News from
Muttodaya
- End of the year 2011 news
Development:
An anti-roof avalanche railing has been installed on the main building.
The well water supply has been improved by the installation of an
anti-acidity-applyance.
- Sima consecration on November 6th 2010
To
do an official sangha transaction (sanghakamma) in a Buddhist monastery
a determined territory, a so called sima is necessary. It is of
advantage if the monastic community itself determines a tailor made
territory which suits the specific needs, e.g. around an ordination
hall. In Asia every fully established monastery has such a "tied-off"
sima, but in Europe there are but a few, for example in Amaravati
monastery, England.
On Nov. 6th, 2010 Muttodaya sangha
established such a baddhasima. Two monks each from Metta Vihara and
Bodhi Vihara monasteries helped on the day before the ceremony with
preliminary duties (revoking any unknown previous sima). During the
sanghakamma for determining the new sima, Luang Phor Sanong Katapuñño
(Wat Sanghathaan, Thailand) was the presiding senior monk.
To
mark the territory granit balls were used. They had been dangling
suspended on wooden frames above dug holes in the ground for the last 4
months. More than 300 guests plastered them with gold leaves. Some of
them had travelled from afar (Singapore, Malaysia ...).
At
exactly 14.14 hrs. (2.14 p.m.) the patrons, among them the Royal Thai
Ambassador, cut the ropes and made the balls drop into the earth. A few
days later eklogite boulders with brass plaquettes were placed on top
as a visible sign. Eklogite is a very heavy and hard mineral which is
quite rare. The boulders which are 500 Mio years old were donated by
the mayor of Stammbach, Mr Ehrler.
Half an hour after
"dropping the pinballs" the sangha kamma for establishing the sima took
place. An impressive sight: 11 bhikkhus from 7 countries. Later
patimokkha was recited in the brand new sima and Ven. Kaccayana
finished the day in a worthy way with his talk on sense restraint "Sima
of the Heart".
photos on our photo page and on following links:
[Cheng Geok Thong's gallery]
[Jian Jen Thong's gallery]
[Simatrix - Mutto-Minimovie]
[Muttodaya Sima - Muttomovie]
Building
The second winterproof monks' kuti is near to completion.
The cellar in the main building got wall plastering, a door and a
concrete floor. It contains the new well water filter system which
provides officially approved drinking water for every tap in the house.
The info room received a new ceiling, the gas containers a weather
proof box. The small wood shed was renovated and the big one was roofed
with tiles. Several rooms in the main building became more colourful
due to some paint jobs. The central heating room and the trailer
got new floors. A beautiful shrine for our even more beautiful new
buddha image was built in the Dhamma hall. The Dhamma hall windows and
other windows were adorned with Dhamma wheel stickers (the real reason
was to prevent birds from flying against the glass and breaking their
necks). At the Dhamma hall entrance a brass sign "Ger Stahl-Dhamma
halle" dedicates the hall to our first main sponsor without whom this
monastery would not exist.
Forest
The
path for walking meditation near kuti 1 was improved. Underground
cables connect kuti 1 and consecutively kuti 2 with electricity. The
meadow behind the main building was turned into a forest - more than
500 trees were planted.
Other
We have a new (second hand) monastery car with the auspicious license number HO-TU 108.
Two booklets for free distribution were printed (sorry, German only!).
Visitors
A number of monks and nuns came for a visit, among them Ajahn Jayasaro and Luang Phor Thong Daeng Varapañño,
The
monastics of Muttodaya visited Bodhi-Vihara monastery, Freising for a
recitation of the Patimokkha (10 monks attending!) and for networking
with other monasteries in Germany.
Many, many thanks and "Sadhu, anumodana" to all the generous helpers and donors who made this positive development happen!
- End of the
Year 2009 News
Building
The first
winterproof kuti has been finished. It has become a quiet, warm and inspiring
place of retreat which is now inhabited by Tan Mettiko. His former
accomodation, a trailer, is no longer needed (no-one else wants to stay in it)
and is to be “exchanged” for building material. The building of kuti 2 has
begun.
Various
tasks of renovation around the main building and barn have been completed.
Improvement of the water supply is still to be done: replacing 200 m of old
underground cable to the well pump, a water filtering device complying with
strict German law.
The meadow
behind the house will be turned into forest. The application process is under way.
Along the main path Michael has planted 10 taller trees as some kind of natural
border of the monastery land.
The
existing forest is being rejuvenated gradually. Tightly standing trees are
being thinned out. Firewood for our modern wood central heating has been
chopped; our own harvest should be enough for this winter.
Personal
Since November
21st we got a new Anagarika. Markus Garz asked for the eight
precepts and the one-year training in order to prepare for novice ordination.
Three
Buddhas
The Buddha
statue which receives most bows by the monks is the one on the shrine in the
Sangha room. Here the monastic community takes the meal; here meetings are held
and if there are less than four monks present (that is the case most of the
time) uposatha is held here as well. Until November the room had a statue given
on temporary loan. When it was taken back by the owners we could replace it by
a very beautiful replica of the famous Sarnath Buddha (donated by Sian from Malaysia).
The Buddha
statue which receives most incense sticks is the one on top of our stupa. The
ground covering roses that have been planted there were in blossom until
November, much to the amazement of our gardening specialists. It looked as if
the Buddha was sitting on top of a heap of flowers. In the meantime the roses have
been covered with straw and spruce twigs to protect them from severe winter
conditions. Now it looks more like a huge advent wreath.
The Buddha
statue which receives most participation in the process of becoming is the one
that is going to be cast for our Dhamma hall: a Naga Buddha cast after an
ancient statue from the Sri Vijaya period (around 1000 C.E.). Many donors,
especially from Thailand, Malaysia and Singhapore, made it possible that the
main statue can be cast on December 23rd near Bangkok. The Naga
figure will follow in January. A number of Thai meditation masters and well
known Western monks will be present to give their blessing. The statue is
expected to arrive at the monastery around April 2010.
- First Patimokkha Recitation
On
Asalha Puja Day, the full moon in July, with a little help from our
friends (bhikkhus from Freising), we could complete the
quorum (4 bhikkhus minimum) for our first patimokkha recitation at the
monastery. The recitation of the 227 rules is something special,
because it establishes a monastic communion (samvasa) and reconfirms
the ordination lineage going all the way back to the Buddha. A truly
auspicious event! It got even better when in the afternoon relics were
enshrined underneath the Buddha statue on top of our new stupa. The
stupa was then dedicated to the 28 Buddhas of the past, in a little
ceremony performed by 5 bhikkhus and attended by about 50 lay people.
- Message from Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi
"During
his early years as a monk in Burma and Sri Lanka, Ven. Nyanatiloka had
dreamed
of establishing a Buddhist monastery in Europe to serve as a base for
the
spread of the Dhamma across the Continent. In 1910, he actually
returned to
Europe in the hope of realizing his dream. Conditions in Europe,
however, were
far from favorable for this purpose, and thus, after several months, he
returned to Sri Lanka. Here he established the Island Hermitage, a
monastery
for Westerners on Ratgama Lagoon, which became the ordination home of
many
esteemed monks from Western countries, including the German
scholar-monk
Nyanaponika Thera.
Now, almost a century after Ven. Nyanatiloka gave up on his dream, the
requisite supporting conditions have come together and led to the
founding of
Muttodaya, a Theravada monastery inhabited by European monks,
established in
the heart of Germany. To live the renunciant life in the midst of a
Western
country requires a rare combination of qualities. It needs courage to
face
challenging conditions, patience to meet incomprehension and rejection
from
others, and compassion in persisting to teach the Dhamma so that people
can
grow in faith and wisdom.
As they complete their first year of residence at Muttodaya, I
congratulate the
monks of the monastery for undertaking this great task and thereby
helping to
fulfill the original ideal of Ven. Nyanatiloka. I also express my
appreciation
to their lay supporters for assisting the monks and contributing to
this
endeavor, which opens an important new chapter in the history of
Buddhism in
Germany."
- Development at the monastery
(see also our photo page)
Visitors
after the rains:
For our
Kathina celebration Bhante Anuruddha (Mettavihara) and Tan Nyanadassano
(Amaravati) came for a visit and helped to sew the Kathina robe.
During
winter Ajahn Vimalo, Ajahn Kongrit and Ajahn Hasakhorn came from
England (Amaravati) and stayed for a while. Also Ajahn Kevali (Wat Pah
Nanachat), Bhante Sukhacitto (Amaravati) and Bhikkhu Thitadhamma (Bodhi
Vihara Freising) have come for a visit. Lama Lhündrup came for 2 days
for some intertradition dialogue.
Meditation master Tan Pu Ton Dhammarato from Wat Pa Darn
Vivek, Nong Khai, Thailand, came for a 4 days visit end of June - a
real blessing for all who took the opportunity to listen to his Dhamma
straight from the heart and were touched by his metta.
Construction:
Our wood shed
is done. Because of its extended roof it can also be used for outdoor
walking meditation if the weather is bad.
Renovation of the Dhamma
hall
is finished. It has become an inspiring, quiet place, inviting
to do
meditation. Thanks to our many helpers, esp. Dietmar,
Herbert, Klaus, Manfred und Beate.
The monastery sign
was finally mounted after the danger of roof avalanches was over. Many
thanks to Leo who donated it.
Almost 100 trees
were planted to turn the meadow behind the main building into a forest.
Good job by Jason, Jochen and Philip.
Work on 2 fully insulated kutis
(huts) which can be used in the winter has begun.
Phase one of our stupa
project has been finished as well.
- Muttodaya Kloster im Frankenwald, So leben die
Buddhisten:
Bayerisches Fernsehen - Frankenschau, a TV report from 7. December 2008
[link]
- TV Oberfranken, 24. July 2008
The
First Buddhist Monastery near Stammbach - A report about the
life of monks at Muttodaya
[link]
- Article in FOCUS 7th July 2008
The
major German language news magazine reported on "Nirwana im
Frankenwald" (Nirvana in the Franconian Forest) and put an interview
with Ajahn Cattamalo on www.focus.de/cattamalo (German only).
On
the 25th May there was a Vesak (Visakha) celebration
and the
formal dedication of the monastery to the monks' community
(bhikkhu-sangha) of the four quarters, present and future. About 60
people from all parts of Germany have gathered for this occasion. Among
them were sponsors who made the purchase of the property possible
through their generous donations. After the actual dedication, the
monks chanted auspicious Paritta texts in Pali. Apart from two resident
monks (Ajahn Cattamalo, Bhikkhu Gavesako) there were also three
visiting monks (Ajahn Chachwan, Bhante Sukhacitto, Ajahn Kevali). They
were representing the Sangha which, according to the Vinaya, is a group
of four or more monks.
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