Rugged Interdependency - Amaravati Buddhist Monastery

Rugged InterdependencyAt least half of the day’s hours of the residents of Abhayagiri are spent alone inour kutīs. They are all out of sight of each other and mostly out of earshot too.In 2004, seeing that the Monastery had by then been open for seven yearsand that all seemed reasonably well-settled, Ajahn Pasanno and I decided to takesabbaticals for a year each.From June 2004 to June 2005 I traveled in India, visiting the Buddhist holyplaces; from February 2006 to February 2007 Ajahn Pasanno was on solitaryretreat in Thailand. During the absence of one co-abbot, the other simply stayed inresidence at Abhayagiri and looked after the needs of the community. These timesaway proved very beneficial for both of us, in many and various ways.Finally: the very fact that you, dear reader, are perusing this book meansthat you too are part of this ongoing story. May its recounting help to lead youto Awakening and the heart’s true release from all dukkha.136