Sthanashraddha is Bhante’s secretary. He writes from Adhisthana, UK:

"As we come to the end of May, Adhisthana has become quite steamy. What with the hot summery weather and then the last few days of heavy showers and thunderstorms the air is humid and the hills have disappeared in a white haze of moisture. Having said all that, it’s been a glorious time for the gardens and gardening. Many new plants have gone in and now they have all been very well watered.

Though the gardens have been a hive of activity, the annexe has felt a little quiet compared to last month, which saw some 55 visitors meeting with Bhante, one or two of them more than once. So this month Bhante has seen the following people from 1 May to 31 May:

Amalavajra, Rijusiddha, Upekshalia, Robert Ellis, Ewan Cushan, Dharmaprabha, Valentina Cartei, Pasadadipa, Shantipada, Guhyasiddhi, Dr Bhawana Sonaware, Lilamati, Kamalasiri, Olmer Rendon, Jack Stephenson, Mirko Meyer, Chris Blankendaal, Vinod Gaikwad, Pablo Sierra, Dennis Jagestad, De Ji, Lalitaratna, Sanghadarsini, Bodhamayi, Maitrisambhava, Acalagita, Parami, Vessantara, Aryadhi, Padmadrishti, Suryagupta, Amoghamati, Viryajyoti, Karunada, Vairocana, Saddhanandi, Akasalila, Karunavajra, Subhanandi, Gus Miller, Maitrivasin and Maitripushpa.

Along with visitors Bhante continues to enjoy a healthy amount of incoming correspondence from around the order and movement and various friends, relations and even occasional researchers and academics.

And then, of course, he also continues to have Shabda read to him and also many of the pieces written by Order members on the Buddhist Centre online.

Currently Bhante is listening to Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time, for the second time, and recently enjoyed the autobiography of Rumer Godden author of Black Narcissus and a whole host of other books. Suvajra, in the evenings, has also been reading to him Analayo’s recent book Rebirth in Early Buddhism and Current Research.

Bhante also completed writing two shorter pieces this month sharing some of his dreams: Dreams Old and New 1 and 2.

And finally a very fine Rupa of Jambhala (with a bit of Padmasambhava about him) was blessed by Bhante for the FutureDharma office, soon followed by a Padmasambhava rupa who arrived in the post having been very carefully packed by Akuppa. He to was blessed and returned to Newcastle in time for their opening ceremony on 2 June. With metta, Sthanashraddha."