Rugged Interdependency - Amaravati Buddhist Monastery

Golden Highways Revisited: 1998We diminuendoed at 10:00 a.m. closing with some more stern encouragementson the Five Precepts. Once again the folks were wide-eyed at the concept of hiriottappa(moral sensitivity) as blessing rather than neurosis but, by now, they seemedto get the point. Judaeo-Christian conditioning always seems to incline the hearttoward identifying with the feelings of regret around harm that we have done ordishonesty that we have displayed. It inflames the feeling of “I am guilty and abad person” whereas hiriottappa manifests without any quality of “I” involved init at all. It’s still an emotionally painful feeling but it needs to be to do its job. Justas physical pain is nasty but by that protects the body, so too hiriottappa is painfulbut it protects the heart. It’s only when the ego hijacks it and takes it over that ittransmutes into a neurotic guilt fixation.Glenn, Sandra (this day was also her birthday) and others all plugged noblyfor a repeat next year – to every one of these the reply was given: “The future isuncertain.”June 23 rdThe night flight passed easily and sleeplessly – washed down with The Apostle,The Man in the Iron Mask and an absurd comedy about an anthropologist in NewGuinea. As the last movie drew to its close we tilted for landing and pulled up tothe terminal in a chill and grey, rainy English summer morn. Welcome home.Zipping though the arrivals, a fellow called Ray from Amaravati steppedforward to say hello and carry me off, along a mobile but depressing M25 – everythingis very green but the skies are heavy and ready to deliver more of theirmoisture very soon.We pull into Amaravati to be met by Ajahn Attapemo and the sight of the newcloister walls – the whole of the courtyard has now been given over to the creationof the Temple and its attendant structures and today they are pegging out, andstarting the digging, on the Abbot’s kutī by the lily pond.Stepping into the sālā, Ajahns Vipassi, Akiñcano and Upekkhā are clusteredin a post-gruel chat together; at the other end Luang Por Sumedho is ensconcedwith some new visitors. Now we are really home again! The scene of hundredsof days of meeting and greeting and talking in such ways – with dear friends andDhamma-farers – comes back with a sweet aftertaste. I sit down and join them as ifno time had passed. An hour goes by in their company, then with Luang Por andthen and then … I don’t make it out of the sālā until 2:00 p.m., when I beg relieffrom the latest round of well-wishers and news bearers. I snooze deeply for anhour and then go to Luang Por’s caravan for another chat at 3:00. Patimokkha recitationat 4:00 in the Temple – fluidly rendered by Tan Jutindharo (thankfully theyweren’t depending on me to do it) and then the evening flowed on to the pūjā anda talk from Luang Por Sumedho.It’s a small crew of bhikkhus these days (Ajahns Viradhammo and Kusalo wereaway) but all seems very harmonious. By the time we got to the Dhamma talk,however, it was so harmonious I almost merged with the furniture – delerium was97