20th Anniversary Dhammagiri in 2027 | Main Event 15 & 16 May 2027 | 20 Years Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage
Later commentarial Theravada Abhidhamma doctrine emphasises 'momentariness', dividing mental processes into tiny 'mind-moments' and developing an almost 'atomistic' model of mental functioning. Similarly, late texts insists that rebirth occurs 'immeditatly' after death, with no in-between state.
The authentic teachings of the Buddha himself do not use these concepts, and are much more in line with our own experience in every day life, where developments mostly do not happen immediately, but follow a gradual process of various conditions incrementally leading to the final result.
Ask any mother who has been through the pain of pregnancy and labour, whether birth was immediate!
Similarly, Dhammagiri was not created on one specific date, but depended on a variety of conditions coalescing over a period of time to come into existence. However, we can confidently state that crucial conditions came together 20 years ago in 2006/2007, and that they culminated in us moving to the property 30 Ben Varden Avenue on the weekend of 28/29 April 2007 to celebrate Vesak, a few days before the actual full moon on Tuesday 1st May 2007.
____________________________________________________
We therefore plan to celebrate our 20th Anniversary main event on the weekend just before Vesak 2027, i.e. 15 &16 May 2027.
We plan to invite several distinguished senior monks for this event, both from interstate Australia and from overseas. We will update you once we have more information on who will be joining us.
We will have an additional event on Sunday 7th March, together with our visiting senior guest Luang Por Vajiro, to celebrate 20 years since aquiring the first Dhammagiri property, and 20 years since our first Krooba Ajah visit by late Luang Por Plien of Wat Aranyavivek, which both occurred in March 2007.
____________________________________________________
Celebrating all the numerous conditions contributing to Dhammagiri's coming-into-being would be too arduous a task. But if you're interested simply to know, here's the timeline of the major contributing causes some 20 years ago:
February 2006 Duleendra Mendis contacts Ajahn Dhammasīha at Vimokkharam Forest Hermitage, Kallista, Melbourne. He invites him to visit for Dhamma teachings at Brisbane Buddhist Vihara (BBV), as their temple has no resident monk. Brisbane Buddhist Vihara (BBV) was started by Duleendra's parents, Siri & Swarna Mendis, in 1982 as the first Theravada Buddhist Temple in Brisbane. They always had a tradition of counducting their teachings in English, in order to reach the wider community beyond the Sri Lankan core supporters, and also to keep the young generation engaged, who may not always be fluent in Singhalese. Coincidentally, Ajahn Dhammasīha has already planned a visit to Brisbane together with his father, who is travelling to Australia on holiday the following month. Ajahn agrees to meet BBV's community, and to share some Dhamma teachings while he's in Brisbane.
April 2006 Ajahn's teachings are received with great interest. Due to the lack of a resident monk, an invitation is extended for him to spend the coming rains retreat at BBV. Ajahn finds himself unable to accept, as he has already committed to spending the vassa at Vimokkharam. He also feels that the suburban setting of BBV is not an ideal environment for a practising forest monk, especially during the rains retreat. However, Ajahn agrees to come for another visit in June.
June 2006 This second visit generates even stronger enthusiasm. As there is interest in the community to aqcuire rural land, Ajahn participates in some preliminary investigations of different properties, to advise on their suitability for forest monks. Venerable Rakkhita Thera, the previous resident teacher at BBV, arrives from Sri Lanka for a short visit. In a meeting with the community, he informs that he has no intention to return to his former position at BBV.
14 August 2006 After a Special General Meeting of Brisbane Buddhist Vihara Inc (BBV), President of Committee Dr. Gamini Jayasinghe extends an invitation to Ajahn Dhammasiha to lead the project of establishing a Forest Hermitage affiliated with the tradition of Ajahn Chah in the Brisbane area. Ajahn Dhammasīha, who's spending the Vassa together with Ajahn Khemanando at Vimokkharam Forest Hermitage, Kallista, Melbourne, happily accepts the invitation.
17 October 2006 Ajahn Dhammasīha arrives in Brisbane and takes up residence in the existing temple premises of Brisbane Buddhist Vihara (BBV), located at 76 Lovat Street on a large 3+ acres property in the leafy suburb of Ellen Grove. This is a beautiful property with a house and a 'kuṭi' (meditation cabin) for one monk, which has been built under the 'Granny Flat' allowance a few meters from the main house. Ajahn Dhammasīha explains his vision for a small forest monastery providing suitable conditions for just a few monks to practise with an emphasis on quiet meditation in solitude, with all techings happening at the monastery, and no external activities like house invitations. The largely Sri Lankan community of BBV commits to sell the existing property in order to aquire a larger tract of land suitable for a forest monastery, further away from the business of the city, and offering seclusion in a forest setting. This is a very courageous decision, moving out into the sticks from a lovely property located in an area where many of the supporters live, with a single monk who has only 11 vassa, is not well know, and does not have close support of a large monastery or famous Ajahn.
End November 2006 to 22 January 2007 Ajahn Dhammasiha leads a pilgrimage to India and travels to Sri Lanka, commitments he had taken on before the invitation to Brisbane. Fortunately, Ajahn Kusalo kindly accepts an invitation to stay in the Vihara during his absence. A sub-committee is formed to investigate various options of land that are available on the real estate market. End of January 2007, Ajahn Kusalo moves to Canada to lead the development of Tisaraṇa Monastery near Ottawa, and Ajahn Dhammasiha returns to finalize the search for a suitable property
05 February 2007 Dr Gamini signs the contract to purchase 30 Ben Varden Avenue, a 75 acre bushland property first found by Ajantha Sahabandu, and then thoroughly assessed for it's suitability by Ajahn Dhammasīha, Ajahn Kusalo and Committee members of BBV Inc.
09 March 2007 Settlement of contract for 30 Ben Varden. BBV now owns a suitable property covered with natural bush, on the southern edge of D'Aguilar National Park, offering excellent seclusion with expansive views over rolling hills of forest, but at the same time within reach from Brisbane CBD in less than an hour. The name Dhammagiri ('Dhamma Mountain') Forest Hermitage is chosen:
To indicate the location on a steep hilltop;
To underline that practice and teaching are based on the authentic word of the Buddha, as found in the early parts of the Pali Canon, and as practised in the Thai forest tradition of Ajahn Mun & Ajahn Chah;
And to express the concept of a hermitage with only a handful of monks and an emphasis on quiet meditation in seclusion, rather than a large training monastery.
15 March 2007 Luang Por Plien visits our property, providing advice to Ajahn Dhammasiha and Dr Gamini (president of BBV Inc) about the future development of Dhammagiri. LP Plien is the late abbot of Wat Aranyavivek near Chaing Mai, and those days was one of the best known and highly respected meditation masters of the Thai Froest Tradition of Ajahn Mun. After sitting quietly in meditation on top of the hill (where now our stupa is located), Luang Por is highly encouraging in his assessment of Dhammagiri's potential for developing profound meditation. On Sunday 7th March 2027, we plan to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this event in a small ceremony, together with our visiting guest, Luang Por Vajiro.
31 March 2007 Sales contract for previous property of BBV 76 Lovat Street becomes unconditional. Now there's no way back anymore, and our small community works feverishly to enable us to move to the new property (on top of a steep hill with no water, power or buildings other than a half million liter emtpy water tank), before the new owners move into the existing Vihara by end of April 2007. Ajahn Dhammasiha determines to take up residence on the property by 28th April, no matter what. With huge effort, we succeed just in time to set up a large marquee tent as Dhamma Hall, and to put in three dongas (3m x 5m metal demountables) as monk's kuṭi, lay kitchen for offering almsfood, and monks' office. However, power, tap water, and sewage system come only later in the year, and we start off with no heating or light, and only dunny loos plus a self-filled water tank dragged to the top of the hill.
28 & 29 April 2007 We move to Dhammagiri on Saturday 28th, to celebrate Vesak on Sunday 29 April 2007. Despite having to brave rather austere conditions, core supporters truly appreciate Dhammagiri, falling in love with the natural beauty and splendid views, and the atmosphere of serene seclusion. Over the next couple of months, with great sacrifice in time, effort and financial donations, facilities at Dhammagiri gradually improve, with power, town-water, and an organic sewage treatment system being installed. ________________________________________________ We will celebrate on the weekend of 15 & May 2027 to commemorate 20 years since first moving to Dhammagiri. We plan to invite several distinguished senior monks for this event, both from interstate Australia and from overseas. We will update you once we have more information on detailed program, and who will be joining us.
_________________________________________________
17 February 2008 Substantial amendments to BBV's constitution are passed at a Special General Meeting, which also formalizes Ajahn Dhammasīha's postition as the abbot of Dhammagiri, and Spiritual Director of BBV Inc.
2009 Purchase of 10 Ben Varden Avenue at the bottom of the hill in March 2009. The existing house is modified to function as new Dhamma Hall, being finished within one month, just in time for Luang Por Liem's first visit to Dhammagiri in April. At the International Elders Meeting at Wat Pah Nanachat in December, Dhammagiri is recognized as an associated monastery of the tradition of Ajahn Chah.
.
