When traveling in Thailand last year, Ajahn Sudanto was gifted a beautiful new Buddha Rupa for the Monks’ Retreat House that is planned for the Hermitage. The image depicts the Buddha’s first teaching at Deer Park, and the statue is a replica of a renowned piece of Indian art from about 500 CE (more details here in this web post).
It is particularly meaningful that this extraordinary Buddha image offered is the twin of the one at Wat Pah Boonlorm, an Ajahn Chah lineage monastery in Thailand. And it is timely that the offering was made specifically for the new Monks’ Retreat House to be built at the Hermitage. Architectural Plans have been completed, and everything is in place to move forward with this important project as soon as sufficient funds have been raised. And now the beautiful new Buddha Rupa has arrived!
The Monks Retreat House is important because currently there are no suitable accommodations to house esteemed elders in our tradition such as Luang Por Pasanno, Luang Por Sucitto, visiting Thai senior Ajahns, or others in that generation of senior monastics. Once the Retreat House is built, we will be able to invite these elders to spend extended periods of time with us right here in White Salmon.
We are hoping to have the project largely funded by 2027 so it may be completed by our 20th anniversary in 2030. While it is a bold goal, the immense value to the community and impact on the Sangha makes us hopeful we can achieve it.
For anyone who is interested in contributing, you can donate through the Sanghata organization that supports the monks. You can designate the funds for the project by putting “Monks Retreat House” in the comment. Anumodana!
And on a Separate Note…Join us for the July Garden Party on July 4th
The July Garden Party will be held on Saturday, July 4th. As usual, the day begins with the meal at 11:00 AM (please join at 10:30 if you are bringing a dish), and work on the land begins after meal cleanup. Tea and Dhamma discussion starts around 3:00 PM.