Saturday, January 15, 2011

A Welcome Letter!

I was so pleased to hear from an old friend today.

Dear Bodhisatva,
I hope this finds you well and ready to engage the new year with happiness. We all thank you for the gift of the cavorite specimen. I have placed it under a bronze bell in the meditation room to restrain it from floating away. We have found the humming sound surprisingly soothing and conducive to mindfulness.

The last year has been a very good one for the monastery. All of the buildings are wearing new paint and the roof of the spring house is back where it belongs. Two more monks joined us this year so we now number seven. Our garden was very productive and it looks as though we will not starve this winter.

Should your explorations bring you to our humble country know you are always welcome to visit and stay as long as you wish. Bikkhu Upali has asked me to tell you we've christened the door key Bodhisatva because it hangs from the beam by the stove--though by a cord, not by its tail!--as you did so many cold nights.

Here is some news you may find interesting. Bikkhu Sariputra visited the monastery recently. Though I hesitate to remind you of that terrible day, you must recall that he was the monk who brought you to us when your poor parents were taken from the world in that tragic accident. In fact, this was the first time since then that he has visited as he resides in the Nakorn Monastery in Siam and travels infrequently. We were pleased to be able to tell him some of your travels and studies and have shared your address with him. He will, doubtless, write to you himself very soon.

May you be safe, well, happy and free!

Venerable Ajahn Ananda


I miss my friends at the monastery very much and really should visit again some day soon.

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