Recently I visited Dhammasara Monastery in the hills near Perth, WA. I used to go very often and in recent years that has changed and months and months go by before I visit the nuns.
I just wanted to share the joy I felt at this last visit.
It was getting towards the end of the Rains. I always feel if the vibe in a place is peaceful, the smiles gentle and genuine, then the people there are doing the right thing. However, when these things seem greater than usual, and it’s the end of the Rains, one’s faith just takes an extra step or two up.
The nuns seemed so very, very peaceful as they sat in the Dana Hall. Their smiles as they came on almsround, gentler and more metta-filled than usual.
Oddly, I felt a sense of relief. When you’ve seen a place grow from the beginning, have watched over the years, sometimes from a distance, to see it come to this - especially at the end of a long period of retreat - it’s a really nice feeling.
Among those resident, there were about 10 nuns, 3 or 4 Angarikaas, a smattering of guests. By some odd quirk, all of the community who are currently wearing robes are from some sort of “Eastern” (whatever that means!) background. I like to think of “our” Sangha in Perth as a “rainbow Sangha”…as long as they practice well, their peace and the peace of the place seems to increase (and we can tell, I’m not the only long timer to notice) then I don’t care where they’re from! They’re our nuns and it’s a privilege to be able to support them in some small way.
How wonderful to hear such excellent news from Dhammasara! Thank you, Kay.