GUUS WENT / NEWSLETTER 2024-2

Dear reader,

I hope you are doing well.

In the previous newsletter I brought the news that we were very seriously considering making an offer on a beautiful monastery in the Belgian Eifel. That we had negotiated an option to buy until May 20.
This previous newsletter was also an invitation: who has opportunities to participate?

The Mahasi Sayadaw Foundation has €180,000 in its savings account, and the asking price, including buyer’s costs, is almost €1,700,000. How do you get it into your head to think about it at all, someone might have wondered.

But there is such a thing as confidence, faith, (the first of the five controlling faculties).

Read below how we have fared and how we are doing now. Also read how Panditarama Lumbini was realised more than 25 years ago.

1. For NOW we refrain from buying
2. 10-day retreat in Winterswijk Kotten
3. How Panditarama Lumbini was realised
4. Agenda

With heartfelt greetings,
Guus Went
www.mahasi.net

1. For NOW we refrain from buying

View of St Raphael Monastery from the building lots

A monastery with 30 guest rooms, a villa, two building lots and forest as far as the little river Amel (Amblève) – all together 8.6 hectares.
A monastery that would make possible at once, rather than gradually, our highest ideal: the establishment in Europe of a center where one or two monks or nuns of Panditarama could reside. A Mahasi alternative in Europe to the many centers there are in the world where the Goenka method of Vipassana is taught.

Well, many offered to come and help if it came to that or otherwise expressed their sympathetic joy (mudita) and interest. But what also happened: a yogi’s husband reported that he did have financial ability to join. He also had experience in real estate, in what is involved in buying real estate.

We grew as a team over two months: this gentleman, yogi Rolf (architect), yogi Reinout (manager) and me.
The selling broker, Mickey Bosschert of Heritage Europe, also works a lot with confidence, as her staff indicated. The village of Montenau, part of the municipality of Amel, is very involved in the future of the monastery, and we had contact with the lord mayor. The sellers, the SVD, were willing to provide us with a substantial vendor loan, and even agreed to the possibility that we would rent the center for a year with no obligation to buy. We started looking into crowdfunding, into making a presentation video. We also tried a lower offer.

And finally, after the option time expired on May 20, in an exhilarating last 24 hours in which we had to make a decision, the human, mental side prevailed: what can we handle without manageable worries? And the unanimous decision was: not this one now. But we parted in good spirits, keeping hope that something is possible in the future.

2. 10-day retreat Winterswijk Kotten

In a week from now, Friday, June 14, a 10-day retreat will begin in the Hof van Kairos in Winterswijk Kotten guided by a German monk and a Burmese nun: Sayadaw U Vivekananda and Sayalay Daw Bhaddamanika. In 2022 and 2023 they led 10-day retreats at the Abdijhoeve in Doetinchem online, this year they are coming back to Europe for the first time since 2020.

The retreat is brimming with 26 participants, but there is still room for an assistant cook to assist Wietske Buruma, who is doing the gift of cooking in this retreat. Even just a few days can be helpful. If you have this unique opportunity, please contact guus@mahasi.net.

Sayadaw U Vivekananda and Sayalay Daw Bhaddamanika have headed Panditarama Lumbini since 1999. Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Buddha and is located in southern Nepal, not far from India. This year Panditarama Lumbini commemorated its 25th anniversary. The establishment of Panditarama Lumbini does have a special story attached to it.

3. How Panditarama Lumbini was realised

After Sayadaw U Pandita was elected the successor of Mahasi Sayadaw (1904 – 1982) in 1982, he visited Lumbini annually. In 1993-94, as a result of the initiatives of the former head of the United Nations, Burmese U Thant, the Master Plan for the development of Lumbini had begun to be created. On one occasion, Sayadaw U Pandita asked a delegate from the Lumbini Development Trust if a meditation center was also part of the plans. According to the lore, Sayadaw U Pandita did not clearly remember whether the answer he received – after a brief hesitation – was “Of course, it is included” or “It is included, Venerable Sir.” Be that as it may: shortly thereafter the Sayadaw was granted a plot of land.

Sayadaw U Pandita became rather sad with this, instead of rejoicing: establishing a meditation center in Lumbini himself would be far beyond his powers. He called his supporters to him and conferred with them, “Gentlemen, because I was careless in speech I am now facing difficulties.” The Sayadaw explained the matter, and his supporters thought it over. ‘Venerable Sir, accept it. If you do, a center will be developed.’ Thereupon the Sayadaw had the agreement signed on his behalf.

At that time, Sayadaw U Pandita had established no less than four centers in Burma in a short period of time, and financially he could not yet take any responsibility nor do anything for Lumbini. Almost two years went by, and the Sayadaw had already received a letter from Lumbini that he would have to start construction within six months of signing the agreement, under pain of forfeiting the land. The Sayadaw gathered together all the donations he had personally received and sent a trustee to Lumbini, someone who was not an engineer but who understood buildings. A Malaysian family undertook to pay the land fee for four years. Thus the first building came about with the courtyard and the Dhamma Hall. In 25 years, Panditarama Lumbini thus has grown into a meditation center for about 30 guests.

4. Upcoming retreats Netherlands (see also International CALENDAR)

August 5 – 16: 10-day retreat with Guus Went and Jerome Stoel at Hof van Kairos

August 23 – 28 : 5-day retreat with Guus Went, Hoeve Wetermans, Olst
October 4 – 9: 5-day retreat with Guus Went, Hof van Kairos
October 12 – 26: 14-day retreat with Guus Went at Satipanya, Wales
November 1 – 3: Long Weekend with Jerome Stoel, Hof van Kairos

January 13 – 18: 5-day retreat with Guus Went, Hoeve Wetermans, Olst
February 10 – 15: 5-day retreat with Guus Went, Hoeve Wetermans
March 14 – 16: Long Weekend with Jerome Stoel, Hof van Kairos
March 31 – April 5: 5-day retreat with Guus Went, Hoeve Wetermans
July 21 – 26: 5-day retreat with Guus Went, Hoeve Wetermans
July 28 – August 8: 10-day retreat with Guus Went and Jerome Stoel at Abdijhoeve Doetinchem