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NEWS ABOUT THE ABBEY

NEWS UPDATES

Click on the following links for news and interviews about Sravasti Abbey and Venerable Thubten Chodron:

For news updates for previous years click here.

If you'd like a CD with the latest Power Point Presentation on Sravasti Abbey, please email

August 2008

What you’ll find:

Dear Friends,

Summer at the Abbey is lovely. A huge variety of wildlife share the land with us—Mudita the Moose now has a baby, the wrens sing cheerfully, and the chipmunks scurry about feasting in the garden. If you have the opportunity, come to one of the August retreats or visit us at another time this summer.

Monastic Residence – Gotami House top

Excavation has begun and there’s a big hole in the middle of the meadow where Gotami House will be! The PUD laid new electric lines, and we’re upgrading to a Group B water system. We have our building permit. The foundation forms are ready for inspection. Depending on scheduling, we’ll pour concrete next week. Ven. Tarpa greets all the people who come to work here with a big smile and a clip board full of questions.

The Friends of Sravasti Abbey (FOSA) has helped us in “Inviting Generosity”. That’s our word for “fundraising.” We renamed it because we want people to get in touch with their generous nature and feel delight when giving. Due to your kindness, we met the $121,000 matching grant. Now we’re at the halfway mark, with $550,000 of the $1.1 million needed to complete the project. If you haven’t seen the beautiful website for the project, click here.

We appreciate the help that FOSA has given us. People offer food and help us care for the forests and gardens. At the same time, they make friends and are part of the wonderful Dharma community we have at the Abbey.  Sarah shared her thoughts on why she’s involved, and Thubten Gedun, who attended the Youth Retreat two years ago, wrote a touching prayer of aspiration for everyone who supports the Abbey and is part of our extended community.

Youth Retreat top

Our annual Buddhist Community and Practice week-long retreat for young adults went very well. Allowing a lot of time and space for people to ask questions and let their needs be known, we got into some very interesting discussions about practical applications of Dharma to the life of young adults. How have social networking websites shaped your view of friendship and of what constitutes success? What do you think is important in life? To what extent do you buy into society’s view of being cool? Does it fit who you are and who you want to be?

I wish I had known the Dharma earlier (I met the Dharma when I was 24), because it would have saved me a lot of confusion and angst. So when the young adults suggested making a website especially for them, I thought it was a great idea. Jampel recorded the talks and Q&A sessions during the retreat, and they form the basis for a website for young adults that also posts weekly teachings for young adults.

H.H. the Dalai Lama’s teachings top

All the Abbey residents went to Pennsylvania for H.H. the Dalai Lama’s teachings on the Great Exposition on the Stages of the Path. Abbey residents, the Coeur d’Alene Dharma friends, and other friends of the abbey stayed together, meditating each morning and reviewing their notes together each evening. Sharing the six days of teachings on the key points of the path with about 4500 others was an amazing experience, and we enjoyed meeting many friends and supporters, many of whom we had only known through email before. On the last day the Abbey monastics chanted the Heart Sutra in English at the beginning of teachings. Many people asked us how they could get a copy of the chanting, so we recorded it. Look for it soon in this section of the teachings website.

(An aside from the community: Venerable Chodron had prepared the Abbey monastics and residents so well with her clear and deep teachings that we were able to gain much more understanding of the Dharma at these teachings. Ven. Chodron gave a superb opening talk before His Holiness arrived, which was very well received.)

Abbey residents were interviewed during the teachings. Watch the video news clip,  read the article, the story,  part of a blog, go to photo #5. See videos and articles about His Holiness in PA.

Pam and M’tae from Boise abbey-sat while we were gone and were glowing with enthusiasm when we returned. We feel so much happiness when people benefit just from being here.

Monastic Conference top

Ven. Tarpa, Ven. Semkye, and I had the good fortune to attend the Fourteenth Western Buddhist Monastic Gathering at Shasta Abbey in California, June 23 – 27. What an extraordinary experience to be with so many Western and Asian monastics who live and teach in the USA. Many of them have been ordained more than 30 years!

Other News top

We’ve also been putting up the videos from Bodhisattva Breakfast Corner and Essence of Refined Gold as well as interviews about the Abbey for you to see. And now an index of all the videos of teachings at the Abbey can be found here.
Our daily schedule changes in the summer so that we have study time, teachings, and meditation in the afternoon, allowing for outdoor work in the cool evenings. There’s a nice group spirit as many of us don our work clothes and go into the forest to clean out debris, to chip old wood, and to buck up fire wood for the winter. Others of us are building a new fence around the garden, picking cherries and making cherry cobbler, framing to pour a concrete slab outside the meditation hall, and working in the garden.

Many people have visited us this last month, some to offer service for a day, some to practice with the community for a weekend or longer. We enjoy seeing all of you!

With all good wishes for the summer,
Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron and the residents of Sravasti Abbey

Help Sravasti Abbey Build a Home for the Sangha to Sustain the Dharma 


>Upcoming Events at Sravasti Abbey top

On-going Teachings

  • Essence of Refined Gold, Live web broadcast or telephone teachings
    Aug 7- September 25, every Thursday, 6 pm Pacific Time
    Note: There are no web teachings Aug. 7 & 14. They're telephone only. You must sign up for a telephone line. Click here for sign-up instructions.
  • Sharing the Dharma Day,  10 am:
    August 17: The Wisdom Realizing Emptiness
    September 21: Meditation
    October 12: Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels
    November 16
    : The Buddha’s Life

Retreats & Events

Ven. Chodron Teaching in Other Venues top

  • August 15 - 17: Jewel Heart Cleveland:
    • Friday, Cutting the Root of Jealousy;
    •  Saturday, Developing Patience for Self and Others;
    • Sunday, Bringing  Mindfulness to our Daily Activities
  • September 26 - October 3: Cloud Mountain Retreat Center, Retreat: Vajrasattva and Compassion
  • October 3:Maitripa Institute, Portland, OR, Teaching: Living With Joy
  • Oct 30 - Nov 2: Osel Shen Phen Ling, Missoula, MT, Teaching: Three Principal Aspects of the Path
  • December 4 - 12: Xalapa, Guadalajara, and Mexico City, Mexico, Teachings. Details to come. Contact Patricio

Sign-up for the monthly eTeaching, drawn from Ven. Thubten Chodron's morning motivations at Sravasti Abbe
Venerable Chodron's book, Guided Meditations on the Stages of the Path, includes a CD with over 14 hours of guided meditation. Designed to help practitioners at all levels of the path, it is especially supportive for establishing a daily meditation practice.

How to Sign Up events

For telephone access for Essence of Refined Gold teachings:

Just for two weeks, on August 7th & 14th while Ven. Chodron is traveling, we will have no live web broadcast. Only live telephone access is available for those two Thursdays.

No special equipment is required—just use your telephone, dialing into a central number. (Long distance charges apply.) You must register so we can send you the teleconference’s phone number and access code. You can dial in alone at home, or set up your speakerphone and invite Dharma friends to join you for teachings and post-teaching discussion after you get off the phone

The free conference call site reserves a set number of lines for us and if not used they may not let us use their service in the future. So please only register for the Thursdays you can for sure make the call!

To register, please send an email to stating which evenings you plan to use the teleconference service: August 7th and/or August 14th at 6pm Pacific time. Once registered, we'll send you the call in number, access code, and instructions for how to participate.

Essence of Refined Gold, by the Third Dalai Lama, is a classic Lamrim text, which concisely details the steps of the graduated path.  Ven. Chodron has been teaching on this text for well over a year. To catch up, listen to audio or read transcripts of the earlier teachings go to thubtenchodron.org .
We look forward to sharing these “tele-Dharma” teachings with all of you! return to top

July 2008

Breaking Ground for the Monastic Residence
Memorial Day Retreat
Annual Open House
Two Truths with Geshe Damdul Namgyal
Prison Dharma Outreach
Other News
Upcoming Events

Dear Friends,

We’re enjoying the beauty of spring, with flowers blossoming day by day and the meadows being a vibrant green. In addition to our usual jobs in the Abbey offices, we head up to the forest as often as we can for a casual walk or to work caring for the trees and environment there. Abbey life is full of diversity and surprises.

Monastic Residence – Gotami House top  

We broke ground! The night before, we did a puja to set our motivation for this important project and to send loving-kindness for everyone involved with it. The next day, John came with the bulldozer and began to make the road leading to the site where Gotami House will be built. We have the permit for the septic system and are waiting for the building permit, which should be granted soon. Engineers have almost finished designs for the water and electrical systems, and Thomas, our contractor, is eager to begin construction.

We received a challenge grant from two kind donors, meaning that they will match dollar for dollar up to $121,000 all donations given by July 4 for the building of Gotami House, the retreat cabin, and the infrastructure of our Master Plan. $110,979 has been donated against the match so far. If you’d like to help us meet the $10,021 remaining, click here.

You can also read the latest updates and see the new pictures at http://www.asteptowardspeace.org/.

Memorial Day Retreat top

The Memorial Day Seeds of Wisdom retreat centered on the important topic of karma—actions. Each day there was a teaching on karma—what it is, how it works—and then we were mindful during the day of our motivations and our physical, verbal, and mental actions. Such mindfulness brings harmony to the community and contentment in our hearts, making the retreat enjoyable for everyone. In addition to teachings, the retreat schedule had time for Dharma discussion, Q&A, meditation, and offering service. People enjoyed being outdoors in the break times, working in the garden and the forest.

Open House  top

Each spring, we have an Open House for our neighbors, the people in our local town and the nearby cities, and for Buddhist groups in the area. Amidst a string of rainy days, the day of the Open House was sunny with blue sky and fluffy white clouds. Over 50 people came, including our fire marshal and some members of the volunteer fire department, members of Unity Church, members of a hospice volunteer group, many people who attend our weekly class in Newport, and many old friends and supporters. There was a delicious spread of food, and throughout the afternoon Abbey monastics showed the video about the Abbey and then took groups on a tour of the buildings, garden, and forest. The children loved playing in the tall grass in the meadow and walking around the Buddha statue in the garden. We love welcoming our neighbors to the Abbey – we are so fortunate to live in a friendly town with many kind people.

Two Truths Retreat top

We were delighted to have Geshe Damdul Namgyal from the Central Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies in Sarnath, India stay with us for eight days. The three-day course focused on the chapter about the Four Noble Truths in Nagarjuna’s Treatise on the Middle Way. In the days that followed, he taught Tibetan to Abbey residents, discussed the Dharma with us after meals, and enjoyed community life. Speaking perfect English, Geshela is an engaging speaker, and the ninety people who attended his talk, “Non-violence and Reconciliation" in Coeur d’Alene, paid avid attention. We hope Geshela will come to the Abbey regularly to share the Dharma with us.

Prison Dharma Outreach top

Ven. Tarpa and I attended the Buddha Fest at Airway Heights Correctional Center in May, as did several other Buddhist volunteers. The group of 45 men were sharing their reflections on Dharma practice when we arrived. We were especially touched by one man’s story of how the Dharma helped him to work through the depression and suicidal thinking that set in after his arrest and imprisonment. He offered his story to the others, saying that he wanted them to know that he was there for them if they ever had similar difficulties. After the reflections I gave a talk on karma; then we looked at the beautiful art work that the men had done.
In the following weeks, we received several letters from the inmates thanking us for coming. From our side, it was our delight and pleasure to be with these people who are sincerely applying the Buddha’s teachings to their lives.

Other News top

Ven. Semkye represented the Abbey and presented a paper at Gethsemani III, a conference of Buddhist and Christian monastics. This year the theme was care for the environment, and the forty-plus monastics joined together to share their concern and to issue a statement about this important topic. Sponsored by the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, this gathering is a powerful statement that religious people can share in harmony and work together for common goals—the welfare of beings on our planet—and that they do that not only through prayers and spiritual practices, but also through action and social engagement.
The Abbey has a tradition of each spring doing a Naga Puja—making offerings to the various non-human life forms with whom we share the land. This year we did the puja on a sunny morning and then placed the offering substances at trees and water sources all over the land. We divided into groups, each taking a different path around our 240 acres, enjoying the beautiful spring as we shared the offerings with all those invisible beings.


Some of our friends have been writing about the Abbey. Check out what Eric said about a better investment and what Mary Grace said about medicine that heals.
For winter retreat this year, we’ll do the practice of Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom. Join the monastic community for one month or three months of quiet reflection. Here are the essentials and general info about the retreat.
May your body and mind relax in the summer warmth, Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron and the residents of Sravasti Abbey

Upcoming Events at Sravasti Abbey top

Ven. Chodron Teaching in Other Venues

Sign-up for the monthly eTeaching, a brief Dharma motivation from Venerable Chodron.

Venerable Chodron's book, Guided Meditations on the Stages of the Path, includes a CD with over 14 hours of guided meditation. Designed to help practitioners at all levels of the path, it is especially supportive for establishing a daily meditation practice.

June 2008

What you’ll find:
 Another Ordination at Sravasti Abbey
 Celebrating Chinese Vesak Day
 Visit the Bodhisattva Breakfast Corner
 Building the Monastic Residence
 Friends of Sravasti Abbey Meeting
 Other News
 Upcoming Events

Dear Friends,

Another Ordination!

Barbara received sramanerika and shiksamana monastic vows on May 3 in a lovely ceremony in the Abbey’s meditation hall. Before the ceremony, the nuns shaved her head. Our cat, Achala, came and sat in front of her and observed intently, just as he has done each time we have a head shaving before an ordination. He has some karmic connection with monastics from a previous life, it seems.

Venerables Ming Jia, Jendy, and Tien Chang kindly came to the Abbey so that there were four bhikshunis. This is the number of fully ordained nuns required to form a bhikshuni sangha that can confer ordination. Many guests attended the opening incense offering and the concluding dedication, and offered a wonderful lunch to the sangha afterwards.

Barbara is now Ven. Thubten Chonyi and is learning the art of putting on monastic robes. In the afternoon there was a Q&A session with the bhikshunis, where everyone had a chance to ask questions about monastic life, practice, and so on. It was a wonderful, joyous day!

Vesak Day top

Vesak Day is the celebration of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana. The Chinese and Tibetan calendars don’t always have Vesak on the same day, so in some years we celebrate it twice at Sravasti Abbey. Thus, on May 19, we celebrated Vesak by taking the Eight Mahayana Precepts and doing Lama Chopa puja and tsog. Many people in Singapore had made requests that we do prayers for them and their families—to remove obstacles and bring success, for good health and long life, for quick recovery and harmonious relationships, and for the attainment of enlightenment by all sentient beings.

The names of all those who had requested prayers were typed and placed on the wall in the meditation hall, and we read the name of each donor and recipient of special prayers out loud. There were over 1400 people, so it took us about an hour and a half to read the names. During this time we remembered the great kindness of our Singaporean friends and dedicated as you requested.

Bodhisattva Breakfast Corner  top

Would you like some Dharma with breakfast? Sravasti Abbey now has “Bodhisattva Breakfast Corner” on YouTube. Each morning I give a short Dharma teaching and motivation before we eat breakfast at the Abbey. These are now being video recorded and uploaded so you can watch. The current teaching is on “The Forty-one Prayers to Cultivate Bodhicitta” from the Avatamsaka Sutra (Flower Ornament Sutra).

Monastic Residence Plans top

Work on the Master Plan and our first building project are coming along well. We are fortunate to work with wonderful people in planning the infrastructure. Our County Health Dept. chief and John Perry, who will build our road and install the new water system, were at the Abbey to dig holes and analyze the soil for the septic systems for the Master Plan.

Fortunately we have great “perking” soil. Steve, who witches for water, also came and found two possible well sites, but we’ll also try sonic and satellite methods for locating water. Chris, our fire department chief, likes the fire road and turn-around loop we designed. He’s very enthusiastic about protecting the people in our county and talks about fire prevention every chance he gets. He even had us dressed up in fire helmets! 

Meanwhile, Inviting Generosity to build Gotami House and the retreat cabin and to put in the infrastructure and remodel the kitchen has been going well.

We have a website where you can learn all about taking A Step Towards Peace by building a home for the Sangha in the West. We call it “Inviting Generosity” rather than “fund raising” because we want all of you who donate to take delight in giving and to create merit through being inspired by what the Abbey is doing.

Two donors have offered a $121,000 challenge gift, so every dollar given before July 4 will be matched 1 for 1 up to $121,000. Help us to build Gotami House! 

Abbey residents and Friends of Sravasti Abbey (FOSA) members have been touched by the kindness of our Singaporean friends who have already contributed so generously. At the recent FOSA meeting, we spontaneously had the idea to make a short video to express our appreciation. Watch this video to meet us, see the Abbey, and hear us express our thanks to you.

FOSA Meeting top

Five years ago, before we even found the land for the Abbey, we had a meeting in which Friends of Sravasti Abbey (FOSA) was formed. Many of the same people were at this Friends of Sravasti Abbey gathering as were at that first meeting. The first day we shared how our relationship with the Abbey inspires our practice and rejoiced at all we have accomplished. People were greatly inspired. Also, the Mexican and American FOSA groups talked to each after the weekly Internet teachings.

Since the number of residents at the Abbey has grown, and former FOSA committee heads are now residing at the Abbey, the role of FOSA is changing in creative ways.

Want to get involved? Let us know what you’re interested in doing. You can read highlights from the meeting now. More detailed minutes will be on the website soon.

Other News  top

Ven. Jian Hu, a Chinese Ch’an monk who is the Abbot of the Zen Center of Sunnyvale (California), visited us for several days. We had great discussions about bodhicitta, Buddha nature, and the Madhyamaka view of emptiness.

We’ve been reaching out into the local community this month. I gave a talk, “Non-violence and Reconciliation”, at Gonzaga University in Spokane, and then we began a seven-week series on “Getting Along with Others” at the Create Center in Newport.

Here are the photos from Jeffrey Hopkins’ course at the Abbey in April. 

I taught at Treasure Valley Dharma Friends in Boise, Idaho over a weekend in May and enjoyed meeting up with old friends there and making new friends.

Twice this month newcomers to the Abbey have come and participated in the short ceremony of offering food to the sangha. In both cases, they were deeply moved. One of them said, “I received all that for only a bag of groceries!” 

Ven. Gache visited the Abbey for a month during her visit to the US. It was great having her here at the Abbey. 

May the blue sky of late spring remind all of us of the pure sky-like, spacious, unclouded nature of our minds, 

Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron and the residents of Sravasti Abbey

Upcoming Events at Sravasti Abbeynbsp; top

Ven. Chodron Teaching in Other Venues

Sign-up for the monthly eTeaching, a brief Dharma motivation from Venerable Chodron.

Venerable Chodron's book, Guided Meditations on the Stages of the Path, includes a CD with over 14 hours of guided meditation. Designed to help practitioners at all levels of the path, it is especially supportive for establishing a daily meditation practice. 

May 2008

What you’ll find:
   Monastic Residence Plans / Kitchen Remodel
   Visiting Singapore, India & Malaysia
   Khensur Jampa Tegchok Rinpoche's Teachings
   Jeffrey Hopkins' visit
   Other News
   Upcoming Events

Dear Friends,

We send you many greetings and good wishes as we celebrate Chinese Vesak Day on May 19. (Tibetan Vesak Day is a month later due to different ways of calculating the lunar calendar.) The anniversary of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana, Vesak is the most special day of the year.

Kitchen Remodel and Monastic Residence Plans  top 

The kitchen remodel is almost complete! Jampel, with Alec as his right hand man, assisted by Kevin and Ven. Semkye and with help from visitors Dave, Kathy, Tracy, and Nancy, has made a beautiful kitchen for the Abbey. Those of you who have visited here will be pleased to know that we now have an oven with a door that closes and an industrial fridge which saves many trips running up and down the stairs to the pantry. With a second sink, gone are the days of a traffic jam while trying to clean the jam from a plate. Feeding more guests is now possible J.

Ven. Tarpa and neighbors Pat and Jo Simpson (the project managers for building the Abbey’s new monastic residence) met with our contractor, engineer, septic installer, and others to plan the water system and infrastructure for the building. It is a complicated process due to many state regulations, so creative thinking is necessary. It’s coming along well, and we hope to dig test holes to locate the site of the septic system soon. Unlike the previous years, winter has lasted a long time this year—we had a foot of snow fall in April—so we have to wait until road restrictions lift and heavy trucks can drive out here. Watch your email soon to find out how to get involved.

Visiting Singapore, India, and Malaysia  top 

During my stay in Singapore in March, I signed the contract for building Gotami House, the new monastic residence, during a Chenrezig retreat that about 200 people attended. Signing a contract of this size was a little daunting and I was very touched by the encouragement and support of so many Singaporeans who are delighted to see the Dharma spreading to the West.

For four days in March, His Holiness the Dalai Lama taught on emptiness in Delhi, India, and I had the fortune to attend. Although His Holiness said that he was calm emotionally about the situation in Tibet, he did say that he had much to think about. When speaking about Tibet, his energy was clearly somber, but once he began teaching from Nagarjuna’s Root Wisdom, his spirits lifted considerably.

From Delhi I went to Dharamsala to visit my teacher Geshe Sonam Rinchen. It was good to see old Dharma friends in Delhi and Dharamsala and to experience the “new” India in the midst of an economic boom—a country so different from the one I lived in many years ago. I taught at Tushita in Delhi, Tushita in Dharamsala, Thosamling (where there is a wonderful nuns’ community), and also to the monks at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics. The latter talk was quite interesting as the monks asked a lot about the possibility of introducing the bhikshuni ordination (fully ordination for women) in the Tibetan tradition. It became my task to refute their doubts and hesitation.

From India I returned to Singapore for two days during which I spoke at Singapore Polytechnic Buddhist Society. SPBS has a warm place in my heart because I taught there twenty years ago when I lived in Singapore. Many of the people who organize my present visits to Singapore were students at SPBS then. I also gave a talk to approximately forty men at a maximum security prison in Singapore. They listened well, and at the conclusion of the talk, we chanted om mani padme hum together.

Then it was on to Malaysia for a few jam-packed days. I spoke at Bandar Utama Buddhist Society, Nalanda Institute, Buddhist Gem Fellowship, and Shah Alam Buddhist Society. There was also an interview about working with anger for Eastern Horizon Magazine, which I consider to be one of the best Buddhist magazines.

Khensur Jampa Tegchok Rinpoche’s Teachings at the Abbey  top

We were delighted to welcome Khensur Jampa Tegchok Rinpoche, the former abbot of Sera-je Monastery, to the Abbey for his second visit. He continued teaching Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland, emphasizing how to navigate between the two extremes of absolutism and nihilism to arrive at the Middle Way view. Ven. Steve Carlier, Rinpoche’s translator, and I studied with Rinpoche 25 years ago at Nalanda Monastery in France. At that time, we had many lively discussions, questioning Rinpoche on numerous Dharma points. Their visit to the Abbey was a wonderful continuation of this.

Delighted to hear of the Abbey’s growth, Khensur Rinpoche blessed the site where the new monastic residence will be built and the site of the new retreat cabin. The Abbey was filled to capacity with visitors for the teachings, and many local people attended as well. What a welcome relief the new kitchen is! Rinpoche and retinue stayed at Pat and Jo Simpson’s lovely home. Once our new retreat/lama’s cabin is ready, he will be able to stay at the Abbey.

Rinpoche also taught at Airway Heights Correctional Center again, with several Abbey residents accompanying him. The inmates were delighted with the Dharma talk and asked many questions about the situation in Tibet, a topic dear to Rinpoche’s heart since he became a refugee from Tibet nearly half a century ago.

Jeffrey Hopkins’ Visit to the Abbey  top

Jeffrey Hopkins—author, translator, and interpreter for His Holiness the Dalai Lama—taught a weekend course at the Abbey. Weaving philosophical points in with stories from his life, Jeffrey made the emptiness of inherent existence come alive. The meditation hall was full with residents, guests, and many commuters. We laughed, questioned, doubted, and delved into the ultimate nature. Jeffrey was very happy to see a Tibetan monastic community beginning in the USA and spoke about the benefits of having and supporting such a community.

Other News  top

We had a lovely Sharing the Dharma Day in early April, with about a dozen people making their way up in spite of the snow. Kevin led the meditation, Ven. Tarpa gave a great talk on purification and the four opponent powers, and Ven. Semkye facilitated a juicy discussion on what we learned about right/wrong and reward/punishment from our families.

You may be interested in watching this British TV news documentary, 'Dispatches' about Tibet. Please keep the people of Tibet and China in your virtuous aspirations, so that they may live in peace and freedom. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7982410976871193492&pr=goog-sl

May the flowers blossoming in May remind us of love, compassion, and bodhicitta blossoming in our hearts,

Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron and the Residents of Sravasti Abbey 

Upcoming Events at Sravasti Abbey  top

Ven. Chodron Teaching in Other Venues

APRIL 2008

What you’ll find:
   Medicine Buddha Retreat 
   Monastic Residence Plans / Kitchen Remodel
   Teachings in Singapore
   Tibet
   Other News
   Upcoming Events

Dear Friends,

The Medicine Buddha retreat ended happily with a fire puja, offerings to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha in the Lama Chopa puja, and offerings to the kind supporters and donors who made the retreat possible. A potluck lunch in the community room followed because the kitchen remodel had begun. Who needs a kitchen anyway when there are 13 residents and 20 guests to feed? But everyone had a great time. The grand finale was the Sravasti Abbey Monastic Choir singing “Star Spangled Compassion.” Listen to our choir and join in chanting Shantideva’s moving dedication verses to a tune you know well. At the conclusion of the retreat, we also did skits: Ven. Semkye was reborn as St. Francis of Sravasti Abbey, with her flock of turkeys.

Monastic Residence Plans and Kitchen Remodel  top
The kitchen remodel has begun! We did Chenrezig practice in the dining room to infuse the project with compassion and then each of us took a turn starting to knock down the wall with the sledge hammer. Great fun! Jampel’s father, who is a contractor, came to help for a week and we made great progress. By the evening of the second day the space between the dining room and the library was opened up and the glulambeam was hoisted to support the roof. The painting is completed, the new marmoleum flooring is down and the new double-oven (one with a door that closes unlike the old one!) has been installed. Next comes the industrial fridge (so we don’t have to run up and down the stairs as often to get things from the pantry) and new countertops. Meanwhile the community has been cooking downstairs and picnicking in the office. Kevin says it’s great—he just as to swivel his chair to go from telephone to lunch!

We heard that remodeling the kitchen can be very stressful so we’re taking extra care to be harmonious. Some tension arose the first day of the remodel so we stopped and talked about our purpose and motivation. We’re remodeling the kitchen so that more people can come to the Abbey. But if there is tension in the community, they won’t want to come and even we won’t want to be there. In that case, there’s no reason to do the remodel. But we all have the same purpose—to practice the Dharma and to enable others to do so. To do that, we not only need new facilities but also need to practice well ourselves, to respect and appreciate each other, and to take care to communicate well and to be flexible, not digging in our heels and getting attached to our own ideas. Since then, everyone has gotten along very well, helping each other, laughing at the inconvenience of not having a kitchen, and making the many decisions that need to be made during the remodel together.

Another significant step is we signed the contract with Thomas Orjala of Northida Homes who will be our general contractor. He has worked with our architect Tim Wilson before, so it’s a good match. Ven. Tarpa and Thomas are now interviewing engineers, because we need to design a water system, septic system, electrical system, and so on. Building in the countryside is different from building in a city where it’s easy to hookup to the city’s infrastructure.

Teachings in Singapore  top
Just after retreat ended, I departed for Asia. The first leg of the trip was Singapore, where I taught at Phor Kark See Monastery, Tai Pei Buddhist Center, the Buddhist Library, and Buddhist Fellowship. Pureland Marketing and a group of my old students coordinated the visit, which was a great success. About 1100 people attended the public talk at Phor Kark See, and 200 people participated in the two-day Chenrezig retreat. Some pictures of the trip are on the web, more will be put up in the coming weeks.

The contract with Northida Homes was ready while I was leading the retreat in Singapore, so we had a short ceremony for signing it. I led the group in generating wholesome aspirations for the Abbey and praying for the existence of the Dharma in the world. Then, while everyone chanted om mani padme hum, I bowed three times and signed the contract. Although the Abbey was half way around the world, people felt very connected to what we’re doing. Singaporeans are eager to see the Dharma spread in the West and are generous supporters of the Abbey. We hope some of them will come and visit us soon.

Tibet
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We have been very concerned about the situation in Tibet, both the frustration expressed by the Tibetans and the Chinese suppression of it. I am presently in India, and had the good fortune to attend four days of Dharma teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Delhi. His Holiness is clearly saddened by the events and fears that after the Olympics, the Chinese government will flood Tibet with even more Han Chinese than the large number already there, thus making the Tibetan population with their distinctive form of Buddhism and unique culture obsolete in their own land. There was also a touching inter-religious gathering at Rajgat, a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. Please recite “Words of Truth” a prayer written by His Holiness in 1960, just after he and other Tibetans fled to India. Also, please sign petitions encouraging the Chinese government to negotiate with His Holiness’ Tibetan government-in-exile and do whatever you can to help the situation.

Other News  top
Take a look at the 2007 Annual Report and all that we accomplished this year. Thank you so much for your support and participation that has enabled all these activities to happen and so many beings to benefit.

Ven. Tarpa led a weekend retreat at Dharma Friendship Foundation in Seattle. Participants were very moved by this non-residential retreat and hope to have many more.

May the freshness of spring rejuvenate your body and brightness of a compassionate heart refresh your mind,

Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron and the residents of Sravasti Abbey  

Upcoming Events at Sravasti Abbey  top Ven. Chodron (and other Abbey residents) Teaching in Other Venues

 

March 2008

What you’ll find:
   Medicine Buddha Retreat 
   Carl Takes the Anagarika Vows
   Thanks for Wonderful Local Support
   Chanting and Blessings in Seattle
   Monastic Residence Plans
   Other News
   Upcoming Events

Dear Friends,

The second month of the Medicine Buddha retreat is going well. Many of you have written, concerned about how we’re doing with the incredible amount of snow this winter. Aside from a few power outages, it’s been fine. We’ve gotten a lot of exercise shoveling snow—not just pathways through the garden, but off the roof of the house and the barn. The turkeys have moved into the garden and have become Ven. Semkye’s disciples, following her around as she feeds them cracked corn. Mudita the Moose strolled by the house one day, and by the middle of the month, as the weather became slightly warmer, the coyotes returned. 

Carl Takes Precepts  top

We would like to wish you a Happy Tibetan New Year, which we celebrated with Carl taking the eight anagarika precepts and beginning his training for monastic ordination. It was a simple but moving ceremony, witnessed by all the retreatants. (Sorry – we couldn’t invite people because guests cannot visit during retreat). He was happy and glowing, and people were inspired watching someone who is 23 be so clear about taking this wholesome direction in his life. He looks great in the gray outfit – well, as good as anyone can look in it – and he and Barb now look like twins, with only a foot difference in height. Since taking vows, he prefers to go by his refuge name, Jampel. 

Thanks to Our Supporters  top

Our local supporters have been wonderful during the retreat, offering food weekly and doing the laundry (our septic system is too small to do so many people’s laundry here). They sewed Carl’s gray anagarika clothes and drove them up here during a storm the night before the ceremony. And they’ve kindly offered many Care packages with homemade cookies and goodies. March 9 will be the concluding Lama Chopa puja to celebrate the completion of the retreat and to honor all of you who donated resources, time, and energy to make it so successful.  

Teachings in Seattle  top

In late February, Barbara, Alec, and I visited the Seattle area. I gave two Dharma talks to a wonderful group of people at Chi Yuan Temple(American Evergreen Buddhist Association), and we celebrated the Buddhist holiday of the Day of Miracles at Fa Shin Temple, where everyone chanted the Vajra Cutter Sutra together. Venerable Jendy kindly translated the talks into Chinese, and Alec will soon put the videos he made of the talks on the web.  

I also gave five talks at Dharma Friendship Foundation, where I used to be resident teacher. There, too, we found a great group of Dharma students. On the last day, we did a festive baby blessing to welcome the “Baby Buddhas” to their new lives. The center was packed with babies, children, family members, and Dharma students. What a lovely feeling there was amongst everyone! Deanna commented that years ago we had a baby blessing for her first grandson, but not the second who has been a (much loved) “holy terror” ever since. So this time she brought her daughter, both grandsons, and the new baby granddaughter, Ellie, for the blessing! Jeff and Susan’s son, Emmett, who is not quite two years old, kept us in stitches by chirping up with answers to the questions I asked the adults. Cameron, Colette and Mike’s first child, was happily content. Emma, the first baby to be blessed at DFF eleven years ago, helped the younger children, including Pema who had her baby blessing five years ago.

Monastic Residence Plans  top

Ven. Tarpa and Jampel have been doing extensive research on eco-friendly building and we have just selected our contractor. We’ll introduce you to him in next month’s eNews. Meanwhile Jampel is gearing up to begin the kitchen remodel this month. His dad, who is a contractor, will come for some time to give him a hand, and the Abbey community will help as well.

Barbara is heading up Inviting Generosity – that’s our term for fund raising, because we want people to get in touch with and feel their delight in giving. At this time, we are identifying people who would like to make Leadership Offerings for the new buildings. To help take the lead in launching this project, please or call the Abbey (509.447.5549). 

Other News  top

Marsha Rule did some great interviews with Barbara, Kevin, and Carl (Jampel), who all moved to the Abbey last May or June. You’ll love reading them.

Four more foreign language editions of my books have been released recently: Taming the Monkey Mind (Chinese, published by Dharma Drum Publishing), Buddhism for Beginners (Chinese), Buddhism for Beginners, (Spanish, published by Alianza Editorial, 2nd printing) and, Working with Anger (Portuguese, published by  Nova Era).

As the serenity of winter is beginning to bid us farewell, let us welcome spring with all the changes it brings,

Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron
and the residents of Sravasti Abbey

Upcoming Events at Sravasti Abbey  top

Ven. Chodron (and other Abbey residents) Teaching in Other Venues