My 2011

I had a busy but fruitful 2011 and would like to share some images of it with you. I visited and was visited by many old friends and made the acquaintance with many new ones. Ven. Dhammajiva, former abbot of the Meetrigala Medatation Hermitage came and stayed with me as did Ven Sanghasena from Ladakh and Ven. Mahinda, former lecturer in archaeology at Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. I met Ven. Tashi Phuntsok abbot of Dilyak Monastery in Nepal and the two lovely, smiling Burmese nuns Sayalay Karuna and Yasanandi. The Sri Lankan nun Sister Bodhicitta dropped in for a visit and while in Kuala Lumpur lecturing at the Annual Noviciate Program I renewed my acquaintance with Ven. Piyananda of LA and Ven. Dr. Punnaji. Thubten Chodron and I did a large seminar together and I visited Indonesia twice giving talks to large groups in several cities in the country. Ven. Dhammaratana and Ven. Sudhamma joined the members and friends of the BDMS in helping me celebrate my 60th birthday. I am now officially ‘old’. In November I received news that my mum was critically ill and likely to die so I rushed back to Australia to be with her. As it is she recovered but she remains frail and ailing. I spent the first five months of 2011 in Paris, London and Oxford doing research for my Dictionary of Flora and Fauna in the Pali Tipitaka, a project which seems to be endless. While there I stayed at and gave talks at the Sri Saddhatissa International Buddhist Centre in London and the Oxford Buddhist Vihara, guest of the ever-generous and kindly Bhante Piyadassi and Ven. Dhammasami. In December I was a guest at the exhibition by a well-known Mainland Chinese painter who very kindly painted a picture for me.
I wish all my readers a Happy, Peaceful and Dhamma-inspired New Year.