Do you have questions about your practice that you'd like to ask an assistant teacher? Email your questions to at-questions@ca.us.dhamma.org. Please avoid theoretical or philosophical questions.

Please include your phone number and the best time to reach you. Depending on their relevance for a general audience, questions and answers may also be published in the "Ask an Assistant Teacher" column in the tri-annual California newsletter without any personally identifying details.

Please note that it can sometimes take up to a week or ten days for us to get back to students who send questions to Ask an AT. This is because we have a pool of ATs who answer the questions and not everyone is available right away. Also, once we get a question, we put a lot of thought into it. Please know that we will always get back to you.

We wish you and all people on the planet the best of health in this time and that your equanimity continues to grow through the trials you may be facing.

Q&A Archive:
http://www.mahavana.dhamma.org/os/qa/
(Username:oldstudent, Password: behappy)

This month's Questions:
1. It feels stuck and I can't move my mind back up.

Courses

After deciding to suspend courses briefly during the Omicron surge of the Covid-19 virus, Dhamma Manda will resume holding courses as scheduled, starting with a 3-day course February 9-13.

Everyone has a private room because of the smaller number of students, but more experienced students can expect private bathrooms. This provides more space and less distraction for each student in the meditation hall. The newly expanded dining room provides more space and privacy while eating.

To check the course schedule and see the requirements, please visit schedule page.



Course Service

Servers are needed for all upcoming courses. Course dates are:

February 9-13 (3-day)
February 16-27
March 4-13 (Satipatthana course)
March 23- April 10
April 6-17

Between Course Service Periods

The period between courses has been attracting more and more old students. It is an excellent time to come to the center for students who have the volition to serve outside of courses, especially those who only have 2 or 3 days. These periods, usually between Sundays to Wednesdays, or any part of that, are a great way to benefit the center and your own practice. With fewer people around than during courses, it is quiet at the center though there is a lot of work preparing for the upcoming courses. There are three group sittings a day.

To check the dates of these periods, please check the website above.

If you have any questions, please send an email to dhamma-service@manda.dhamma.org.

New/Proposed Dhamma Hall

Architectural renderings of a proposed new Dhamma Hall were presented at the recent (remote) Trust meeting on January 16. It will feature a large meditation hall on the top floor and cells on the downstairs floor.

The Dhamma Hall will be made fire safe, so that students can gather there in safety in case of fire on the premises.

A fund to finance the project will be set up soon.





Finances

Thanks to the generous donations of old students, the center has been able to keep afloat financially in spite of the closures due to Covid-19.

If you would like to make a donation, please go to https://manda.dhamma.org/os/dana/.

To offer or extend a loan, email treasurer@manda.dhamma.org

May the wheel of Dhamma keep rotating and may all beings be happy!