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I mentioned briefly at the very end of last month's newsletter that we had been honoured with a short visit by the Most Venerable Bhaddanta Sobhita, the eighty-nine year old President of the Sangha Council of Myanmar (Burma), pictured with me above. He is the equivalent of what is known in Thailand as the Sangharaja, a title conferred there by command of the King. Neither a Sangharaja nor the President of a Sangha Council are necessarily their country's most senior monks but theirs is the principal role in the government and leadership of the Sangha in their country. With him was his deputy, Venerable U Kumara, the Secretary of Myanmar's Sangha Council. They were only able to be with us for a short while but it was a very friendly and enjoyable visit. Accompanying them were other monks, H E The Burmese Ambassador and his wife and representatives of the Burmese community, like our old friends Mr U Nay Win and Dr Kyaw Myint, who were helping to host the visit. Unfortunately a sudden shower of rain prevented us spending long at our English Shwe Dagon Pagoda but Ven Bhaddanta Sobhita had been delighted to learn that it was built by Ven U Thilawunta (also known as Aung Min Gaung Sayadaw) and he told me that they were both great friends.
Aung Min Gaung Sayadaw must be eighty-six now and it's exactly ten years since he was here, sitting out in the garden in a wicker chair, day after day, with his beads perpetually running through his fingers as he supervised a young assistant, ourselves and anyone who happened to be at hand to help with the creation of the cetiya which he named The English Shwe Dagon Pagoda and which we dedicated to the happiness and welfare of all beings.
Something else that has caused me to cast my mind even further back was the news of the death in Sri Lanka of the Most Venerable Balangoda Ananda Maitreya, Mahanayaka Thera. The Ven. Ananda Maitreya was the most respected scholar-monk in Sri Lanka over the past several decades and was well known among Western Theravadin Buddhists. He was only one month short of his 102nd birthday at the time of his death at the Sri Jayawardhanapura General Hospital on Saturday, July 18th. He was given a State Funeral the following Thursday. I think that Ven Ananda Maitreya really came to prominence in the West with his appearance on the programme devoted to Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the Long Search series for television that came out in 1978. I first met him in the old London Buddhist Vihara in 1981 when I invited him to stay with us on the Isle of Wight and ordain as a samanera the young man who was then staying with me. He accepted and spent a memorable week with us. Then a few years later, after I'd moved to Warwickshire and The Forest Hermitage had been acquired I invited him to the Grand Opening, an event which included an evening programme on the Friday and a Dana the following morning. He came and stayed overnight on November 2nd 1985 for the ceremonies that marked the Grand Opening of The Forest Hermitage. Obviously I never had the time to get to know him well but while everyone will attest to his vast learning and scholarship and go on about all the books he wrote, I would like to pay tribute to an attitude which seemed almost entirely without prejudice. I listened to him talk about different teachings, even different religions and I heard him ask people which system of meditation they would like him to teach them and I never heard him rubbish any of it nor say that one system was better than another or that this or that was the right or the only way. And the other interesting thing was that he never seemed confused or at sea with his knowledge, but entirely at home with this great reservoir to be tapped and used but never to be a burden. These, of course, are only fleeting impressions, others knew him better than I and for them especially his passing, even at such a great age, must be a loss but for all of us it's been a blessing to have known such a one as this. If he hasn't already, may he attain to the perfect peace of Nibbana.
Coming back a little closer to the here and now, I'd like to bring you news of a forthcoming almsgiving and what will amount to an Angulimala Weekend but first let me tell you about a young Burmese lad who joined us as a novice for two weeks.
It is a well established tradition amongst the Buddhists of South-East Asia that at some time in their lives men should spend at least a short while in the robe and it's often considered an essential part of a young man's preparation for the rest of his life. It's not been as common or necessary for girls and women to do this but now that Thai tradition does not require of a temporary nun that she forfeit her hair, short-term ordinations for females are on the increase. Some monasteries are very easy-going and allow ordination even as bhikkhus for ridiculously short periods, while others require a pretty serious commitment. There was a time when I took a more critical and cynical view of such temporary ordinations than I do now. Although I still regard the full admission as a bhikkhu to be too complex and difficult a commitment for a short-time ordination I obviously appreciate what it means to go forth with robes and bowl in the footsteps of the Buddha and if time and opportunity are limited I am quite willing to permit the going forth as a samanera. The first bhikkhus were ordained by the Buddha himself with the words: 'Come, bhikkhu, the Dhamma is well proclaimed. Live the holy life for the complete ending of suffering.' But with the passing of time and the growth of the Sangha, the responsibility for Sangha matters shifted from the Buddha to the Sangha itself until, as now, it became the Sangha that conferred the ordination. When his young son, Prince Rahula, asked for his inheritance the Buddha responded by having Venerable Sariputta give the child the going forth as the first samanera (somewhat inadequately translated as 'novice'). He allowed the going forth then to be given by means of the Three Refuges. That procedure for novices has since been expanded to include a formal request, some instruction, a meditation subject and the taking of the Refuges and Ten Precepts. The samanera ordination is usually thought of as particularly for boys since even quite young children can become samaneras while to be a bhikkhu one must be at least twenty, however, the going forth as a samanera has to be observed by everyone before receiving the full admission as a bhikkhu. For different kinds of Sangha business different numbers of bhikkhus are required to complete the quorum, thus for the recitation of the Patimokkha at least four are necessary, while for an ordination in Northern Central India where once bhikkhus were plentiful a minimum of ten are required. Elsewhere the quorum for an ordination is five. Of these one must be an elder who sponsors the candidate and presides over the proceedings. When the candidate has been instructed, questioned, introduced, then questioned again, the motion is put to the Sangha that this novice wishes for ordination as a bhikkhu and is suitable, he is sponsored by the presiding elder and has all the requirements complete. This is announced a further three times with a request that should any bhikkhu present object to this person being ordained he should voice that objection. If all remain silent then at the completion of the third announcement it is taken that this is agreeable to the Sangha and the ordination becomes valid.
The young man I mentioned was just approaching his fourteenth birthday when he decided that he would like to spend a portion of his summer holidays as a novice. He came to see me and we negotiated a suitable date and length of stay. His parents assured me that it was entirely his own decision and he went home to study and memorise the procedure. Then on July 19th, having had his head shaved, he prostrated to his parents and having received from them the robes and bowl he requested of me the going forth as a samanera and then for two weeks he stayed with us practising quietly and diligently as Samanera Khemacitto.
Over the years, as means have allowed, we've gradually upgraded the facilities here, including transforming the carpark from a glutinous hazard into a stable, asphalted area. Shortly, if all goes well, it will be the turn of the entrance and driveway to get a face-lift. On August 23rd an Almsgiving has been planned with the aim of raising funds to extend the tarmac down to the gate. This is being organised by Khun Ratana, Khun Yod and his wife, Khun Nit.
The Angulimala Weekend that I alluded to earlier will be on the 19th and 20th of September and will include one of the regular quarterly workshops on the Saturday and on the Sunday the annual celebration of the Buddha Grove at Springhill Prison. These workshops are for those already serving as Buddhist prison chaplains with by invitation a limited number of guests and prospective chaplains. At this next meeting we're hoping to welcome some visitors from Scotland who are interested in spreading the work of Angulimala into Scottish gaols. Our guest speaker will be Kevin Heal who is Head of the Prisoner Administration Group within the Prison Service. Every year since the Buddha Grove at Springhill was opened on October 31st 1992 we've been holding an annual celebration and since 1993 with enormous assistance from the Thai community that has included a massive Thai buffet for everyone, all the inmates and the guests. Traditionally, the evening ends with a spectacular candle-lit circumambulation of the entire Buddha Grove. As well as Angulimala's Patron, Lord Avebury, I understand that Richard Tilt, Director General of the Prison Service, and Martin Narey, Director of Services, have both accepted invitations to attend. If anyone reading this would like to come or wishes to help or contribute in any way, you're welcome to get in touch. Needless to say we're hoping it'll stay dry.