Just a short note to get our news page up and running again. We’re back on track here in Sri Lanka, and should have some repairs and new building starting in the next few days.
The plan is to build a couple new washrooms first, for communal use, repair the cave-kutis to stop water from coming in, and finish two half-built rooms, all before it really starts to rain. During the rainy season, we may try to build a new hut, weather permitting. More about all of this as it unfolds.
In the meantime, our second foreign meditator is in the cave downstairs, with reservations being made already through September. Again, please note that conditions here are not yet convenient for most people, bathrooms are still very basic, etc. and probably it will be winter before we have any new rooms built. It’s not a trivial matter to build in the rain forest during the rainy season, especially in such rugged terrain as this.
The new kitchen is useable now, and we have one fairly decent bathroom, though it still needs some work. A new kuti has been built by the head monk, and I may move in there during the rains, to ‘christen’ it, so to speak. That will leave the upstairs cave open to another meditator.
Also, just a note that the Dhamma Carika program is still on; this year not much action, except for a short course in Winnipeg, Canada, which was actually a great start there – there is talk about returning there again in the not so distant future. No news on going to Mexico, but that might happen next year as well. Once things get underway here in Sri Lanka, expect more talk about travel – Thailand anyway, maybe Australia as well.
On the Internet front, new videos are in the works, but Internet here is understandably limited, so patience is requested. The website has two new additions this summer, http://ask.sirimangalo.org/ , which is a forum for asking questions about this tradition or Buddhism in general. That has been a great hit, thanks to everyone who has participated so far; and http://wiki.sirimangalo.org/ an all-purpose wiki for the site. Not much there yet, hopefully it will fill out as time goes on. Right now it has a list of suggestions for starting your own meditation group, and a few other resources. Feel free to add if you have anything worth adding to that.
Otherwise, it’s all peaceful here. That’s the news for now, hopefully it won’t be the only update this month. Check back here for more.
May all be well,
Yuttadhammo