Dhamma Talk with Vice-Abbot of Tisarana Temple

Monday 8th February

Dhamma Talk with Venerable Ajahn Kusalo

New Zealand monk

Vice-abbot of the newly forming Tisarana temple in Canada

Talk Topic:

“Something About Buddhism”

6:00 – 6:30 gather and caffeinate at Ariyasom Villa, Sukhumvit Soi one

6:45 – …. well to some point – talk and Q&A with Ajahn Kusalo

Finish sometime after 8pm

Ajahn Kusalo has been ordained for 18 years. Hailing from New Zealand his hands-on and fiercely practical nature has distinguished him amongst his peers. A master builder, carpenter, plumber … and everything else you can think of, he was responsible for much of the beautiful temple in Wellington, NZ where he began his ordained life under the hugely respected Canadian Abbot Ajahn Viradhammo. Once fully ordained his get-up-and-go frame of mind (which saw him hitching about NZ in his robes) got him up and he went to Thailand for a few months tudong (pilgrimage), famously bucking all trends and taking a laptop with him. Arriving in the UK he eschewed his building skills and took over the running of the family camp and children’s programs there, to great effect. 

Some time later he took off to Wales, and after a few appearances here and there in different countries, wound up in Canada where Ajahn Viradhammo was residing. Before long he was hooking his toolbelt back on to knock into shape a farm the monks had acquired as a temple. It is still pretty rough: the Dhamma hall is a rickety old barn with plastic sheeting stapled to the walls to keep the worst of the wind out. Photos, and temple background are posted up here in a neat website (another one of A. Kusalo’s skills)

Currently Ajahn Kusalo is the senior monk at the new temple, while the Abbot, Ajahn Viradhammo, remains looking after his elderly mother.

The temple is still very much in need of financial security, not to mention the serious building work it needs! So we will be having a ‘Tam Boon’ session, and volunteering a donation, which will be forwarded to the temple stewards. Right now they are trying to raise  up to 250 000 dollars to secure the land purchase. We can’t raise that much, but hopefully can help in some way. We have been very lucky so far to make use of many gathering places free of charge, that have kindly been given for our use, in Dhamma. So this time it is very nice to be able to help with another good Dhamma project.

Warm, fun, and entertaining, it is sure to be an interesting evening with Ajahn Kusalo.

Location:

Ariyasomvilla
Sukhumvit Soi 1

Tel. 02 254 8880

Click here for further information on Ariyasomvilla

Directions couldn’t be easier. Go down Sukhumvit Soi 1 straight to the very end, and you will see Ariyasom Villa on the left.

For Skytrain users, take the Ploen Chit Station.

Map to Ariyasom

Click map for larger view–