in us a light hearted feeling of spreading our wings. An increasing sense of trust in the basic goodness of human beings and in our basically insecure existential situation kept growing from day to day. Looking back now to In front of the Utopia Cafe this special heart trusting period of my sabbatical brings to mind a reflection of an unknown author: Life is good right now. There may always remain the unsettling taste of the unknown, and our lives will inevitably invite us to greater humility. But this begins to fill us with wonder instead of fear. A sense of loving our universe begins to grow until, eventually, we trust that we are flowing in harmony with life and are always supported and buoyed by a great and compassionate current. 10 Dhammapala Newsletter 2011 Giant NZ tree roots
As Prepared as We Can Be Ajahn Munindo I d like to start by talking about a really good Dhamma book that I ve just finished reading. It s not one that you will find in the Tipitaka. It s called 'Savage Arena' by Joe Tasker. Some of you may have come across it, those of you that are into mountain climbing. It s full of stories about impossible situations, about determination, concentration, focus and cooperation, things that I can relate to from the perspective of a commitment to the contemplative life, including the experience of seeing your friend fall off the cliff and wishing desperately it hadn t happened... There was one area of the story that strongly held my attention and which I would like to discuss this evening. It was about a less glamorous aspect of the journey. The most exciting part of course was reaching for the summit. However, one of the most important parts of the journey was the preparation. So, every time the climbers went out on a trip, there was a huge amount of effort went into preparation preparing the gear, preparing the funds, preparing the food, sorting out the politics, getting visas ready. And this part of the journey can be tedious. They found it tedious. In the case of the monastic life, the intense experiences and profound insights are the bits that we tend to most readily focus on. But so many of the teachings recorded in the scriptures and given to us by our teachers are about preparation. So this is what I would like to contemplate this evening. There s a tape recording I have of a talk of Luang Por Chah, probably one of the last recordings of anything he said. It was taken at Tum Saeng Pet when Luang Por was receiving some lay guests. They were just about to come over to visit us here in England, and so when they were with Luang Por they gave him a tape recorder and suggested he might like to send a message to the Sangha in Britain. So Luang Por took the tape recorder and started going through the names Oh, Sumedho, Sucitto, Anando... and gave a friendly and uplifting talk. One of the things he mentioned was how being an abbot is like being a rubbish tin, where you just sit there and be dumped on. That s your job. If nobody else dumps on you, you attend to your own rubbish. That was helpful, and to the point. When he d finished giving this specific message, the tape Dhammapala Newsletter 2011 11
was left running and he just started chatting informally about practice. In the course of this, at one stage he said You know, people think sitting on their cushion is practice. They ve got it all wrong. He said, This is preparation, and it is very important. We ve got to do the preparation, but the practice is when the arom kattup jai, which means that when the passions impact on the heart; are you truly there for it? He said That s the moment of practice. And it s not something we can strategise. You don t go on a course and learn how to do that. We sit and prepare ourselves, so that when it happens we are ready. So I have this perspective, that there are these two aspects of the journey, preparation and practice. Of course we all want to be there for the moment but aspiration is only one aspect of training. There s also the preparation, and if we don t do it, then there are consequences. Many of you will have your own experiences of being not properly prepared. I certainly have mine. There s a verse in the Pali that we know as the Ovadapatimokkha. This gathering that we re having now is something that in previous years used to occur around Magha Puja, when by tradition, we would recite this verse: The last line of the verse, etam buddhanasasanam, translates as This is the teaching of all the Buddhas. Sabbapapassa karanam, Kusalass upasampada, Sacitta-pariyodapanam, Etam buddhanasasanam. I find that so inspiring! It s great to know that not only Gotama Buddha said it, but all the other Buddhas said it as well. The story goes that Ananda went to see the Buddha and said Can you tell us about Konagamana and Vipassi and all the great noble Buddhas of the past: What were their teachings? And this verse is reported as being what the Lord Buddha said. 12 Dhammapala Newsletter 2011
Initial Restraint The first line of this verse talks about refraining from, and restraining that which is evil Sabbapapassa akaranam. I can remember times in my life when I could have been better prepared in this area. So this is where the verse begins, to refrain from doing that which shouldn t be done. If we don t understand that, we dive into the third line sacitta-pariyodapanam the purification of the heart, How inspiring to have a pure heart, and to become purified like the masters! I know that s what I wanted to do in my first vassa when I was living with Ajahn Tate; I wanted to purify the heart. I d had my initial insights when I was living with a group of beautiful friends in Mullumbimbee in Australia. I have happy memories of being up there on the ridge meditating, hugging trees, sitting in samadhi and crying with tears of bliss. I used to like to bake bread and let it rise for 40 minutes while I walked meditation. Then, with samadhi, I d come back, and would quietly, sensitively break it and savour the aroma. Then, with samadhi, I would share it with my fellow community members. In those days I had some very inspiring and encouraging insights. However, what I didn t see was that the radiance I was enjoying was dependent on getting my own way all the time. I decided I wanted to head off to Asia which is where I believed all the enlightened people were. I needed some money, so I went down to Sydney to find work. When I found myself in a position where I had to work at things I disliked, and live with people who didn t share the same values and interests, and who were not impressed with my refined spirituality, the inner sense of radiance disappeared. Losing my peaceful mental states was agonizing for me. In losing something inherently beautiful, I can still remember the pain. A few weeks earlier up there on the ridge, looking out from Byron Bay at the sunrise, sitting and feeling so peaceful, there had been something very appropriate and truly beautiful. At that time I wasn t smoking anything either. It was a natural reconnecting with something wonderful that I found was already there. And it was there I wasn t imagining it! When I would go back to it, it was still there a natural self-existent peace. All that was needed was for me to focus attention in a certain way, and I could go back to this wonderful beautiful place of tremendous joy. But when I went to Sydney I couldn t find it anymore. It wasn t because of the change in environment. That was something that I realized even then, although I tried for some time to pretend otherwise. In fact, it was because of my lack of restraint, for sure. Dhammapala Newsletter 2011 13
14 I can remember, during those few weeks that I was in Sydney, thinking, If ever I m in a position where I am encouraging people to practise meditation, there s one thing I want to do: encourage people to learn restraint, because if you potentize consciousness and yet haven t learned restraint, then the consequences are excruciating. Ignoring this stage of preparation is like a man already sick, setting out to climb Everest without a medicine kit. Cultivating Goodness The next line of the verse is kusalass upasampada: to cultivate the powers of goodness within ourselves, to cultivate that which is truly good. We can cultivate, generate and maintain wonderful things. And it counts! There are wonderful things that I know I can do. When I know that, then I don t feel powerless; I don t feel ashamed; I don t become lost in guilt; I don t feel any sense that I m abdicating responsibility. I m doing what is mine to do. So refraining from that which is unskilful, unwholesome, shouldn t be done; and cultivating that which is good: for me this is preparation. And if we re not prepared, then we take the consequences. There is no point in blaming somebody else. Like those climbers on the mountain; at one stage they went up without enough food. They could have done the summit if they d taken more food. In the event, they couldn t do it. They were stuck in a snow cave for three days. On another occasion they didn t take enough gas, so they couldn t melt the snow. They were so dehydrated they barely made it down the mountain. So it is with us. If we don t prepare ourselves, then when the passions impact on the heart, as Luang Por Chah was saying, we are not able to practise. This is what I would call sacitta-pariyodapanam the purification of the heart, the purification of awareness. The purification happens in those rare precious moments where I can t handle myself. I can t handle it anymore. It s beyond me. Such moments, we can t strategize. But we can prepare ourselves for it, we can equip ourselves for it, but when it happens, it happens, and it s usually not convenient. Once when I was having a Dhamma conversation with the Venerable Myokyoni, I fell into complaining about how difficult practice can be at times. I am most grateful to her for the comment she made. She said, Venerable, when it s the real thing, it feels like too much, Dhammapala Newsletter 2011
too soon. I remember listening to Luang Por Chah talk about certain states that you can get into in practice. Some of you will be familiar with the story he told about a stage of practice that was unfamiliar to him that he once got stuck in. Having prepared himself as a young monk with conceptual understanding, he then threw himself into practice with tremendous enthusiasm and apparently made rapid and good progress. Then he says he reached a point where an image would come to him in meditation, where he was standing on the edge of a cliff. He got to this point where it was like there was nothing there. He was used to getting somewhere in his practice, and he got to this point where he was stuck. He said that every time he d sit in meditation, this same image would come back, and he d just have to walk back and try again. He kept going at it like this for nearly two years, until eventually he met Ajahn Wung, a contemporary of Ajahn Lee, a very impressive Dhammayut monk. When Ajahn Chah came across Ajahn Wung out in the forest, he was inspired by him as soon as he saw him. He just saw him and he knew he knew. So he started talking about the struggle of his practice and Ajahn Wung said Oh, that s what s been happening to you. You want to hear what s been happening to me! I had this experience where I was doing walking meditation, and I got to the end of my meditation track and it was like, I just started sinking into the earth. I don t know how far I sank; I just sank as far as you could sink. It was a long way. Then I started coming back up again. And I came to the ground level it really appeared that this was happening I came to the level of the ground, and then I levitated! I went up into the air and my body hit the branches. When my body hit the branches, it exploded. I could see my large intestine thrown over there, my small intestine over here, and my liver and kidneys hanging somewhere else. And I thought This is really unpleasant! But, he said, I was prepared for it. I knew this is just the way it appears to be. There was sufficient mindfulness, so I didn t lose perspective. And so Luang Por Chah said Well that s very strange, but what can you say about me? He told him his story, and Ajahn Wung said to him, You need to understand that you ve reached what can be called the edge of perception. And if you keep pushing, you re going to suffer. He said, When you reach the edge of perception what do you do? You stand there. You wait. If we are properly prepared we know how to accord with the changing circumstance. The ability to wait like that takes an agility of practice, which is a force of goodness. Dhammapala Newsletter 2011 15
If we haven t equipped ourselves with this ability to just wait, when waiting is what is called for, then we keep hammering away at the same technique, doing the same thing we ve been doing. We hammer away, but it doesn t work. We need to be willing; we need to be agile enough, to wait. What s called for is just standing there, just being aware. Not doing anything. And that can be the transformation. Then the Way happens. It s astounding. I m very grateful to Luang Por Chah for telling that story. I remembered it just at the right time some years ago. I was in America, and having an exceptionally bad time. I was having one of those moments where I had dropped into my own perfectly defined black hole, as unique in its way as everyone else s. I can still remember the day very well. It was one of the worst days of my life. I was with a friend visiting the Grand Canyon. Because of how I was feeling I had decided it was better to be on my own. I left the people I was with, and walked off along this edge of the Grand Canyon. I was feeling really bad, I mean really bad. I reached a particular point where the ground just dropped away. It seemed to drop away forever. I was standing there, right on the edge of this, looking. My belief in rebirth is such that suicide has never been an option in my life; so that wasn t in my mind. There was a shaking; there was a trembling going on. I looked up just off to the left, and there was a sign that said The Abyss. It was around that time that I remembered Luang Por s story, while standing on the edge of this abyss and not knowing what to do. So I just sat down and waited. It wasn t enlightenment, but it was an important moment for me, a moment when I remembered that when you reach a point where you can t handle it any more, you need to be agile enough to change tack. To just keep moving forward is not always an option for you. Purification So the purification of the heart, the purification of one s own heart, for me is not something that I know how to do, but I trust that it happens if we ve adequately prepared ourselves with restraint and sufficiently cultivated the forces of goodness. Then one s heart is oriented towards that which one loves more than anything else. What is it that we love more than anything else? To know this, or at least to feel this, is profoundly important. To know that one is not just interested in Dhamma, but that one loves. It is something that I profoundly care about, more than anything else. We may have our own word for it, or maybe no word, but this is what is meant when I say I go for refuge to Dhamma. There is not merely a tradition I observe:, I need to bow. And if it is a dimension that one consciously connects with, if it is something that we feel within, if it is a reality in relationship with which I m just utterly insignificant, then I trust that when life comes to the point of utter impossibility, then that which needs to be realised can be realised. It doesn t happen on my terms. That s why when I go for refuge to the Triple Gem I try to remember to do it quite consciously. 16 Dhammapala Newsletter 2011
This I, this me, this person that was born in Te Awamutu, who grew up in Morrinsville, and has this mother, and that father; has this history, has that reputation and has these features this character that I experience myself to be, I willingly go for refuge to Dhamma. Because why? Because if I don t orient myself towards this principle, then my way is what is more important; that becomes the default mechanism that takes over when I m in a fix and don t know what to do. If I haven t prepared myself, if I haven t gone for refuge to Dhamma, consciously, regularly, physically, mentally, verbally, if I reach this position where I don t know what to do, I just say, Well, what do I want to do? I want to know what I m supposed to be doing. I want to be sure. I want an answer. I want to feel safe and secure. I want someone to tell me. And we are driven by such wanting. But if we have prepared ourselves, with going for refuge to what is, then even when we re faced with the situation where our only apparent reality is I really don t know, we can be there for that. We can stay there with that. It is Dhamma that sustains us, not my way. And so, going for refuge to the Dhamma, prepared with the conscious recognition of there being something that we love, there s a willingness to orientate ourselves towards that; and there s a wish to offer ourselves in service of that. Then we will be sustained, we will be nourished. What happens next is not up to me, but I do trust that the Way will unfold. Dhammapala Newsletter 2011 17
Dhammapala Calendar 2011 Meditation weekends will take place at the Dhammapala monastery, the group meetings with a monk from the monastery in the corresponding localities. For addresses check the 3rd page of the cover. January Monastic retreat January 3rd till March 25th March 26/27 Meditation Weekend ( in Thaï) with Aj. Thiradhammo April 27 Geneva May 11 Bern 15 VESAKHA-FESTIVAL 20-22 Meditation weekend ( in German) with Aj. Khemasiri 23-29 Retreat week at the monastery* June 06 Zurich July 08-10 Meditation weekend ( in German) with Aj. Khemasiri 20 Geneva August 12-14 Meditation weekend ( in German) with Aj. Khemasiri September 11-25 Retreat weeks at the monastery* 28 Geneva October 07-09 Meditation weekend ( in German) with Aj. Khemasiri 16 KATHINA-FESTIVAL 19 Bern November 11-13 Meditation weekend ( in German) with Aj. Khemasiri 14-20 Retreat week at the monastery * 21 Zurich December 14 Geneva January March 2012 Monastic 3-month retreat 18 * During this period of time the community reduces its activity to a minimum and appreciates the support of a limited number of guests. Dhammapala Newsletter 2011
Meditation Weekends 2011 T (G) = German (E) = English (T) = Thai 26/27 March (T) (Aj. Thiradhammo) 20-22 May (G) (Aj. Khemasiri) 08-10 July (G) (Aj. Khemasiri) 12-14 August (G) (Aj. Khemasiri) 07-09 October (G) (Aj. Khemasiri) 11-13 November (G) (Aj. Khemasiri) he weekends usually start on Friday evening at 19:30 h. In order to be appropriately oriented and acclimatised to the monastic environment we ask participants to arrive at the monastery from 17:00h/18:00h. It is appreciated if one considers the eight ethical precepts of the monastery as binding, including the practice of noble silence. The practical instructions and teachings are generally held in German unless otherwise specified. To be admitted as a participant, a fax, e-mail or telephone booking is necessary (Wed. Sat. / 9:00 11:00). As courses are very often fully booked we ask kindly to only register if one plans to participate during the whole weekend. The monastery is entirely supported by donations (Dana = generosity), and we recommend at the beginning of the course to make a food contribution towards the four meals of the weekend. Also a monetary donation at the end of the course will be appreciated. Please also bring along a sleeping bag plus pillow case or a whole set of bedding. Our Gratitude We would like to express our appreciation for the various contributions to create this newsletter. The lay out was done by Ron Lumsden with technical support from Tavaro. The proofreading of the texts was done by Anagarika Jivan and Patricia Rollier. Photographic material was provided by Ajahn Khemasiri, Berti Buffy and Thitirat Winteler. Dhammapala Newsletter 2011 19
Long & external Retreats 2011 All retreats are given in German unless otherwise specified. Registrations for the September retreat are accepted from April 2011 onwards, those for the New Year retreat from June 2011 onwards. Voluntary cooks are most welcome for all the retreats. 21-25 April Easter Retreat with Ajahn Khemasiri Course in silence open to all 09-13 June Pentecost Retreat with the nun Ajahn Kovida (in English) Course in silence open to all 03-10 September Achtsamkeit in Stille und im Dialog with Ajahn Khemasiri In this course, formal meditation shall be enriched by daily Dhamma dialogue only for people with prior retreat experience participants may extend their retreat time for a week within the monastic retreat structure registrations are accepted from March 2011 onwards. 26 December-01 January 2012 New Year Retreat The teacher s name will be known by June 2011 and then also registrations will be accepted. 9-11 December Meditation retreat with Ajahn Khemasiri in Provence (France) Teachings will be given in English with French translation Contact: Le Refuge, Tel.: +33 (0)4 4292 4528 Dhammapala 20 Dhammapala Newsletter 2011
Meditation groups contacts Switzerland Avegno Martin Züllig 091 796 27 24 Baden Maria Sarah Bratschi 056 406 39 59 Basel Robert Szalies 061 554 92 49; 079 360 43 64 Rainer Künzi www.kalyanamitta.ch 061 331 13 04 Beatenberg Meditationszentrum www.karuna.ch 033 841 21 31 Bern Evelyne Wittwer 031 534 03 50 Irene Bumbacher 031 331 91 06 www.zentrumfuerbuddhismus.ch Biel Andreas Bachmann 032 322 57 65 Genf Chongcharoen Sornkaew 022 757 54 04 Lausanne Laurence McKenzie 021 711 26 92 Luzern Yvonne Bühlmann 041 497 01 31 Pontresina Alain & Ursula Gayet 081 842 76 05 Weinfelden TG Roger Stalder 071 558 83 43 Winterthur Stéphanie Mosimann 052 238 12 31 Zürich Maya Küchler 044 391 68 72 Rolf Hafner www.theravada.ch 079 358 90 77 Germany Freiburg Sonja Welker 0761 456 22 47 Susanne Steinhusen 0761 384 270 52 Hamburg Axel Wasmann 040 399 069 97 Heidelberg Robert Eckermann 06221 27 447 Hildesheim Johannes Dombrowski 05121 8090 580; 0151 1703 2799 Karlsruhe Hans-Peter Fettig 0721 9483 636; 0160 8351 187 Köln Akiñcano M. Weber 0221 139 64 45 München Buddhistische Gesellschaft München 089 388 499 09 Nürnberg Wolfgang Kaiser 0911 660 42 42 Ulm/Dürmentingen Dobrina Frank 07371 96 15 05 Italy Vihara Santacittarama Via Delle Prata 22, Localita Le Brulla, I-02030 Frasso Sabino RT Fax +39 (0)6233 238 629 Tel. +39 (0)765 87 21 86 France Aix-en-Provence Le Refuge, 370 Ch. Fontaine de Fabrègues, F-13510 Eguilles Tel. +33 (0)4 42 92 45 28 Austria Wien Christoph Köck, Gfrornergasse 3/1/39, A-1060 Wien Tel. +43 (0)1 595 50 18
The connection by train: Trains leave Bern in the direction of Brig at 35 or 40 minutes past each hour and arrive in Kandersteg about 1 hour later. For some connections you have to change in Spiez. From Kandersteg station to Dhammapala it is approximately 15-20 minutes on foot.