Monday, October 26, 2009

OF VISITORS, VISITS AND DAILY LIVE

K'UAN YIN BODHISATTA THE COMPASSIONED ONE.



BLUE LOTUS BUDDHIST FELLOWSHIP LOGO.

CARE & EDUCATION


OF VISITORS, VISITS AND DAILY LIVE;

This update is long overdue but because our daily live has been so busy lately it is in this case: “better late then never”.

1st of all we want to recall a few visitors from Holland who came here to do some volunteer work; Anne and Sophie a couple of young student girls who did a great job here. They came originally to stay and work for 2 weeks in the Lotus Home for handicapped boys in Baddegama. The thing was that because of the short period of their stay and the very capable staff there, they did not find it very easy to spend their time there in a positive way. In fact they where more or less like staying in a waiting room at the station there. On their request we found a more fulfilling way to spend there time. They asked if we could find a family who would be helped by painting there house in and out side. That was quickly done and they painted the inside of the house of a poor family at Mettiwella, and when they where finished they supplied them with enough paint to paint the outside themselves. I would like to mention that they paid for the paint from there holiday pocket money. This we find a wonderful thing for them to do!
When they left on a trip around the island so they would have also some real holiday, they where a bit skeptic about this family painting the house on the outside themselves…… but; surprise, surprise; when they came back they found that they not only painted their own house but also that of a brother of them who lives next door! We where all pleasantly surprised.

This two who we consider to be friends of us all now also helped us here in our place when we where building our kitchen and our young monks, Aruna, Bandara en I myself where enjoying their stay very, very much!!! They made a great impression on our Justice of the Peace and his family where they stayed for a couple of days and on all the other people who met them here.
I must say that we would be very happy to have volunteers like this anytime!!!
THANKS GIRLS!!!!!! WE ALL HOPE TO SEE YOU BACK HERE SOON!!!!

THE VISSIT

Then came August and the time for me to visit Holland for nearly 3 weeks.
Together with Sander there where a number of programs and meetings planed of which some fortunately where canceled and others unfortunately where also canceled. I say fortunately because the whole trip turned out to be very exhausting for me. Unfortunately because I would have liked to meet some of the people I was supposed to meet, but … “Sabbe sankhara anicca’ti “, “All that is conditioned is subject to chance”. I also had to cut short a few other meetings which I had planned because of fatigue but it gave me a chance to do other things and dive a bit deeper in to things with the people around me and this was needed also.

There was the much welcome visit of Anne and Sophie, “Mama” Ineke, came to visit and that was so nice to see here again after here last visit in Sri Lanka a few years ago. Some friends and neighbors came to visit and in general we had a nice time, I’m so sorry I could not visit some other friends but time was a limiting factor.

During my stay Dharmapala (or better Kamal now), took nicely care of my daily needs, and my dear “brother” Ab was as always a great help in everything!
He drove me where I had to go, came daily to inquire if I needed anything and supported me in all the things I had to do and decide. His advice is always welcome and always a great help not in the least because it is given in a spirit of freedom to take it or leave it , but that is Ab.
(our brother Jiva Singha).

Shortly after I arrived there was the interview with the Telegraaf newspaper, and it turned out to be a pleasant one. I don’t like al this publicity but for the sake of getting support for the Randolph House I did it, and as said it turned out to be not as bad as I expected J. After that we had a wonderful evening at Nicole and Remco’s place in Sassenheim where I got the “Boerenkool met worst” they promised to supply. Sander and Ardje, Ab and Kamal and me, we all enjoyed a great evening there with them.

The meeting with the Rotary ladies in Rozendaal was a nice evening, and I got some donations in my bowl that night which I have used for a part to give a young man a chance to start a motor repair place. The rest will surf its purpose to pay for some small operations and supply some people with medicine. Also the donations which where placed in my bowl during the meeting with the people from the Randolph Fellowship in Breda will be used accordingly.
I must ad that the money collected is spend now on a eye operation of a young man and because of this donations we where able to pay for 1 eye, the costs for the other eye we still hope to collect.

The evening in Breda was well organized ( but we can’t expect anything else from Sander and his friends cant we?). It was a good chance to meet some of the people I saw in Hikkaduwa at the Randolph commemoration ceremonies during the past years. It was nice meeting them again. Over all it was a great evening. The day before I left there was a surprise visit of a crew of “Hart van Holland” who produced a nice short item about the work for the Randolph House. It was broadcasted on the evening before I left and Sander and Ardje came to spend the evening with us and together we watched the program. This was a Very Touching and emotional part of the evening, not only for San and Ardje! Late at night I finally went to sleep and early morning we left for Schiphol. I must say that it was not unpleasant to be for 20 days back in Holland, but I was O, So Happy to leave again! My mind was flying in front of the plane on its way back to Lanka! The warm or better hot welcome at Katunayaka was overwhelming! Ariyadhamma, his family, the other pupils, Aruna, his son and Bandara made my arrival feel like a real homecoming.

When I came in our place the dogs went mad, people from around came whole day till late at night to welcome me back, and even the next day some people from farter away came to visit. It feels great to be back home I can assure you!
I can assure you also that I’m not planning a next trip like this soon again .
I can only hope it served its purpose for the Randolph Fellowship.

MORE VISITORS;

A few days after I came back from Holland I received an email from our dear friend Scallet from Germany. She had hoped to come and visit me when I was in Breda, but unfortunately (or maybe fortunately as it turned out to be), she could not make it and she wrote that because of that SHE WAS ON HERE WAY TO LANKA! We all where so happy and excited to welcome here back here!
She’s one of those wonderful, beautiful people who we have got to know here in Sri Lanka! She came with two of here friends and we spend a few happy afternoons together with them. Its such a great thing to realize that there are so many wonderful young people who are so loving and caring for those people who are poor! They are nice young people who are compassioned, interested and respectful towards those who are less fortunate then themselves! We all where so happy to see here again and to make friends with the two friends she brought and we hope they will come back very soon for a longer period!

There are plans to come back and do some volunteer work which would be so nice! And; so needed!!!! We need young professional people to come and share their knowledge with the youth here! Also Scallet started again to organize some help for our work ( I should say as usual ), and here father also is planning with friends to organize some things! Thanks to this wonderful compassioned family!!!!!

At the same period Mr. Gras and Janette de Snoo a friend of his came again to Lanka and paid us a few welcome visits, they gave a personal donation which I am using to develop the land Mr. Gras gave us earlier this year.

One afternoon there came a couple of unexpected visitors from Holland; Mr. Piet van Os and his wife Durna from the Priyanthi Foundation. They had already attempted to find us but failed that time. Now then they fortunately succeeded.

They came to ask us to help them distribute some “fishing rods”. They had read the article in the Telegraaf in which Bhante stated that: “if people come to me to ask for a fish, I try to give them a fishing rod, that way they can help themselves and will be independent”. They wanted to give “fishing rods” to those in need!

After a long talk about their wishes Bhante asked them one or two days time to look what kind of projects we could supply them with. We came up with the following;

- In Akurala 24 woman where supplied with coja (coconut hair) so they could start to work on their own to make ropes. Mr. Da Silva our secretary is checking up on this project.

- Also in Akurala a man of whom half his feet was amputated had his 3cycle repaired and was supplied with 200 coconuts and he is now able to make a living for himself and his family selling them to the shops in his arrear. Also this case will be checked by Mr. Da Silva.

- In Gonapinnuwala a girl of 13 years old who is comatic ( half conscious) and who cant do anything at all and who was carried everywhere by here mother, has to be fed and is suffering from incontinence and used to sleep on a bed without proper bedding is supplied with a mattress, bed sheets, pillow and pillowcases, a wheelchair and a cupboard for the use of here and here sister. This very poor family also received some other help.

- One young man (just married) from Telwatta, who is a painter but because of a problem with his hand has to give this up, and another young man from Baddegama where helped to start a brick and flower pot making workshop, so they can supply for their livelihood. Here we have to pay also a part of the investment because this is compared to the rest a quite expensive project.

- We compiled on their request a list of 40 of the poorest children from the villages of Akurala, Kahawa and Telwatta who will be supplied with the necessary schoolbooks and maybe shoes for the next school year.

For this great people of the Priyanthi Foundation we would like to give a: “Sadhu, Sadhu, Saaaaaa !!”, because they did all this work for our poor and needy people during about 10 days time they worked with us!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our thanks goes to them and their donators in Holland! Thank you very, very much for all this help!!!!!

We are trying to develop some other programs with them together and as soon as it is clear what we are going to do you can read more about it!

On top of this all they donated a gas cooker, an oven and some plates, spoons and forks for the Randolph House and they are planning also to donate a fridge.
This kind of people and organizations make our work lighter and surely more pleasant. Its so rewarding and encouraging to see that we can work together with such compassionated humanitarian people! They make it worthwhile to struggle sometimes for a period of time

Daily live

This month and the past where very busy and not only with the visitors;
We (and all the other monks) closed and are closing our “rains”, the yearly 3 monthly rain retreat.

For the closing ceremony we need always a lot of monks and because we are not able to open up a tin , we have to participate in as much as possible places.

This so called Kathina Ceremony is a very important one for us monks because our seniority is counted by the Vas or rain retreats and the closure of the retreat is therefore one of the high points of the monastic life. We participated already in 11 such ceremonies and during the last stages of this lunar month there are still some to come. This is why we are a bit behind in our work so you have to excuse us if everything takes a bit longer.

As soon as this season is finished and we are up to date with our work we decided that it is time for a short holiday; Bhante and the boys will go together with Dominique on a short trip to some remote villages and visit some of the Holy places. After a few years of hard work we hope to finally have a deserved short vacation and go on pilgrimage!

Well my dear friends and well wishers that was it for this time!

SOON TO COME: A LOST BUDDHA STATUE, MORE ABOUT THE PROJECTS AND PLANNED PROJECTS.

We wish you all to be Happy, Healthy and Safe!

Ven. H. Sri Devamitta Thera
Rev. B. Ariyadhamma Thero
Rev. R. Devarakkhita Thero
Rev. W. Narada Thero and
Rev. B. Tapassi Thero.

Sri Metta-Ashrama
Telwatta – Sri Lanka.