BY ARTHAVADIN, Convenor, International Council
Adhisthana feels so integral to the life of our community that it’s hard to believe it’s only been in existence for ten years. How did we ever manage without it?
From the outset, Adhisthana has always been so much more than just a retreat centre. It was Bhante’s home and has subsequently become his resting place. I had the good fortune to meet Bhante on several occasions, but regardless of whether I’d met him or not, I believe his presence at Adhisthana was, and still is, palpable.
Adhisthana has very quickly become the heart-mind-centre of the world-wide Triratna community. It has important symbolic as well as pragmatic significance. It is a place of pilgrimage for Bhante’s disciples scattered across the globe. It is where his writings, essays and books are compiled into a substantial library, providing a reference point for Dharma research and scholarship, regardless of where on the planet it is being conducted. It is where the International Course is hosted, bringing together geographically dispersed Triratna responsibility holders to live, connect and learn together in unusually intense and supportive conditions. And, not least, it is the de facto home of the International Council – the structure that convenes and coheres the Strands and Areas that constitute Triratna around the world.
Adhisthana is living up to its name. It exemplifies what is possible when inspired and committed practitioners live and work collaboratively to benefit themselves, each other, and the wider Triratna community. I am amazed by, and feel immensely appreciative of, what has been achieved so far.
This blog is an excerpt from the Tenth Anniversary book which can be viewed online or bought from Adhisthana.