Rugged Interdependency - Amaravati Buddhist Monastery

Rugged InterdependencyTan Karunadhammo has learned to recite the Pātimokkha himself and hecompleted his ninth Rains in 2006. He has spent time at monasteries in England,New Zealand, Australia and at Bhavana Society in West Virginia; he is now residentat Abhayagiri once again.Ajahn Sudanto has similarly come and gone, to Thailand and Birken Monasteryin British Columbia [www.birken.ca], but he is also resident at Abhayagiri thesedays. He and Tan Karunadhammo plan to take up an invitation to spend theRains of 2007 near Portland OR, at the request of Portland Friends of the Dhamma[www.pdxdhamma.org].Over these foundational years of the Monastery these two monks, alongwith Tan Jotipālo, have been stalwart and generous members of the Abhayagiricommunity. They have helped greatly to support the practice and teaching ofDhamma here, both through their own spiritual commitment, as well as throughlooking after guests and the physical development of the site.The close friendship with the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas has continued tobe a blessing for both communities. We always have representatives at each other’sordinations and our monthly gatherings in the Bay Area now take place at theBerkeley Buddhist Monastery, where Rev. Heng Sure, one of Master Hua’s mostsenior disciples, is the abbot [www.drba.org].It has now been several years since I last went to Buddha-Dharma MeditationCenter in Hinsdale, IL. Times have been hard for them and attendances somewhatlow. They have tried to cut out all solely cultural activities but this has provedunpopular with some.It has also been some years since I last saw Michigan but other senior Sanghamembers, such as Ajahns Sundarā, Sucitto and Thānasantī, have been makingregular visits.Richard Smith still hosts the monastic visits to Michigan and continuesvigorously to support the community with its book publication projects. After ThePilgrim Kāmanīta was printed in 1999, he produced a book of talks by the nuns,Freeing the Heart, in 2002. He is currently working on a book of meditation teachingsby Ajahn Sucitto and also an anthology of the Buddha’s teachings on Nibbāna, byAjahn Pasanno and myself, called The Island.Tan Kalyano and his brother Tan Thānuttaro are both still happily living asmonks. They have stayed at various monasteries in different countries aroundthe planet, providing their dear mother, Bee Price, with ample opportunities for119