Everybody left, and then three new meditators came. So, now we have me, Pauli from Finland, Harish from USA, and Peter from Canada.
Pauli will finish his first course tomorrow, Peter and Harish are just slogging through the beginning stages; everyone has expressed the shock at how different it is to actually live the life of a meditator rather than practice at home once or twice a day. I told Harish I thought I should probably put a warning up on the website:
WARNING: MAY BE MORE DIFFICULT THAN YOU THINK!
Probably need several warnings, comet to think of it… the Thai novice disrobed and went back to work only to find that, like the rest of us, she can’t fit in any more.
WARNING: MAY CAUSE YOU TO LOSE INTEREST IN THE WORLD!
Mae Chii Jai left shortly after the Thai meditators, but we talked and she has decided to try to come back within a week or so with a new, extendible visa. She’s always been a great help, and I think it will be much easier for her here as a Burmese nun. She wants to ordain as a samaneri, but I probably have to talk with Ajaan Tong first, so that can wait. I’m tempted to let her be our steward and work with Manju to buy stuff, but it seems so cruel to stop anyone who wants to ordain, especially one who has been a Mae Chii for over ten years. Anyway, all in good time.
New well is certified free of E.Coli, which is always nice 🙂 more work on the pump and probably have to dig the well deeper, but also all in good time. Donations from the Thai meditators and abroad will allow us to put a roof on the Bodhi terrace and maybe even repair the Bodhi tree area itself. The greatest obstacle is not money, but workers, as always. When will they come? Always, “tomorrow”, a word I once thought held some sort of concrete meaning… not in this neck of the woods, anyway!
A new video camera, but disappointing colour results (see here); probably my fault, have to make some more tests.
All is well.