Linda

I am looking forward to joining again next year, and I hope that my aspiration will be fulfilled. Kandy is such a pleasant and Dharmic environment, and I must thank Ken and Visakha again for looking after me and kindly taking care of all my physical needs.

The very first lesson of my usual 5-day Academic Writing program is the most crucial. It is the maker or breaker. I need to show the students a gap in their present knowledge. I used a Bhikkhu Bodhi essay titled, Arahants, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas (from The Bodhisattva Ideal: Essays on the Emergence of Mahayana, BPS: 2013). It was this exposed gap that gave me the go! And in no time I won over my class of Burmese, Chinese, Korean, and Sri Lankan monks. From that point onwards the rest of the lessons were full of structured writing activities, gentle negotiations, red-pen feedback all of which ended with a final examination. This time I also plunged the students into serious academic reading – with strategic coffee breaks in between.

In addition to all this, I also engaged in questionable activities like playing practical jokes on Lily and her kitchen brigade – all for the innocent purpose of pure entertainment.

A warmest thanks to Ken, Visakha, Nezumi and Lily ++ for an awesome repetition of the program. It gets better and better every year.

With Metta

Lal M+++

This trip was really about family: first of all, the Kawasakis insisted the seven of us stay at their home--—wouldn't hear of a hotel; when I had to go to class, and my wife--who works online and was busy with that for most of the trip--was preoccupied, Auntie Lily nursed my sick daughter, and then my son, and then my other daughter (Thank you, again, Auntie!); my wife's Japanese, and "Ken-san" was the first han-sei (Japanese/American heritage) they'd met—--and I think that fascinated them (that and the fact that, in so many ways, Ken is like a 65-year-old child); and, Visakha played the Grandma role like she'd been doing it for years: spoiling my babies, not letting them walk near the steps, making sure they ate enough, and not letting me yell at them like I really wanted to. (They don't often get to see Dada put in his place.)

And the students! The monks--—even more than the nuns--—went crazy over them! They came to class, learned, played all the word games: Buddhist Knowledge Quest and so on. It seems like, with so much of "the world" closed to monastics, children is one area where they can sort of let themselves go, so to speak. Monks blessed and gave my children wrist ties. (They're still wearing them, Bhante!). When they came with me to class—--and mercy on me if I dared come without them--—like high school kids, they'd call out, "Over here!" tapping the seat next to them with the palms of their hands. They even escorted my six-year-old, Swiss Guard-style, to the ladies' room and stood watch out in front to make sure she wasn't "disturbed" at all. (My understanding is that things can be a bit rough for girls in Sri Lanka. But, then again, where aren't they? Right?) It was amazing to see the tender side of even some of the sternest monks.

I always seem to come to these intensives with an agenda: last year, I absolutely had to meet an Ambedkarite, I wanted to learn about Dalits. So, what happened? Not only was the intensive held smack dab in the middle of a Harrijan colony, 5 out of every 7 evenings, for 3 hours at a time, I got to sit at the feet of one of the leading monks in the movement!

This time, since we've moved to China, I've been looking for some instruction in Mahayana--—since I'm not at all too well-versed in that school's philosophy. So, lo and behold! we had four Chinese Mahayanist bhikkhus, three bhikkhunis, and one Bhante from Yunnan Province in Southern China, bordering Laos and Vietnam, where there is a remnant of Theravada still practiced! Not one for missing an opportunity like this, I threw a couple of catalytic statements at these mixed Burmese Theravadin/Chinese Mahayanist groups from time-to-time and let the discussions unfurl--—always steering them away from the natural human tendency to go, "Ours is better 'cuz, uh, it's, uh,...ours!" (Though, to be honest, that wasn't really an issue.) And, without a doubt, in those discussions, as in most others, the real stars were the bhikkhunis!

This was my first up-close contact with bhikkhunis, and it'd be quite disingenuous of me if I didn't make special mention, not only of how impressed I was and how special it was for me meeting them, but just of how special they were in and of themselves. Socially, within the eclectic Sangha we had in Sri Lanka, they were... Y'know, I've often heard of ancient cultures likening or symbolizing women to water. Well, for me, these bhikkhunis, like water, were a medium which made elements of different properties balance out, inter-permeate,... I can't find the words, maybe, but they just made otherwise disparate parties gel. And, as far as Dhamma-knowledge goes,... well, there was a Burmese woman there; and, of course, she was no bhikkhuni, she was a dasa-sila-mata. But, I know mae-chis from Thailand, and she was far beyond any mae-chi I've ever met! If she were fully ordained, without a doubt, she'd be highly, highly decorated with ecclesiastic titles. She was knowledgeable, she was quick, eager, hungry for knowledge. I don't want to open up that can of worms today, but, due in no small part to having met her, I'm dedicating myself wholeheartedly to doing whatever I can do (at this point, little more than educating myself) for the cause of bhikkhuni ordination. They don't need me as much as I need them!

I only taught a week, but--—what can I say? I mean, for how many more intensives can I say to the Kawasakis, "This experience changed my life!" before it becomes cliché? But, I guess, all is change, right? So,okay, yeah! Ken and Visakha: life-changing. Again. For me, Naoko, Tamon, Gen, Tuzumi, Gakuro, and Yae. Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Che

I had a great time and the most memorable part of the experience was the enthusiasm and participation that the students brought to the class. Their confidence and willingness brought real joy to the classroom and made the lessons come to life.

We all learned and I can't wait for next year!"

live in joy

Michael