Departing Canada, Abhayagiri Visit, Thailand, The Power of Silence
November
2016
Greetings
from Wat Pah Poo Jom Gom once again.
I
arrived here exactly one month after departing from Birken, and in
some ways the contrast couldn't be more striking. While the autumn
frosts at Birken had sent the leaves on the deciduous trees flying
long ago, here at Poo Jom Gom it is exceptionally green and hot. Some
unusual late-season rain has given the vegetation a new burst of
verdant life and even the delicate monsoon wild flowers are still in
bloom. The mornings are a refreshing 25C, while the afternoons warm
up to 30+C.
I
mentioned to some people that I might stay at another monastery, Wat
Pah Tum Seang Pet (The Radiant Diamond Cave Forest Monastery) in
November. However, the situation there is still not completely clear,
so it was decided to postpone any visits until things are properly
arranged.
After
leaving Birken my travels took me to the Sunshine Coast, northwest of
Vancouver, where friends had organized an afternoon talk and
meditation in the very suitable Sechelt Botanical Gardens.
Surprisingly, nearly sixty people turned up, even with some
last-minute cancellations. A number of people did journey from
Vancouver, however, and members from various local meditation groups
participated. Fortunately I was also able to stay for a few days to
meet with Dhamma friends and visit several places along the very
scenic coastline. One special highlight was visiting the museum of
the native Indians and learning about their long connection with the
land, estimated to be 16,000 years! We often forget how 'new', and
thus how impermanent, our modern culture actually is.
After
a few days in the Vancouver area, I then caught the ferry to Victoria
on Vancouver Island. The very active Victoria Insight Meditation
Group had arranged for me to give a day-long workshop on Saturday and
the weekly Sunday night talk. The workshop, held in a large house
with spacious grounds, was well-attended by a diligent group of
meditators, and the Sunday talk gave occasion for some engaging
questions. Quite fortuitously I was offered dental cleaning and
examination just as tooth pain was increasing, resulting in an
emergency root canal before beginning my longer travels. Anumodana to
Rhonda and those who helped cover the expenses.
Recordings of the teachings in Victoria can be obtained from the following addresses:
October 29 2016 Retreat recordings
Oct 30 2016 Sunday Night talk recording
My
next stop on my way to Thailand was at Abhayagiri monastery in
Redwood Valley, northern California. I had not visited Abhayagiri in
nearly ten years, and it was quite a revelation to see all the
changes which have taken place during that time. The monastery has
just celebrated its twentieth anniversary and has now almost
completed the original plans to provide all the facilities suitable
for a full-fledged Forest Monastery. The finishing off of the new
Dhamma Hall/ Kitchen complex was still under way, but the main
structure is in place and will hopefully be usable by the New Year.
Ajahn Passano and the Sangha have gone to great lengths to design the
'perfect' facility, complete with children's play room, depository
for departed ones' ashes, rooms for elderly monastics and ample
storage. The very attractive Dhamma Hall has under-floor heating and
under-ceiling cooling, with a covered 'over-spill' area for larger
events, and is adjacent to the large commercial-style kitchen, but
sheltered from it by a central storage area. All the facilities are,
of course, earthquake-proof and wheelchair-accessible, and will
eventually link in with the present toilet facilities, office-complex
and eating hall through a covered cloister around a garden, when the
faithful old house is removed.
New Dhamma Hall and Kitchen on right, old house in middle, present Dhamma Hall on left.
Of
course, Ajahn Passano has not only been busy with building projects,
but has also put substantial energy into 'building' the Sangha. There
were nearly twenty resident monastics, two Anagarikas and one Novice
receiving the precepts during my stay, with a very comprehensive and
thorough training programme in place. Some twenty-five huts are
carefully spread around the steeply-sided valley, providing
opportunities for solitude in the exceptionally quiet environment. I
had forgotten how remote the monastery is in heavily-populated
California (more people live in California than in Canada!) However,
it is on a minor road through the mountains, even though quite easily
accessible from San Francisco.
My Saturday night Dhamma talk and photos of the Precept Ceremony can be found on the Abhayagiri website.
The
Power of Silence
Some
people ask me why I prefer to frequent the more remote and sometimes
not so comfortable monasteries, rather than those with more
comfortable facilities. One of Ajahn Chah's teachings, presented as a
word-play on two key Thai terms, is that the aspiration for a
monastic is for peacefulness ('sangop') while that for the
non-monastic is for comfort ('sabai'). While I do appreciate some
basic comforts, my main interest is being in an especially peaceful,
quiet place which is very supportive of meditation, and such places
are increasingly harder to find in this ever-busier, ever more
crowded world.
In
the simplest way we can say that silence manifests in two distinct
ways: externally and internally. Thus someone could be in a very
silent place and yet not 'hear' the silence owing to the noise in
their own mind. Conversely, someone could be in a very noisy place
and yet still hear the inner silence of their own mind. There is also
the silence which is merely the absence of noise, and the silence
which is ever-present. Of course, the real crux is to remain in the
ever-present silence when the external noise contains elements which
could lead to greed, hatred and delusion. The two main types of
silence, the external and the internal, are also inter-relational,
especially in the sense that the outer silence can support the inner
silence, and the inner silence may help us hear the outer silence.
The
Buddha recommended quiet places for meditation. The mind which is
continually processing noise is in a more activated or aroused state,
which is not conducive to a quiet state of mind, whereas a quiet,
peaceful environment allows the mind to settle into a more relaxed,
open and receptive state. Indeed, probably the most important aspect
of living in a quiet environment is that it allows us to hear more
directly the noise in our own minds. When attention is not occupied
with processing noise, it is available to notice many other things.
And this can help us to investigate the fundamental sources of the
internal noise and enable the possibility of freeing the mind from
its disturbances.
When
my own mind quietens down somewhat, I can then hear the mental
processes more clearly, whether it is thinking, planning, memories or
whatever. This also works the other way around -- if I notice
thoughts arising, I just need to turn my attention to the outer
silence and my thoughts quiet down, as if they have just been
absorbed by the engulfing external silence.
Silence,
whether external or internal, allows us to see the bigger picture,
the picture unlimited by our self-reference. Like gazing into the
star-filled night sky or across a vast landscape, listening to
silence reminds us that we are infinitesimal specks within the
eternity of space and time. All our nagging worries or precious
thoughts are actually of little importance in the greater reality of
things.
The
silence, of course, is always there. Thoughts come and go, some
return, but the silence remains. And when thoughts fall silent, there
is just the vivid present moment in all its immediacy – just this.
No plans, no worries, no fears, no doubts. Just clarity, lightness,
vitality. Someone who has experienced the great peace of the deep
inner silence gains confidence that it is readily available and
ever-present. Our practice is continuously cultivating the means to
reclaim the silence which is the inherent nature of the mind.
In
the middle of December I will leave the outer silence of Poo Jom Gom
for several weeks in Bangkok to visit the dentist, give a four-day
retreat and a talk in Thai and respond to several invitations. This
is always a test of the ability to keep connected to the inner
silence in a particularly noisy environment (without resorting to
merely blocking out the noise). Before Christmas I should be back in
Poo Jom Gom for a quiet 'Festive Season' and New Year celebration.
Wishing
you all peaceful holidays and a rewarding New Year.
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