The Adhisthana communities kicked off the Summer with a Solstice BBQ. There was a heatwave, and the water was shut off due to a burst pipe, but the communities and retreatants were exemplary in organising the washing up for the next day. The wildflower beds really came into bloom, transforming the garden, and an auspicious rainbow cloud was spotted above the women’s community. In other news, the maintenance team completed the marvellous renovation of the women’s outside toilet block.
In July, we had our At Home Days under the theme of gratitude. Prajnanita and Khemabandhu offered us an engaging and well-balanced mix of study, reflection exercises, creative expression, and cultural sharing. Our former kitchen manager, Harry, returned for a month to ritually say goodbye to Adhisthana, spend time with the communities, and help out on site.
The third year of our Pilgrim’s Week attracted people from all over the UK, Japan, the USA, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Germany, and Scotland. We continued our new tradition of 108 hours of continuous circumambulation around Bhante’s burial mound. Renate broke the record of circumambulating for 15 hours altogether, followed by Khemabandhu with 12 hours – about a quarter of the 108 hours between them.
The Operations team started to turn towards the summer events by evoking the myth of the 1000-armed Avalokiteshvara. Halfway through their one-hour circumambulation slot, they experienced a dramatic collective turning point when the sky burst open and rain fell in torrents upon them. It marked the beginning of an incredible time for the team under a variety of personal challenges and circumstances, asking all of them to step into more responsibilities and become bigger than they thought they could be.
Throughout August, we had a very international crew of volunteers, from as far off as Japan, New Zealand, and India, as well as from France and the UK. Everyone gave their best to prepare the site for our two big summer events. There was particular pressure in the kitchen, but the Operations team and volunteers stepped in and helped out a lot. The combined area Order weekend went smoothly and brought a celebratory atmosphere to Adhisthana. Annika and her volunteer team completed the heroic task of cooking for 350 people, despite her being rather low on sleep.
As soon as the Order weekend was over, the Operations team managed to turn the site around in under four hours with the largest Adhisthana clear-up in recent history, with a one and a half hour gap before going straight into a retreat celebrating Sangharakshita’s 100th anniversary. Bhante’s birthday retreat itself was a very significant occasion marked with special pujas and rituals, as well as the miraculous appearance of Padmasambhava on the shrine (a feat requiring a team of ten carriers!)
The Operations team concluded the summer events by having a big celebratory lunch with proper chip-shop chips and nosecco.