March

A moment’s pause…

The Akashavana community appreciating a moment of stillness - a small bardo between the activity of preparation and the actual arrival of the team for the ordination retreat. The wind whooshing through the trees and rattling the doors and windows with its message.

The house feeling quiet. We have been blessed by the company of Viryapadma, Padmaketu, Ujjala and Guhyasakhi and especially all their practice, effort and energy in the set up of the centre for the retreat(s). Clearing, fixing, making, painting, cleaning, cutting, sawing, fetching and carrying. Pruning and planting. Climbing up ladders and scrambling down slopes. Scrubbing and dusting and sanding. And sitting together to open and close the days.

April

And now everyone on the spring ordination retreat has arrived! Two weeks in and all seems well. We are receiving the rain which has been with us for a couple of days with thanks - the downpour that was forecast has blown past us but the ground is wet and the plants are perking up. All the wee lettuces that went in the vegetable bed a few days ago are finding their feet (?) and looking very promising. In the community this year we’re trying out the 3 sisters planting in one of the beds - maize, beans and squash - not sure how it’s going to work out as already done things a bit differently in terms of timings - but really enjoying starting the process and tending to the little plants which for the most part were lovingly seeded by Guhyasakhi. Re-promising to prioritise growing time - somehow it slips to the bottom of the list maybe due to a lack of confidence and experience on my part - but it affords such deep pleasure to put hands in the earth and experience intimacy with the growing medium and the life of the seeds and plants…note to self to remember this when juggling to-do lists.

May

Visitors to the community - Ratnadharini paid us a visit for a few days and Maitreyi is here as I write. Ujjala has now returned to life in Mexico after being in the community for 2 months. I really enjoy the process and practice of the community during the retreat season - we expand and shrink and it’s always a pleasure for me to experience the differences in the configurations. And many dharmacharinis who come and stay are so familiar with Akashavana that they are able to arrive and make themselves at home almost immediately. This I really love! As well of course as introducing people to the community and introducing our systems and ways of being together here.

We’re getting a bit more rain - as I write I can only just see Peñarroya rock through the mist - and it’s also a bit chilly for this time of year although the forecast is for warmer temperatures in the next week or so - to be a bit more consistent with what we might expect at this time. For now.

Padmasakhi and I have done some study over the past couple of days with Maitreyi, based on Bhante’s writings around animism. It’s been very interesting and has stimulated thoughtful discussion and reflection.

Thank you to everyone who's been here so far this year - you've all brought in different aspect of practice or inspiration or area of interest and I am happy to be slightly and sometimes not-so-slightly altered by our conversations.

I look forward to seeing those of you who will be arriving in the coming days/weeks/months. 

With love to all

Bodhipaksini