Tan Jotimanto has left the Hermitage and will spend the second vassa at the Sumedhārāma Monastery in Portugal. Ajahn Sudanto will be the sole monk at the Hermitage for the vassa, so it is best to have meal offerings in groups with a male present.
Since April, there have been a lot of guests and events, as well as a fair amount of traveling for Ajahn Sudanto (including three weeks away hiking in July). Ajahn’s main focus now is on various monastery projects, maintenance, and improvements at the Hermitage.
It’s Almost Time for the Pah Bah
We are looking forward to the Pah Bah events the weekend of September 19th & 20th, and the schedule is shown below. Nine monastics are expected to attend, including Luang Por Pasanno, Ajahn Karunadhammo, Tan Suddhiko, and others from Abhayagiri Monastery, as well as Ajahns Kovilo and Nisabho from Clear Mountain Monastery. Proceeds from the Pah Bah will go toward the new Monks Retreat House, which we hope to be funded and built in advance of the Hermitage’s 20th anniversary in 2030. For more details, click here. (Note that if you are donating to the retreat house, please type “Monks Retreat House” in the comment.)
This year, there is a special event added to Saturday’s events. The shrine for the new Buddha Rupa has been set up, almost exactly where it will be when the Monks Retreat House is built. At the end of the meditation event at 6:00 PM, we will gather at the Hermitage at the new shrine. We will do blessing chants and recite the Dhammacakkapavatana Sutta – which the new Buddha rupa depicts – on the site of the future Retreat House. What a meaningful way to conclude the weekend!
As in recent years, events will be held at the Underwood Community Center, 951 School House Rd in Underwood, Washington (except the Saturday evening Buddharupa dedication event).
Saturday, Sept. 19
Meditation Retreat: 1:00 to 5:00 PM
Buddharupa Dedication: 6:00 PM at the Hermitage
Sunday, Sept. 20
Meal Offering: 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Pah Bah Ceremony & Dhamma Reflections: 1:00 to 3:00 PM
September Garden Party
September 5th will be our second to last garden party for the year, and an important one. In preparation for the Pah Bah, we will set up campsites and tidy the gardens and grounds: planting, pruning, weeding, raking, and grass trimming, plus pond maintenance. This is a great opportunity to connect with the community and Ajahn Sudanto. The weather has been fantastic and no special skills are needed; we hope to see you there.
The schedule is as usual, with the meal offering at 11:00 AM (come by 10:30 if you are bringing something for the meal), garden work occurring 1:00 – 3:00 PM, followed by tea with Ajahn.
Ongoing Events
Tuesday evenings at Columbia Gorge Yoga (formerly Yoga Samadhi) continue as always, with a one-hour silent meditation sit at 5:15 PM, followed by one hour meditation and Dhamma discussion at 6:30 PM.
There are three organized, group meal offerings each month that all are welcome to join.
- There are two meal gatherings organized by the Portland Friends of the Dhamma (PFoD) Upasika group: The 1st Tuesday and the 3rd Saturday of each month.
- The Gorge sangha meal offering group is on the 2nd Wednesday of the month.
Feel free to reach out to the dana coordinator (dana@pacifichermitage.org) for information or to join (or just come 😊), or to PFoD.