Buddhist encounters in Portugal

[Modus.Ponens]

Hello

I recently created a facebook group for portuguese persons that is somewhat translated as "Buddhist encounters in Portugal." The name in Portuguese is "Convívios Budistas em Portugal". The aim of the group is twofold:

- to spread the word on teachings and retreats in Portugal and teachings avaialable on the web.
- to promote social gatherings between buddhists.

For the portuguese visiting this forum, please join

Direct link: http://www.facebook.com/groups/conviviosbudistas/

Be well

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

Direct link: http://www.facebook.com/groups/conviviosbudistas/

Metta,
Retro.

[James the Giant]

I heard from the abbot here that land has been offered to start a new monastery in poRtugal.
Ajahn Chah Thai Forest tradition.
Might be worth finding out about, for those willing to help out or learn more.

[Modus.Ponens]

Thanks retro. I edited my first post.

James: I watched an interview with Ajahn Sumedho (on dhammatube) when he was here in Portugal and he talked about building a monastery here. I didn't know there was already land for the monastery. I will investigate further. (By the way, your name in portuguese has nothing to do with your name in english. For example, John is João and Peter is Pedro, but James is Tiago )

[cooran]

Hello MP,

There are 14 Buddhist groups in Portugal listed on Buddhanet – 1 of them is Theravada and 1 is Vipassana … the rest are Mahayana and Vajrayana.
http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/country.php?country_id=77

with metta
Chris

[Modus.Ponens]

Hello cooran

Thanks for the link. I got surprised that there was a Theravada center in Portugal and I didn't know it. But now that I know which center it is, I know why I didn't think of it: because it has nearly no activity. And it's far away. But thanks anyway.

[householder]

Ajahn Vajiro is to be the abbot at the monastery, I understand.

[cooran]

Hello Householder, MP,

Ajahn Vajiro is a wonderful, knowledgeable monk. He came to visit us in Queensland for a brief time and I was impressed.

A little about him, and his eventual going to in Portugal:

Venerable Vajiro (Phil Gunton) was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1953. Upon graduating in 1974, he began a study accountancy. During this period, a friend encouraged him to go on a ten-day meditation retreat with John Coleman at the Oakenholt Buddhist Centre near Oxford. He attended further retreats there in 1976 and 1977.
Hearing about the visit Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Sumedho made to Oakenholt in 1977, he went to meet them at the Hampstead Vihara. He eventually moved next door to the vihara. In 1978, however, he asked to join the community as an anagārika; he left for Thailand just after the community moved out of London to Chithurst in June 1979. In October that year he became a samanera, and he received upasampada from Ajahn Chah in June the following year.
Venerable Vajiro returned to England in 1984, and assisted with the establishment of Amaravati Buddhist Centre. From 1985 to 1986 he resided at Harnham Buddhist Monastery and from 1986 to 1993 he lived at ‘Cittaviveka’. Then between 1993 and 1998 he led the community in ‘Bodhinyanarama’ Wellington, New Zealand. He spent the following three years living quietly in the hermitage ‘Sanghaloka’ near Melbourne, Australia. Before moving to Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, where he presently resides.
http://www.amaravati.org/abmnew/index.p ... rticle/13/

Announcements - A message from Ajahn Vajiro
At the invitation of Luang Por Sumedho, and after checking with many members of the then resident community to ask if they felt it would be helpful for
me to be here, I arrived at Amaravati in 2001.
While here Luang Por Sumedho asked to me to help a group from Portugal with setting up the legal structure to support monastics there.

When I began my involvement with that project I said that I was not intending to live there myself ... too old.
Last year the group there formally invited me to help further and lead the initiative for five years. Now I am older, it seems a good idea and I’m avail-
able, and learning Portuguese may stave off Alzheimer’s disease. Luang Por Sumedho is supportive of the project and the Elders’ Council here in Europe
are happy for me to try and see. Both Luang Por Liem and Luang Por Anek expressed their support too. The Portuguese bhikkhus from our communities will also be part of this development.
After the Kathina in November this year I have a commitment to visit New Zealand for six months.
With other teaching engagements along the way I plan to be back in the UK by early July 2012. Afterwards I intend to be based in Portugal, where at the
moment there is no base for Theravada monastics.
Anumodana for all the support offered.
Ajahn Vajiro
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cac ... g5tyIj9Y7g

with metta
Chris

[Modus.Ponens]

Hi cooran, householder

Thank you very much for the information.

Did I understand correctly: does Ajahn Vajiro have Alzheimer's?

[cooran]

Hello MP,

No, he doesn't have Alzheimer's.

As people get to be over-50 years of age, there is a lot of talk about learning new things that stretch the brain, to keep it plastic and active.... things like a new language, and any new skill, or pastime like chess, playing a new musical instrument, writing poetry, sudoku etc. etc.

with metta
Chris

[Modus.Ponens]

That's a relief! lol

[Modus.Ponens]

Bump.

There are over 1000 visits from Portugal on the map. If you are portuguese, please join the facebook group.

[pilgrim]

Bump.

There are over 1000 visits from Portugal on the map. If you are portuguese, please join the facebook group.

What map? Where is this new Vihara..
BTW, strange coincidence...When Ajahn Vajiro's father worked in a rubber trading company in Malaysia in the 1960s, my father was his employee.

[cooran]

Hello pilgrim,

Maybe the Clustr Map on the lower left side of the Front page of DhammaWheel?
index.php

with metta
Chris

[Cittasanto]

Bump.

There are over 1000 visits from Portugal on the map. If you are portuguese, please join the facebook group.

What map? Where is this new Vihara..
BTW, strange coincidence...When Ajahn Vajiro's father worked in a rubber trading company in Malaysia in the 1960s, my father was his employee.

There isn't a vihara in portugal yet, but I believe they have land. Three monks are going there in july (I think) Ajahn Vajiro is one of them, for three months to see if there is enough interest in the area, but not sure of the exact location.

[Modus.Ponens]

Hello pilgrim,

Maybe the Clustr Map on the lower left side of the Front page of DhammaWheel?
index.php

with metta
Chris

Correct.

[Rui Sousa]

More information on the new Monastery in Portugal: http://www.blog.mosteirobudista.com/?cat=3

[Modus.Ponens]

Obrigado Rui.

[Ben]

More information on the new Monastery in Portugal: http://www.blog.mosteirobudista.com/?cat=3

Great news, Rui!

[Rui Sousa]

Last Tuesday, the 8th of May, Ajahn Jayasaro visited Portugal to support the initiative of setting up the monastery.

At the Portuguese Buddhist Union he gave a meditation workshop that started at 14:30 and ended at about 19:00, at 19:30 another session was planned, ending at 21:30. I was there at 19:30, and left at 22:00.

While I was there the Ajahn gave a very interesting Dhamma talk, and mentioned how enthusiastic his Thai supporters are about this new monastery. I believe more than 50 people were there during this second session. And a small delay occurred because the room had to be rearranged to assure everyone had a place to sit.

It was a very happy event for me. For the first time I was in the presence of an ordained monk. His calmness, clear speech and friendliness cause a deep impact in me.

I hope the number of people present at the event is a good indication of the support the monks will have in Portugal. I will support them in any way I can.

Metta