Bhavana Society News

News: Stilt Grass Work Weekend

2009-06-13T19:41:00-05:00

You are invited to visit the Bhavana Society on August 7 to 9, for a special work weekend. The work will mostly involve hand-weeding of Japanese Stilt Grass — an aggressive ground cover rated as West Virginia’s most pernicious alien species. Because of the life cycle of this weed, the most effective control is a big swarm of humans shortly before the Stilt Grass goes to seed. — A few years ago, the Bhavana Society’s pathways and sunny areas were nearly overwhelmed by Japanese Stilt Grass. Only the undisturbed, shady oak forest was spared. We learned that a ten-year effort would be needed to control this weed. After five years, the difference on our land is a joy to see. Our efforts help the ferns and native plants, birds and small animals, as well as the white-tailed deer. — If you can help, please come for a day or more, from Friday August 7 through Sunday August 9. We can also use a few stilt-grass helpers any time from July 10-16, and July 27-August 6. Register to visit at: http://www.bhavanasociety.org/visit_form/. When you register, please write “STILT GRASS” in the “special needs and questions” box on the form. — Thank you!

News: Sayalay Susila to Lead 9-Day Retreat at Bhavana

2009-05-11T17:39:01-05:00

Ven. Sayalay Susila will lead a 9-day meditation retreat at the Bhavana Society, from Friday, July 17 to Sunday, July 26, 2009. — Sayalay Susila has been a Theravada nun for the last 18 years and is one of the leading disciples of the internationally renowned Venerable Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw of Myanmar. Sayalay Susila began her Buddhist Vipassana Meditation practice in the mid 1980s while attending the University Science Malaysia. She ordained in 1991 at the age of 28, and after her ordination Sayalay Susila practiced under the guidance of the well-known Venerable Sayadaw U Pandita in Panditarama Monastery, Myanmar. In 1994 she went under the guidance of the Venerable Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw at the Pa-Auk Meditation Centre, Myanmar, where she remains today. Sayalay Sulila is published and also teaches in many countries worldwide including Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada and the United States — The theme of the retreat will be “Concentration and Insight.” To learn more and to register for this retreat, please visit: http://www.bhavanasociety.org/main/retreat/ss_july_09/..

News: Ajahn Sona Visiting for Vassa

2009-04-17T17:28:00-05:00

Ajahn Sona is the Abbot of Birken Forest Monastery in British Columbia, Canada. He was ordained as a bhikkhu by Bhante Gunaratana in 1989, and his first years of training took place at the Bhavana Society. He subsequently became associated and trained with the Thai Forest tradition of monasteries in the Ajahn Chah lineage … We are very happy that Ajahn Sona has kindly accepted Bhante Gunaratana’s invitation to spend the Rains Retreat (Vassa) here at the Bhavana Forest monastery, from July until early October, 2009. He will help Bhante Rahula in guiding and inspiring the sangha during this time of Bhante Gunaratana’s extended absence, giving talks and being available for interviews … He will also lead a one week retreat from September 18-25th. We encourage our Dhamma friends to take advantage of Ajahn Sona’s special visit to come meet and hear his teachings.

News: A new revised and expanded version of the Bhavana Vandana is now available!

2008-11-12T18:53:00-05:00

November 12, 2008 Daily recitation of passages from this book is an excellent way to learn the Dhamma, deepen one’s practice, and gradually master the Pali language. This edition is expanded to include the Greater Discourse on the Establishments of Mindfulness (with a new translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi, as well as the Discourse on Setting in Moton the Wheel of Dhamma. Bhante Gunaratana has revised some of the translations to make them more meaningful and accurate. The Vandana presents texts with Pali on the left page and English on the facing right page. We have made the effort to make this text useful to the student of Pali by hyphenating many compound words, placing key words in bold text, and correcting the Romanized text according to the most accurate and current sources. Because of the high cost of printing and mailing, we are offering this book through a print-on-demand company: Lulu.com. You can obtain a free download PDF file to use on your computer or print locally, or you can order a professionally printed paperback Vandana book—paying only Lulu’s printing and mailing cost, nothing for Bhavana Society. Soft cover large type edition for chanting: http://www.lulu.com/content/2100399 Soft cover 6’ x 9” edition: http://www.lulu.com/content/4637518 We hope to soon have copies available for visitors to the Bhavana Society.

News: New: Book Donation Page

2007-03-05T18:30:00-05:00

Many visitors have found great benefit from using the library at the Bhavana Society. From time to time people express an interest in donating books. Now on the website we have a new Books to Donate page. If you find a book on that list that you would like to donate just contact us. And if you want to read it yourself before you donate it, that’s great too! We also hope the list will be a small and changing look into what we see as interesting and important in the ever growing Buddhist book world. Due to our limited space, we cannot accept general book donations for the library. If you have a book you think the library could use, please contact us.