hi all, I am about to head over to England. I am looking forward to a break. I haven't been "out of the valley" since August (2024). Bristol then Plymouth to see my beloved parents. It has its logistical complexities travelling with the family and having to leave Suryavana in capable hands (you can’t just shut the door and leave the place!). Looking forward to breathing the salty air, visiting old haunts, the Barbican, over to Mount Edgcumbe.
We had a really busy month here in March, including the private ordination of our friend Sassanapiya. This has contrasted with a "slow" January, February and now April. The gaps have given me time to focus on the Shrine-room project. We have set up a Crowd-funding with the platform "migranodeareana", "my grain of sand". The Shrine-room project needs a lot of pushing and prodding on our side. It won’t happen otherwise but there is definitely a push coming from around our Sangha too. The slow administrative process means I get easily frustrated. As with so many aspects of Suryavana, the teaching is ksanti and to "let things happen and unfold". Phoning the architects, trips to the Municipal offices, down on the coast, visiting the local Town Hall (now times four, all of us laughing at the "going around the houses" routine, exploring the possibilities within our building permissions. Talking over possible solutions. We want a solid, built structure; brick, tiles and concrete. A structure to last a lifetime and more.
We want a dedicated Sacred meditation space. Not just me, the desire is coming from the Sangha and other groups that come up here. Ideally it would be set up independent of the living quarters to facilitate the rich Dharma work of Meditation practice. More refinement and exaltation of our states of consciousness.
Having lived here the last few years I tend to see the whole land and all the infrastructure as a sacred whole, where each component is intimately bound with others to make the whole project flow along. I really appreciate this interplay and at the best of times enjoy the engagement it provides. At the other times, I am conscious that a minor mishap can cause a cascade of disruption and mayhem. At my best I see a fascinating mechanism than needs tampering and tinkering here and there in playful activity. A sacred work. At the worst of times, frustration, fury and disappointment reign supreme. Ideally I would be more dispassionate but my character lends itself to drama!
It's going to take a lot of patience to raise the Shrine-room, the "Dojo" our "Gompa"; the heart of the Retreat Centre. Lets put a date for completion on Buddha Day 2026.
In other news, I am relaunching our Bodhiyoga teacher training which has been a great source of pleasure, joy satisfaction, as well as a relevant source of financial support over the years. The course will be a weekly session Online for nine months allowing for gradual delivery and assimilation of our material followed by a week long residential intensive here in Suryavana to refine teaching skills, especially around posture work.
Despite the challenges, I do feel in contact with a gentle and deepening faith in the process I am in and sharing with those around me.
all the best Sudaka
