Rugged Interdependency - Amaravati Buddhist Monastery

Golden Highways Revisited: 199813,000 Pāli words) and, although we had been gladdened by the glories of the day,both knees and brain cells were starting to tire profoundly by this time. A GreatDay – good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end.Evam.May 11 thDay One of Tan Karunadhammo’s bhikkhu life and what happens? We getan anxious call from the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and are informed thatVen. Dhammavāra – a 109-year-old Cambodian monk, whom we had known as agood friend for years and who was now resident there – has fallen ill and is beingwhisked off to hospital. So Ajahn Pasanno, Tan Karunadhammo, Don and I hop inthe car and spend the day in the waiting room at the Adventist Hospital in Ukiah– a fitting recollection on old age, sickness and death – we also got a full blast ofJenny Jones and Oprah Winfrey from the inescapable TV in the waiting room, sothere were plentiful reflections on greed, hatred and delusion as well.Bhante had suffered another minor stroke – there had been several over recentmonths – and additionally, in an effort to alleviate his itching skin problems, hisattendant had covered him with tumeric – a well known anti-irritant in SE Asia. Onseeing the vibrant, sickly yellow, the abbot of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhashad called an ambulance and had had him whisked off to the emergency room.Fortunately the tumeric was cured with a face cloth but the stroke was going totake more extensive treatment. All forces were mobilized – including Dr. Peter laRivière, who had been treating Bhante already, and the contingent from Bhante’stemple in Stockton – about 12 Cambodian monks and lay people, who were keento take him back there at once.Emotions and opinions of all sorts abounded; we tried to be a calming forcein the proceedings. All seemed to be stabilized, Bhante’s condition as well as thearray of intense feelings, by the end of the afternoon and so, at around 6:00 p.m.we headed back to Abhayagiri.As Ajahn Pasanno was due to go to Canada the next morning, he, Ajahn Vajiroand I sat down together to talk over a few Sangha matters that could not be put off.This took us to 10:00 p.m. or so, then Ajahn Visuddhi had a final item he wanted tobring up… another looooo o o ng day but, as there’s nothing else to do, why complain?A bhikkhu’s life is full and full of surprises.May 12 thWe took leave and asked forgiveness of Ajahn Pasanno at 5:30 and I passed themorning with the heap of phone calls to be made and e-mails to be answered.Slowly the list reduces.Early afternoon we went off, Ajahn Vajiro, Sāmanera Ñānamuni, Don and I, tovisit Bhante in the hospital. As we walked in the door he woke up; Peter was justsaying to him, “The monks will soon be here to do some chanting for you, Bhante.”Right on cue we placed palms together and recited a number of the parittas. He66