Upasika Renewal Day

Friends,
We hope you can join us at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery for the annual Upasika Renewal Day on Sunday, April 25, a day of community, Dhamma study, meditation, and renewal.

Our theme for the day will be Devotion and Ritual: Ajahn Chah and the Thai Forest Tradition. We will explore the roots of our lineage, viewing two films about the life, death and legacy of its founder, Ahjahn Chah, and reflect more broadly on the role of the teacher in Theravada Buddhism. There will be opportunity for questions and discussion. The day will end with tea with the monastics.

We invite you to read Ajahn Amaro's excellent introduction to Food for the Heart, a collection of Ajahn Chah's teachings.

We also invite you to reflect on the role of the teacher. What is the importance of the mentor or teacher in Theravada Buddhism? Who inspires you on the path? Why? How does this manifest in your formal practice and in your life?

The program will include a brief annual "Renewal" ceremony at which new and "returning" Upasikas can choose to make a formal commitment to the program for 2010. (See below for the program guidelines).

Attendance at Upasika Days is open both to those who wish to make a formal commitment to the yearlong program and to those who may wish simply to attend for the day. All are welcome. Please spread the word among those who may be interested.

Upasika Day Schedule
11:00 a.m. (sharp): Meal Offering (please bring a dish to share)
1-5 p.m.: Study/Practice Session
5:30 p.m.: Tea (optional)

It's customary to bring a dish to offer to the monastics and to share with others. Our material support of the monastery community is an important aspect of our role as upasikas (literally, "those who sit close by"), and our generous offerings of food are a tangible means of extending this support.

Upasika Commitment Ceremony
The afternoon program begins with a short ceremony for those continuing upasikas from last year and those who would like to commit to the program for the first time. For all those planning to take the Upasika Program vows, please bring a simple offering of candles, flowers, and incense with you. The simple ceremony includes the following:
• Each new person who wishes to make the commitment brings a small tray of traditional offerings - candles, flowers and incense.
(For those renewing for a second or subsequent year, offerings will be combined on a group tray with other renewing Upasikas.)
• At the ceremony, new Upasikas come forward to the teacher one at a time, offer their tray, bow three times, and state: "My name is
XXX and I wish to request the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts." (Renewing Upasikas do the same as a group.)
• The teacher then leads the entire group in reciting the Refuges and Precepts.

Upasika Program Purpose
• To enhance individual practice and increase self-discipline through making a formal commitment to spiritual training.
• To deepen both the intellectual and experiential understanding of the Dhamma.
• To have more supportive contact with like-minded people and the ordained Sangha.
• To be better equipped to communicate the Teachings to others.

Upasika Program Guidelines
• Undertake to live by the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts, with the Theravada Forest Tradition as the focus of one's practice.
• Attend regular gatherings with other Upasikas, either at the Monastery or in your own homes.
• Visit the Monastery and formally take the Refuges and Precepts at least quarterly.
• Observe the Uposatha Days of the full and new moon in some fashion appropriate to your living situation.
• Practice meditation daily.
• Find some time each year to go on retreat.
• Attend at least one festival day or communal gathering at the Monastery each year.
• Cultivate a basic working knowledge of the Teachings.
• Support the Sangha according to your means and abilities.
• Keep to the training for at least one year after having made the formal commitment.

2010 Upasika Days

April 25 -- Devotion/Ritual: Ajahn Chah & the Thai Forest Tradition

June 6 -- Sutta Study: Therigatha & Theragatha (Verses of the Elders)

August 21 -- Daily-life Practice: Relating to Friends/Family/Colleagues, especially those not on a spiritual path

October 9 -- Meditation: Asubha Practice (Contemplation on the Unattractiveness of the Body)

December 5 -- Practice in the Broader World: Forgiveness & Reconciliation

This is a brief outline of the planned themes. Each one will be developed more fully prior to its date, with readings, reflection questions, and more background to be provided. Please mark your calendar and stay tuned for more information in the weeks ahead.

And if you'd like to carpool, please feel free to utilize the .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) email group as a means of contacting others planning to attend.