Starting Dhammagiri 20 Years Ago | First Forest Monastery in Brisbane | Ajahn Dhammasiha
Dhammagiri Buddhist PodcastsShow Notes
20 years ago on 13 August 2006, Brisbane Buddhist Vihara Inc (BBV) decided at a Special General Meeting to invite Ajahn Dhammasiha, to start a Forest Monastery associated with the tradition of Ajahn Chah in the Brisbane area. The next day on 14th August 2006, Dr Gamini Jayasinghe (President of BBV Inc) called Ajahn Dhammasiha to formally extend this invitation to him, and Ajahn accepted. Dr Gamini, his wife Rukmani, and the community of BBV made a very courageous decision with that invitation, as Ajahn had only 11 rains as a monk, was not well known at all, and lived at Vimokkharam, a small hermitage that was also quite unknown. BBV Inc would go on to sell their 3 acres large suburban property with nice house and granny-flat, and buy the property at 30 Ben Varden, which then would become Dhammagiri. This poperty had no water, no power, no sewage connection and no buildings, except a huge empty watertank (half million litres!). Only through the courage, determination, generosity and great faith of the very small group of early supporters could Dhammagiri be founded and ultimately flourish. In this podcast, Ajahn shares some stories of the early days...
14 August 2006 Ajahn Dhammasiha accepts the formal invitation by Dr Gamini, President of Brisbane Buddhist Vihara Inc, to lead the establishment of a Forest Monastery in the Brisbane area, associated with the lineage of Ajahn Chah
09 March 2007 Settlement of Purchasing Contract for Dhammagiri Property 30 Ben Varden Avenue, Kholo
15 March 2007 Luang Por Plien of Wat Aranyavivek, Chiang Mai, visits Dhammagiri property 30 Ben Varden Ave, und provides advice and encouragement (We will commemorate the 20th anniversary of this event on Sun 14 February 2027, together with our visiting guest Luang Por Vajiro)
28 & 29 April 2007 Moving to Dhammagiri property 30 Ben Varden Ave, and celebration of Vesak next day (We're planning the main event of our 20th Anniversary Celebrations for the weekend 15th & 16th May 2027. That's the weekend right before Vesak, just like we moved to Dhammagiri right before Vesak 20 years ago)
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Ajahn Dhammasīha reminds us that the ultimate end of our whole Dhamma practice is letting go.
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Ajahn Moneyyo recites the first chapters of the Vinaya Piṭaka, Mahāvagga 1. 1. to 1.6. in the original Pali language. These passages are the oldest and most authentic record of the events from the Buddha's supreme awakening (Sammā-sambodhi) under the Bodhi Tree at Uruvela (now Bodh Gaya) near the river Nerañjana, until the Buddha reunites with his first five disciples (Pañca-vaggiyā Bhikkhū) at the Deerpark near Vārānasī. Nowadays, these passages are rarely memorised and recited by monks; and even less known in the lay community, due to their inclusion in the Vinaya Pitaka, the part of the Tipitaka concerned with monastic discipline. However, they are truly inspiring, as they are providing the earliest record of the events directly following the Buddha's supreme enlightenment, in his own words. Fortunately, Ajahn Moneyyo has committed these passages to heart as part of his Dhamma practice in this year's vassa, and shared them with the other residents at Dhammagiri one morning, when we also did this recording.
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