Blog
Autumn Newsletter
Dear Friends,
Welcome to Autumn 2025.
Certainly we may be used to Autumn being a season of calm cool weather, pleasant days and cool nights and the occasional windy days, but certainly not Tropical Cyclones in an area that is not the Tropics!
However here on the Far North Coast of NSW, we did have a Tropical Cyclone – Alfred, which fortunately was downgraded at the last minute before it made land fall from the ocean.
We were also fortunate to have many...
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Happy New Year 2025
Arōgyā paramā lābhā
santuṭṭhi paramaṁ dhanaṁ
vissāsa paramā ñāthi
Nibbānaṁ paramaṁ sukhaṁ
A healthy mind is the greatest gain,
Contentment is the greatest wealth,
A trustworthy friend is the best of kin,
Unconditional Freedom is the highest bliss.
(The Buddha: Dhammapada verse 204)
Dear Friends,
Happy New Year – 2025!
Welcome to another year in our life where we have the opportunity to develop our Mindfulness, depth of Meditation and clarity of Insight, Wisdom and Compassion.
To be sure, the more mindful that we are, the more we have the ability to choose how we...
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Summer Arrives!
Dear Friends,
Welcome to Summer!
The Season of Summer is special around the world.
For those in the Northern Hemisphere, Summer brings a Mid-Year welcome relief from the grey clouded sky and stark cold that is Autumn and Winter.
Here in the Southern Hemisphere, Summer is the Season that connects the Old Year to the New Year. It is the reward of having got through the year and then venturing forth into the New Year with warmth and light.
As usual, I like to...
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Vassa Retreat for 2024 – ends.
Dear Friends
The Eight-Fold Path,
Is the most honourable way.
The Four Noble Truths,
The most honourable utterance.
Freedom from craving,
The most honourable state.
And the all-seeing Buddha,
The most honourable being.
The Buddha: Dhammapada V. 273
Trusting this note finds you well as we move further into our season of Spring with the weather warming towards Summer.
As many of you will be well aware, we have now finished the Vassa Retreat for 2024!
This wonderful retreat period of 3 months (12 weeks) from the Full Moon of...
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Welcome To Spring
Dear Friends,
Welcome to Spring!
Certainly a season of the year that many people look forward to, not to mention all the flora and fauna that express their beauty at this time of year.
The changes in the temperature, the different light that Spring brings in the sky compared to Winter and the sight and sounds of Nature are all expressive of this time of the year.
Here in the Southern Hemisphere, the arrival of Spring is a statement that our year is...
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Vassa Retreat 2024
Dear Friends,
The Vassa Retreat period for 2024 began on Sunday 21st July.
Many of you have attended the Vassa Retreat Days that I have offered over the last few years, finding them most beneficial for developing and deepening our Meditation Practice.
The Vassa Retreat period from the Full Moon of July until the Full Moon of October – a period of 3 months (12 weeks) becomes a time to dedicate more care and attention to developing our Meditation Practice, our understanding of...
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Welcome to Winter
Dear Friends,
Welcome to Winter 2024.
When Winter comes to us, it is a reminder that here in the Southern Hemisphere that the year is nearly half over! Certainly, Summer which ends and also starts the year can create a feeling of time moving fast, however Winter with its cool days and cold nights can cause us to feel time slowing down.
The passage and passing of time was recognized by myself with our last Meditation Retreat Day on Sunday 19th May. This...
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Next Meditation Retreat Sunday 19th May 2024 & John’s Birthday
Dear Friends,
Trusting this note finds you well.
The last couple of months have been special at Ratanagiri – with the visits of Venerable Mettaji from Bodhinyana Monastery in Perth WA, and this month with Ajahn Tiradhammo visiting from Wat Buddha Dhamma near Sydney.
During the visit from these two Buddhist Monks – we received wonderful teachings and guidance which was both clarifying and inspirational, especially Ajahn Tiradhammo's insights from his new book ‘Beyond I – Making’.
Through the support of Brendon we...
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Sunday Retreat with Special Guest Venerable Mettaji
GUEST VISITOR TO RATANATAGIRI – FARRANTS HILL
We are very fortunate to welcome Venerable Mettaji, a Buddhist Monk resident at Bodhinyana Monastery in Perth, to visit us at Ratanagiri from Thursday 14th March to Sunday 17th March 2024.
Venerable Mettaji visited us last year and shared teachings on the importance and the practice of Metta – Loving Kindness. This year he will talk about Virtue and Composure. This will extend on the teachings and reflections that I gave last month on...
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Happy New Year 2024 – Message from John B.
New Year 2024
A healthy mind is the greatest gain,
Contentment is the greatest wealth,
A trustworthy friend is the best of kin,
Unconditional freedom is the highest bliss.
The Buddha: Dhammapada V.204
Dear Friends,
Happy New Year 2024!
I trust that you had a pleasant Christmas and New Year period with some time for rest, relaxation and reflection.
Many people feel that the New Year doesn’t quite get underway until after Australia Day – the Friday 26th January, now passed.
The beginning of the New Year can...
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