Ashvajit is Bhante's secretary. He writes from Adhisthana, in Herefordshire, UK:

"Here at Adhisthana there is every sign of spring: retreatants sunning themselves on benches or on the grass, flowers blooming, trees leafing, birds singing, and by at least one calculation, 31 ducklings scuttling over the surface of the ponds.

Until the last few days, the weather has been too cool for Bhante to venture out except on one occasion to visit the barber in the nearby village of Bosbury. However, the sun is now perceptibly warmer, and he has taken several strolls alongside the pond in the company of Buddhadasa, and even enjoyed the sun while seated on his usual bench.

Bhante’s health is much as usual - quite good - and despite the occasional night of bad sleep, he is reasonably well-rested most nights. This means he has had sufficient energy to attend to his correspondence, listen to Shabda, pay close attention to literary matters, listen to talking books and to the BBC news, and to see someone every other day or so, sometimes for up to half an hour.

He is currently preparing for his sixth recording session with Saddhanandi during which he will talk about three objects which were of particular significance from his 50th to 60th years.

Here is my list of people, apart from his carers, whom Bhante has been able to see during the past month: Amoghasiddhi, Anya, Aryavachin, Atapini, Dharmabandhu, Katerin Felix-Gregory, Khemasiri, Lokamitra, Lucy Norris, Maitrivir-Nagarjun, Manjuvajra, Megha, Padmadhara, Paolo, Prajnaketu, Prajnasahaya, Saddhaloka, Sravaniya, Subhuti, Ujumani, Vassika, Vidyaruci, Yashosagar, Zoe.

With much metta, Ashvajit"

See previous diary entry for more detail about the recording sessions with Saddhanandi.