There is no sign that marks the road that leads to the peaceful Temple Forest Monastery located on top of a secluded hill in Temple. Instead, visitors will find a saffron colored flag with a decorative red circle known as a Dharma wheel flag, a symbol of Buddhism in Thailand.
The complex, established in 2014, currently houses 12 monks in the Thai forest tradition of Theravada Buddhism, but those numbers fluctuate with each season.
The monks, most of whom are Caucasian, dress in rich yellow robes and keep their heads shaven. They practice simple living in their secluded environment, meditating and practicing a religious tradition established more than 2,500 years ago during the lifetime of Buddha. They rely entirely on the support of a lay community. Meal offerings take place daily, but material support is traditionally offered at the end of an annual three-month rains retreat that usually occurs in October but varies according to the lunar calendar.
A form of this almsgiving ritual has always taken place at Temple Forest Monastery, but this year marked the first Kathina ceremony. The usually quiet complex was full of life last Sunday as more than 200 from New England’s Buddhist community gathered to share a meal and offer gifts of cloth and other amenities to the monks. Monks from other North American affiliates were present as well as a group of laity from Thailand and the Thai ambassador to the United States, Pisan Manawapat.
During the ritual, two monks received gifts of cloth on behalf of the whole monastic community, who then decided among themselves which monk would receive the gift, cut and sewn into a new robe later in the day.
On Sunday, it was decided that the monastery’s abbot, Ajahn Jayanto, would be honored. More offerings were presented and ranged from bed linens to food and medical supplies. Following the ceremony, Luang Por Pasanno, a visiting abbot from the Abhayagiri Monastery in California, gave a Dharma talk and laity had a chance to meet and speak with some of the monks.
(Elizabeth Frantz can be reached at efrantz@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @lizfrantz.)