Dhammadharini Vihara April 2009 Moving Announcement

Bodhi House & Aranya Bodhi

Dhammadharini Vihara
April 2009 Moving Announcement

Warm greetings, dear Dhamma friends,

Many of you will have heard and read of the developing plans for our women's monastic hermitage on the Sonoma Coast named Aranya Bodhi (literally "Forest Bodhi") the Awakening Forest Hermitage.

Also, many of you who have expressed sadness at the thought of our leaving the local area. You have expressed the wish that we be not so very far away, and there still be the regular possibility to meet with the monastics and see us here in our local area of the East Bay.

With the economy as it is, and the fact that our current Vihara location is a rental, we are sorry not to be able to continue now at our current Vihara location, as so many have asked and suggested. Still, we are all amazingly fortunate, for our collective hopes and wishes -- not only for a forest hermitage but also for a intown abode -- are coming into being.

The Bodhi House

Some of you may have heard the rumors of the idea of the "Bodhi House" in the past several months... They are true. Thanks to the very kind and generous offer of good friend Liz Crisp, we will be able to maintain a monastic presence here in the San Francisco East Bay.

Liz has generously offered the downstairs of her spacious home near the Fremont Hub for the continuation of our "in-town" Buddhist Women's Monastic Residence. Her most kind offer was accepted by resolution of our Dhammadharini board yesterday, the evening of February 24th.

So, we will be moving soon!

As the basic infrastructure for our Aranya Bodhi hermitage is not yet in place and may not be until this Summer '09, we will first be moving to and staying at the Bodhi House in Fremont. After getting settled and established there, when the hermitage is ready with rustic basics (especially water!), we plan to move out to the Sonoma Coast with the Bodhi House as our in-town annex. We would then plan to return to the Bodhi House for local Bay Area programs for 4 or 5 days once or twice a month.

thus,

Plans are for March to be our last regular month at our current Vihara, with the move happening during the month of April.

Upcoming Announcements

If you have been wanting to help with the hermitage but it is too far for you to go -- here is your "in-town" chance to contribute your energy and dedicate your merit :). Look out for announcements on our Dhammadharini Google Group (the address is at the very top of this page), or call the Vihara at 510-791-2331 to ask what you can do to help.

Moving to the Bodhi House

Moving to the Bodhi House

Moving and Preparing the Space

~ preparing the space ~

*** Volunteers Needed ***

We will be needing: -- volunteers for doing a little renovation on the wing offered for our monastic lodging and meditation hall at the Bodhi House (some light carpentry and painting)-- supplies such as the right size window blinds and paint (we have primer already)-- a refrigerator and a new telephone/answering machine.
Please call or email Shari Gent or Liz Crisp about these things.

Shari:(510)386-7642, snapdragon38@comcast.net
Liz: (510)651-5837, lizcrisp@comcast.net



~ moving (during the month of April) ~

*** Volunteers Needed ***

We will be needing: -- persons and vehicles to help us with moving things all through the month.
Call or email Ruwinie at the Vihara if you can help with this.
Tel: (510) 791-2331, ruwiniedelgoda@hotmail.com

Vihara April Calendar of Events

April 2009

Events & Dates

Apr 4: Fremont - Bodhi House Fixup & Work Day * Volunteers *
Apr 4: Sonoma Coast - Alliance for Bhikkhunis Visit to Aranya Bodhi Hermitage site

Apr 5: Fremont - Ayya Tathaaloka's Hanamatsuri Dhamma Talk at the Southern Alamenda County Buddhist Church, 10 am

Apr 9: Full Moon Uposatha Lunar Observance

Apr 11: Fremont - Bodhi House Fixup & Work Day * Volunteers *

Apr 12: "Songkhran" - the Solar New Year

Apr 16: Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi Speaks in Berkeley, 7-9 pm

Apr 18: Vihara Moving Day * Volunteers *

Apr 19: Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi Speaks in Sunnyvale, 2-4 pm

Apr 21: Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi Speaks at IMSB in Mountainview, 7:30-9 pm

Apr 23: New Moon Uposatha Lunar Observance

Apr 24: Dhammadharini Board Meeting, 3:45 pm, Radhika's house

Apr 25: HH the Dalia Lama Speaks in Berkeley

Apr 26: Vihara Moving Day * Volunteers*

Apr 27, 28, 29: Vihara Final Cleanup Days * Volunteers*

Apr 30: Vihara Closing Dedication, 7 pm

Vihara Moving Q and A

Q & A

on the Move

to the Bodhi House

Q: Will "Dhammadharini" cease to exist?
A: No, both the women's monastic residence at the Bodhi House and the Aranya Bodhi hermitage on the Sonoma Coast are Dhammadharini projects. "Dhammadharini" is the name of the umbrella support organization - a religious non-profit in the State of California. Only the Vihara at its current location will cease to exist.
***
Q: Will you still have rent at the Bodhi House as at the current Vihara location?
A: No, the space has been very generously offered to us rent-free, which will reduce our expenses by more than half -- about $1400/month. We will however still have just under $1000/month in basic expenses including minimal medical insurance for the monastics, gas and car insurance, phone... whether we are at Aranya Bodhi hermitage or in town at the Bodhi House... your regular or special donations will still be very much essential and helpful for our women's monastic community's continuation, wellbeing and development.
***
Q: Can i still make out a check to "Dhammadharini"?
A: Certainly. If you have a special wish about how your donation is used, just write it in the memo column, ie: "for monastic medical care," "for the hermitage project" or "for whatever is most useful".
***
Q: Will we be still able to visit the monastics at the Bodhi House?
A: Yes, definately! There are plans for a weekly meditation group there and you can come to offer lunch dana, to meditate together, or to see, meet and speak with the monastic women at the Bodhi House as you did at the Vihara.
***
Q: Will there be an opening blessing or Open House for the new place?
A: We will most probably have both after getting moved in, perhaps around Vesaka in the beginning of May...
***
If you have any further questions, welcome to call us at the Vihara: (510) 791-2331, email or come by.

Spring VIHARA USEFUL THINGS LIST

(NOTE: for the Useful Things List for the hermitage on the Sonoma Coast please go to the Aranya Bodhi: Awakening Forest Hermitage blog:

http://awakening-forest-hermitage.blogspot.com/. )

Spring Vihara Useful Things List

updated: April 2, 2009 by Suvijjana Samaneri

~ ~ ~
Anumodana for all that you offer and share in whatever form.
May you be well and happy, peaceful and at ease.
May you not lack for the basic requisites of life.
May you have all needed support in your practice of the Path.

*

General Supplies:

A New Refrigerator for the Bodhi House

Telephone/Answering Machine for the Bodhi House (please inquire)

Canon 40 (Blk) & 41 (Color) Printer Ink Cartidges

Hot Water Thermos (flask)

General Drinking Water Thermos (flask)

Night Light Bulbs

Liquid Laundry Detergent

Food, Tonics and Medicinal Items

Now needed:

Ghee (for eye medicine)

Antiseptic Mouthwash

Caffiene-free Tea

Raw Honey

Almonds

Frequently Needed:

Soft White Cheese

Decaf Green & Black Tea, Mint Tea

Vihara Maintenance:

Final Vihara Clean-up Dates April 27-29

Volunteers:

Help with Painting and Fixing Up the Bodhi House April 4 and 11

Able bodies and vehicles for the Vihara move April 18 and 26

New Assistant Treasurer

*** NOTE: Dhammadharini Vihara's Environmental Policy ***

The monastics' ethic is to gratefully accept whatever is offered, other than what is unusable or harmful. Out of consideration for the wellbeing and welfare of our human society and planetary environment, please consider offering environmentally-, eco-friendly products whenever possible. These include eco-friendly cleaning supplies, unbleached & recycled toilet paper and paper towels, no plastic water bottles, products with less plastic packaging, and organically-grown food products...

Thank you for your care of our monastic community, our human society and all living beings!

Aranya Bodhi: Awakening Forest Hermitage

Aranya Bodhi

Our New Women's Monastic Hermitage

on the Sonoma Coast

Dear friends,

With the ending of Vassa, we are beginning to go ahead now with our dream for a women's monastic hermitage on the 120 acres of mountain forest land on the Sonoma Coast that was offered this past June.

After contemplating so many beautiful names for the land and space, the name "Aranya Bodhi" in Pali - Awakening Forest has been chosen for the hermitage.

The old logging road and double landings at the hermitage site were reopened and cleared on October 22, 2008. The road and landings will clear during the winter rains and will be able to be rocked in the spring. Come summer sun the road will "bake" and be ready for use all season for years to come.

It is a dream of many years, for so many of us, come true. Welcome to visit the blogspot that has been set up to share news and info on it: http://awakening-forest-hermitage.blogspot.com/

For more info visit the site above and/or contact the Vihara: (510) 791-2331.

May all beings be well and happy,

peaceful and at ease ~

Ayya Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni

* Volunteers Needed

Volunteers Needed to Give Rides


dear friends,

On June 21st our Anagarika Suvijjana (Carol Porter) was ordained as a samaneri (female novice). Since that time, in accordance with the practices and precepts of the Vinaya the Forest Sangha, she is no longer keeping or handling money or driving a car.

From the end of the second week in June we look forward to keeping the good environmental practice of more using public transportation. We would be happy to use the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) AC Transit buses, Amtrak and Greyhound as well as other modes of public transit whenever possible. Your provision of such tickets will enable the monastics to do so. Also, whenever driving is called for, our Dhammadharini monastics would like to ride-share and carpool. In the absence of these two possibilities which are the monastics preference, when it is not possible for them to walk a distance, we will be in need of driving volunteers. Please let us know if you would like to offer to ride share or volunteer to drive together.

Thank you so much for taking the time and the care to read this blog!

May you be well, happy and peaceful.


mettaya,
dhammadharini


__________________________________________



Volunteers Needed

Dhammadharini is in need of a new Assistant Treasurer



Dear friends,

Our beloved friend Radhika has kindly cared our finances even when so very busy. We would like her to have some help.

Do you know Quickbooks or are you willing to learn?? The Assistant Treasurer position normally takes about 2 hours once per month.

For details, please contact Radhika, Dhammadharini Treasurer at rkapur-ninety-nine-at-yahoo-dot-com.

Or call Dhammadharini Vihara at (510) 791-2331 and ask one of the monastic residents for Radhika's phone number.


Thank you! and Anumodana

dhammadharini