Today I enter Winter Retreat at Dhamma Dena in Southern California. (See the end of this blog for more about Dhamma Dena and how to support.)
I feel so ready for this opportunity for deepening practice – warm hearted, rightly directed, and internally resourced.
Below is a series of pictures of support from the year and an outline of the forms of generosity and goodness I encountered in 2023.
The year of retreat and travel was incredibly nourishing. I feel that my practice benefited greatly from all the kind people, deep practitioners, and amazing places in nature where I got to spend time.
I met wonderful monastics and lay practitioners and heard, reflected on, and conversed about Dhamma.
The year felt like a great boost for my monastic life as I transitioned from all I learned at Dhammadharini and Aloka Vihara, through this year of visits to a number of monastic communities and several countries, and into the possibilities to unfold in the years ahead.
Although there isn’t yet a not-for-profit foundation supporting my monastic life that is required to be transparent with the use of financial donations, I want to honor the value of transparency and integrity in use of funds. So this is a general sharing of the amount of donations and expenses for this last year.
It was amazing what was possible with so many people’s support. Over 100 people contributed to the support of my monastic life this year. In addition to daily meal offerings, lodgings in more than a dozen locations, gift cards for Amtrak, Starbucks and other useful places, class/retreat scholarships, and loans during Vassa or gifts of useful items, over 30 people contributed a total of $4036.
With the addition of a gift of $3000 given by the Saranaloka Foundation at the end of 2022 and the covid stimulus debit-card my cousin offered, all of the 2023 costs for travel, insurance, phone service, new glasses, and other general requisites totalling $7448 was covered.
Anumodana and appreciation for all who supported monastic life in 2023. All the generosity of meals, things, funds, places, time and most of all, your Dhamma practice, have made this a year of many blessings.
I share the merits of the practice with you and hope your year 2024 will be filled with good Dhamma and all the nourishment you need in your life today and for your path of practice.
Now, in January 2024, I enter Winter Retreat with the support and mutual care of an amazing group of practitioners. Many of the people at Dhamma Dena offer work dana that includes upkeep of the property, grocery shopping and cooking. Their direct physical support makes meals and lodging for my stay possible.
To offer financial support that will provide for my meals and lodging and maintain the mediation center please consider donating through Dhamma Dena’s PayPal and mention my being there in the donation comments.
I share the merits of this practice with you and look forward to seeing what emerges post-retreat in April.