Recollection: A day building the chedi at Wat Phu Din Dang. Recounted by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Building projects ] [Stupas/monuments] [Work] [Wat Phu Din Dang] // [Ajahn Mahā Suporn] [Ajahn Jayanto] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Ajahn Liem] [Medicinal requisites] [Merit]
Abhayagiri 25th Anniversary Retreat (2021), Session 11, Excerpt 4
4. “When we have a retreat work period that requires us to leave a sitting after 15 or 30 minutes, should we come to the meditation hall and leave early or just practice elsewhere for that period?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation retreats] [Work] // [Abhayagiri] [Posture/Walking] [Posture/Sitting]
Story: A good doorknob. [Building projects]
7. “Did Ajahn Chah ever have to use any especially powerful methods of pushing people away when the time came for them to go somewhere else?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Fierce/direct teaching] [Ajahn Chah] // [Respect]
Story: The unpopular branch monastery. [Wat Pah Supattaram] [Thai Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Building projects] [Abbot] [Fasting]
9. Quote: During the construction of a new hall, an engineer asks when it will be finished. “Tonight. Comes the evening, it’s finished. Tomorrow morning, I might do it again.” — Ajahn Liem. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Liem] [Building projects] [Wat Pah Pong] [Relinquishment]
7. “You spoke this morning about how monks don’t have money and don’t handle money. How does a monastery deal with purchasing materials?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Not handling money] [Commerce/economics] // [Monastery organizational structure] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Abhayagiri] [Building projects] [Almsfood]
Story: A wheel falls off the old Abhayagiri van. [Simplicity]
5. Story: Abhayagiri’s first kutis. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Lodging] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Building projects]
10. Story: Ajahn Liem declares that the Abhayagiri’s Reception Hall will last at least 150 years. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Liem] [Building projects] [Lodging] [Abhayagiri]
10. “For the next 25 years, what will be the leading light for the direction of Abhayagiri? Is there any collective vision?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Abhayagiri] [Saṅgha] // [Building projects] [Lodging]
6. Story: Ajahn Pasanno invited Ajahn Sudanto to return to Abhayagiri in 2002, where he spends most of the next 12 years. Told by Ajahn Sudanto. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Sudanto] [Tudong] [Abhayagiri]
Quote: “Twenty-five years on, we’re still building the monastery. It’s a bit like a cathedral project.” [Building projects]
11. Serendipitous generosity in the early days of Abhayagiri. Recollections by Ajahn Amaro. [Lay supporters] [Generosity] [Abhayagiri] // [Buddha images] [Building projects] [Lodging]
4. Recollection: A day building the chedi at Wat Phu Din Dang. Recounted by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Building projects ] [Stupas/monuments] [Work] [Wat Phu Din Dang] // [Ajahn Mahā Suporn] [Ajahn Jayanto] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Ajahn Liem] [Medicinal requisites] [Merit]
11. Reflection by Ajahn Ñāṇiko: Ajahn Liem’s ethos regarding building projects: creating a secluded place to practice. [Ajahn Liem] [Lodging ] [Building projects] [Seclusion] [Meditation] // [Eight Precepts] [Generosity] [Sutta]
10. You were quite involved in Ajahn Chah’s funeral as well. I heard that a million Thai people visited during the funeral period. Comment by Sol Hanna. [Ajahn Chah] [Funerals] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Trust]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Building projects]
Follow-up: “How do you think it went?” Aswered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Wat Pah Pong] [Lodging] [Food] [Eating after noon] [Not handling money] [Free distribution]
2. Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno: The early days of Abhayagiri were simple and basic. [Requisites] [Abhayagiri] // [Lay supporters] [Building projects] [Generosity] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support]
Quote: “It was like a Buddhist trailer park.” [Lodging]
2. Quote: “Be very careful what you build, because you’ve got to look after it.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Building projects] [Lodging] // [Simplicity]
9. “How do we cultivate faith?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Faith ] // [Culture/West] [Sutta] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Buddha images] [Devotional practice] [Recollection/Saṅgha]
Recollection: Ajahn Liem estimates he has built at least 20 monasteries. [Ajahn Liem] [Building projects] [Master Hsu Yun]