Bhante Sujato resigns as Abbot of Santi Forest Monastery

[cooran]

Hello all,

Sad news. Bhante Sujato announced his resignation from the position of Abbot of Santi Forest Monastery (on 22nd May, 2012):
http://sujato.wordpress.com/2012/05/22/an-announcement/

with metta
Chris

[hermitwin]

anicca.....
all the best to bhante....
who knows what the future holds...

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

Wow. Thanks for letting us know, Cooran.

I can't help but think it's interesting how things pan out. In a parallel universe, I could have just arrived at Santi...

("who knows what the future holds", indeed)



All the best to Ajahn Sujato and may he attain the goal he strives for.

Metta,
Retro.

[LonesomeYogurt]

Hmm...is he disrobing or just resigning as abbot? Interesting development.

May he be happy!

[Cittasanto]

Any reasons? Where is he going?

[mikenz66]

There is a detailed explanation at the link Cooran gave...


Mike

[Viscid]

This is indeed a shock. I can't see him not teaching, though-- he'll probably set up something smaller in the future. I certainly hope he keeps blogging.

[Kenshou]

I don’t want to run a community or to look after a large property. Now, my heart leaps forward at the thought of having nothing and making no plans.

Sadhu to that, and luck to him.

[daverupa]

In a parallel universe, I could have just arrived at Santi...

In that universe, I'd have been a six-month-old anagarika at Santi 'round about this time.

The comment by Piya Tan was interesting.

I only met Bhante Sujato one night, and he spoke a little about his then-recent road trip in the States as well as the general bhikkhuni situation, among other things.

[David N. Snyder]

I wish him well and sure he will be fine.

I think many 'successful' people go through such a time. At one point you wonder if it was / is worth it. The stress, the headaches, etc. that come with success can be burdensome and you remember the easier times when there was less responsibility. I can empathize with Bhante. And by success, it doesn't have to be financial, it can be having some position of power or leadership, such as being an abbot, running a center, etc. You can easily fall into an indifference (sort of a WTF moment), but not saying he has done that. It can also be or progress to upekkhā where you can take on fewer responsibilities with renewed zeal / better focus / concentration.

There was an article in Tricycle or some other Buddhist publication where one of the directors of a retreat center said that he went there to find the bliss of working and meditating at a retreat center. He soon found himself in a similar 'rat-race' of lay life dealing with the responsibilities of running the place and had little time for his own practice.