Always a busy month, this year we welcomed a bumper lot of Order members to the Combined Area Order weekend. The programme of study, meditation, talks and just hanging out was a wonderful way to be together in the Order. Thanks to all of you who came and especially to all of you whose heroic efforts restored the site to a sparkling shiny state.
We had an epic bunch of volunteers here to help with setting up, some of whom stayed on for the duration of the weekend and then helped with the packing down too. Massive thank you to Hanna, Leslie, Prajnaraja, Jennie, Vidyaruchi, Singhamanas, Rush and Renate.
The community has also see some changes with both Kerianna and Annika joining the women’s community. Kerianna will be helping Sanghadeva in the gardens while Annika is cooking in the kitchen with Harry. This means that for a brief time the women’s community is the same size as the men’s, which may be the first time that has happened in the history of Adhisthana.
This month we also brought out our print programme for 2025 (which you can now book online), which entailed heroic work behind the scenes from members of the team and Agi very kindly stepped in to support whilst she was on the Scholars retreat!
This month also marked the end of the International Course, sending folk home to Australia, India, Belgium, Norway, Mexico, the USA, New Zealand and Canada as well as the UK. They were such a wonderful bunch and it was great to see them each morning in the shrine room, as well as hear stories of what they were getting up to on the course.
We also celebrated Ratnaghosha’s birthday with an incredible baked alaska from Jayadhi, and Bhante’s 99th birthday was this month! As you will know if you see our programme, thoughts are turning towards next year already and the centenary that marks 100 years since Sangharakshita’s birth.
The drop-in meditation and Buddhism class on Monday nights continues to be a wonderful evening with more people coming and the team planning open days and day retreats.
Most recently we welcomed the new DharmaLife course who will be here until December and were introduced to the community in a lovely evening held by Ratnaghosha. Finally, it’s the time for harvesting from the fruit trees – Saddhaloka has been collecting plums and damsons, apples and berries.