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Wish You Were Here: Everybody Has Their Own Notion of The Ideal Place and The Ideal Practice. Here Is Venerable Sumano's

This document is an article from the January 1988 issue of the Forest Sangha Newsletter. It describes the isolated monastery deep in the Thai countryside where Venerable Sumano is spending his rainy season retreat. The monastery is surrounded by rugged hills, forest, and a large lake, and is home to 12-14 monks, though some live in shelters away from the main buildings due to malaria. The monks follow a strict daily schedule of chanting, meditation, and meals, and receive sparse food offerings from the few local villagers during this time of retreat.

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John Traves
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70 views3 pages

Wish You Were Here: Everybody Has Their Own Notion of The Ideal Place and The Ideal Practice. Here Is Venerable Sumano's

This document is an article from the January 1988 issue of the Forest Sangha Newsletter. It describes the isolated monastery deep in the Thai countryside where Venerable Sumano is spending his rainy season retreat. The monastery is surrounded by rugged hills, forest, and a large lake, and is home to 12-14 monks, though some live in shelters away from the main buildings due to malaria. The monks follow a strict daily schedule of chanting, meditation, and meals, and receive sparse food offerings from the few local villagers during this time of retreat.

Uploaded by

John Traves
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

ForestSanghaNewsletter

THISISSUE

January1988
HOME
BACKISSUES

Cover: WoodHammeredatChithurstAjahnAnando
Articles: Serpentine,WesternAustraliaChrisBanks
LookingfortheSweetOneAjahnJagaro
WishYouWereHereVenerableSumano
Kathina1987SisterCandasiri&UpasikaSusilo
OfftheBeatenTrackVenerableKovido
NewBornSisterViveka
AmaravatiSummerCampMedhina
Editorial: TheWaytheWindBlowsAjahnSucitto

WishYouWereHere
Everybodyhastheirownnotionoftheidealplaceandtheidealpractice.HereisVenerableSumano's.
ThisPhansaI'vefoundthebestwayplaceinthewholeworld.ItisaWatdeepinthebackcountryofThailand...Onone
sidewearewalledinbyaseriesofrugged,steepfoothillsonanothersidebyawideanddeeplake.Asthesunrises
behindthesala,wecanjustcatchaglimpseofthelonevillageontheotherside.Thefewfishermenneverventurenear
thissideforfearoftheghostswhoareknowntoswampboatsandalsohaunttheforestonthebacksideoftheWat.
(Phansa:RainsRetreat,orVassainThai.)
Thispeculiarentanglementofvegetationappearsnevertohavebeentraversed.Eachofthehugetreeshasgrownina
ratherdeformedmanner.Probablybecauseofthechallengeandconflictforspaceinthisalmostprehistoric
environment,somehavegonelopsided,othersconcaveandallhaveknotty"faces"whichappearanimatedonthedays
fogcomesinoffthelake.Theextentoftheforestcanonlybeestimatedbysomecluesandthe"feel"ofit:Iguessitto
be1520miles.Thesoundsoftigersinthenightcarryoverlongdistancesandindicatesufficientterritoryformorethan
justafewofthem.

...manyofthesamanasareseenonlyoccasionallyleavingtheir
shelterswhenlackofnutritionrequirestheygotothevillagefor
alms.

Ononesideofthelakeisadesertabout2kmacrossatitsnarrowestpoint.Atdawnwecrossthatexpansetoreach
thesmallvillageforalms.Herewereceiveafewspoonfulsofriceandsomewildvegetables,thenthefoodistaken
backtotheWatbythevillageboys,theyalternateinordertogainthemeritofcarryingseveralbowlsbackforthe
monks.

Therehasbeenraineverydayabout20minutesofhardrainintheearlymorning.Themorning,consequently,opens
freshandclear.Oftheinsects,itisonlythebutterflieswhocallourattention.Thereare50manyofthemthatweneed
tobecarefulnottosteponanyaswewalkonourmeditationpaths.Thetemperatureisastable76degreesFinthe
dayand72degreesatnight.
Ofcourse,thereisapowerfulstrainofmalaria(ultramalariaIcall
it).Atthisjuncturetherearebetween1214ofuswebeganthe
retreatwith20.Theexactnumbercannotbedeterminedasmanyof
thesamanasareseenonlyoccasionallyleavingtheirshelterswhen
lackofnutritionrequirestheygotothevillageforalms.TheAbbot
comesoutonlyfortnightlytocrossthedesert,bathe,andpresideover
therecitationoftherulesofconduct.Somehowhehasmanagedto
maintainaconstantweightof35kilos.
Asidefromtheraremalariamosquitowhichishardlyeverseen,the
otherspeciesofmosquitosarecontentjusttobiteeachotherfor
thesportofit,Isuppose.
ForthefewwhochoosetokeepthePhansaschedule,themorning
bellgoesat1.15amforchantingandsitting.The34monksliving
undertheirumbrellasadjacenttotheSalamaintainthescheduleand
leaveafterthe30minutesrequiredtohaulwater,dustandsweep.
Everythingiscompletedby5.20,afewmomentsbeforethefirst
light.
Themealofthedayandthewashingupofthebowlsisa15minuteprocessafterwhichthosewhoateinthesalasit
twoandahalfhourstogetherbeforeresumingthenormalsittingandwalkingschedule.Thelastsittingisfinishedat
11pm.
Thereisnoonetoaskaboutpostingaletter.Itnevercameupandnoonehasspokenforthepastsixweeksorlonger.
However,tomorrowmarksthemidpointoftheretreatandfourofthesixfamiliesfromthevillagewillentertheWat
fortheironlyopportunityofofferingamealduringtheretreatseason.Whilethetworemainingfamilieswatchover
thebitofgardenandfewcoconuttreeswhichsupporttheirlives,theotherswillofferhandwovenmats,andperhapsa
boxofsoappowdertoreplacetheonethatranoutlastmonth.Barsoapandtoothpasteseemadequateenough.So,I
willleavethisforthematthestaircasetothesala,possiblyitwillpassthroughmanyhandsonitswaytoBangkokfor
postingandthenonward.

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