Here’s the second map referred to in the post below.
Salakkaput (September 15, 2019): New Venue!
On September 15 (10 am to 12:30 pm) we will be hosting our traditional Salakkaput (“food lottery”) ceremony in the auditorium at Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue, Goleta). This venue is conveniently located only 2.8 miles from the temple, has lots of parking, and has impressed us with a friendly staff willing to support our needs. We are appreciative of this opportunity.
Since this will be a new experience for all of us, it’s important that we explain some of the guidelines we are expected to follow while using the venue:
-No smoking is allowed on the property
-Food is allowed but all cooking must be done off-site (either at home or at the temple)
-The room may not be occupied before 9 am
-Incense, candles and open flames are not allowed
-All monetary offerings to the monks or the temple should be delivered in envelopes
-Dishwashing is not allowed
-We should wipe down tables and chairs before we leave
-We should bag all trash and put it in trash cans before we leave
-We should leave the room in the same arrangement and condition as it was found
-The room must be cleaned and vacated by 1 pm
Locating the room
Two maps are depicted for your reference. The Google map is oriented with north at the top, whereas the second map is oriented with south at the top. The yellow circles on the Google Maps image show the three parking areas on the property. The red ‘X’ marks the location of our room, which is in the center of the building. All of the primary exterior doors will be unlocked on the day of the event, so any parking lot or entrance will be suitable. It will perhaps be easiest to park in the large lot on the south side of the building complex and enter the main building through either of two sets of double doors. We intend to place signage pointing the way to the “ABMT” event.
Unloading
There is a small, designated unloading area on the southeast side of the building. This would be the best place to park temporarily in order to unload and enter the double doors leading into the courtyard next to the auditorium. On the second map, this unloading area and the adjacent doors leading to the courtyard are shown in the upper-left corner. (Please note that loading and unloading is not allowed on the north side of the building.)
We encourage everyone to come out to the event and help us celebrate this new and exciting chapter in the life of our temple.
Full-day Meditation Retreat
A group photo from today’s meditation retreat at the temple.
Temple Improvements
We’ve benefited greatly these last few months from the many volunteers who’ve lent a hand to help us maintain and improve the temple property. Recently, we neared completion of a new walking meditation path around the small cluster of bamboo next to the kitchen. Soon, we hope to finish creating a sitting meditation area in the middle of the same clump of bamboo.
Purnamaya Sound Healing
Our friends at Purnamaya invited Ajahn Khamjan as a special guest to offer a goodwill/peace chant at one of their sound healing events on the evening of August 30, 2019.
Volunteer Work Day
A warm and heartfelt “thank you” to all of the volunteers who joined us for today’s ‘mindful working’ volunteer work day at the temple. There were six of us, plus Ajahn Khamjan, over the course of the day. Much was accomplished, with still much more to be done. Stay tuned for our next volunteer event—tentatively, the afternoon of September 14.
IMPORTANT: Parking Update
In the last year, our temple community has grown considerably, bringing with it many great opportunities and interesting challenges. One of these challenges is parking. Our little temple, which for so many years has served a small but dedicated community, is now outgrowing its limited space. We must be open-minded and creative as we move forward, embracing our growth while remaining receptive to the uncertainty the future brings.
ABMT remains, of course, open to families, individuals, and small groups of visitors wishing to spend time here. For larger events, we are exploring options that just may, if we keep an open-heart and a positive attitude, present much good fortune. You are encouraged to visit the temple as you always have--but please endeavor to park only on the property of Cal-Orchid. The volume of cars from temple visitors is now too often impacting our neighbors, so we should be considerate, good neighbors and try our best to refrain from street parking in the neighborhood around the temple.
If you have any questions about temple parking, please call Ajahn Khamjan (805-724-7109).
Boon Khoa Pradupdin
Here is a photo from today’s Boon Khoa Pradupdin ceremony at The Lunch Box in Ventura. Boon Khoa Pradupdin is a traditional Thai/Lao ceremony designed to encourage us to reflect on loved ones who have passed away and to do good things in their honor.
Ceremonies are hosted by The Lunch Box several times a year. They have been generous supporters of ABMT for many years.
Venerable Dhammadipa
A couple of evenings ago, we were pleased to meet and chat briefly with Venerable Dhammadipa from Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery. And today, she paid a visit to our monastery. It was nice to establish a relationship with her. We hope to one day visit her monastery in Northern California.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
On July 6, the monks participated in a celebration of the 84th birthday of HH the Dalai Lama hosted by our friends Santa Barbara Summit for Tibet. It was a beautiful evening celebrating some of the great accomplishments of a gentle and noble man.
A Visit to Pine mountain Buddhist Temple
The monks recently visited our friends at Pine Mountain Buddhist Temple, which sits on 45 acres of high desert in rural Ventura County, about an hour north of Ojai.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9uvx984xQEE
Bhikkhu Ordination
In June 2019, I took temporary ordination as a Theravadan Buddhist monk. Here’s a window into that experience:
An Auspicious Day
A video from our newly reactivated YouTube channel:
Karaniya Metta Sutta
A video from our newly reactivated YouTube channel:
Visakha Puja (Buddha Day) Event
A video from our newly reactivated YouTube channel:
A Visit to Avocado Temple
A recent video from our newly reactivated YouTube channel:
Buddha Day
Here are a few photos from today’s Buddha Day event at ABMT. Thank you so much to the many donors, volunteers, and participants who came together to make this event very special.
Vesak at An Lac Mission
Today Ajahn Khamjan was invited to participate in the Vesak ceremony at An Lac Mission in Ventura. In addition to the Vietnamese monastics present, there were five other Theravadan monks, including four from Sri Lanka and one from Cambodia. Afterward, he went to a home in Montecito, where he’d been invited to offer a blessing and lead a short meditation for a private celebration of life event.
Buddha Day Event
Please join us at ABMT for Buddha Day on Sunday, May 19, 2019 from 10am to 2:30pm. The day’s events will include a traditional Theravadan Visakha Puja ceremony, a community lunch, a recitation of the Buddha’s first teaching, and conclude with a community discussion of the relevance of the Buddha’s teachings in modern society.
The event is free and open to the public.
ABMT website:
www.abuddhisttemple.org
Facebook:
https://m.facebook.com/abmtofsbca/
ABMT YouTube channel:
