19/03/2025
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 days to prepare for what could have been a major weather disaster, preparing the space to receive high winds, stocking up on food, water, candles and torches, while also cancelling major events.
As you would be aware, sadly I needed to cancel our major special event of Ajahn Tiradhammo, one of the world’s most senior Western Buddhist Monks, especially in the Theravada Forest Tradition.
Ajahn Tiradhammo was due to fly in to Coolangatta on Wednesday afternoon 5th March, give the Teachings on the Thursday Night Meditation Group and give a Sunday Meditation Day Retreat – all here at Ratanagiri – Farrants Hill, then depart on Monday 10th in the afternoon.
However due to the severe weather predictions of a major weather event – a Cyclone, we needed to cancel / postpone this visit.
Here on the Far North Coast of NSW we did have very severe – cyclonic winds and torrential rain. There was a Power Grid outage for 6 days, as well as no internet and intermittent phone coverage. There were many trees down in this forested area, across road and tracks, as well as powerlines down, roads flooded and much mess of branches and foliage – strewn around.
During the several days of bad weather it provided a time to live simply and reflect on how reliant we have become on both electricity and the internet!
When such weather events occur they also provide an opportunity for learning about ourselves and how we tend to cope in these situations and what we can do to improve our coping strategies.
Further to this the learning about being careful in organising events close to the Summer rains and possible Cyclones that might occur again in this part of Australia.
Whilst we await Ajahn Tiradhammo to work out when he can visit us based upon other obligations he has in the year; we do have Ajahn Bhuripanyo visiting next month.
Ajahn Bhuripanyo is an Australian Buddhist Monk who will be with us from Thursday 17th April until Monday 21st April. During this time he will offer Teachings at the Thursday Night Meditation Group and also give a Sunday - Easter – Meditation Retreat Day.
It will be special to have a Buddhist Monk here at Ratanagiri – for the special, spiritual day of Easter.
Please do let us know if you can attend the Easter Sunday Retreat Day with Ajahn Bhuripanyo, email us on: info@wellawareness.com.au
Do have a look at the flyer for details.
We will also live stream this Retreat Day by ZOOM so those that can not attend in person can still attend the Retreat online.
In many ways the wind and rain of Cyclone Alfred, may be seen as a way nature both blows away and washes away much of the debris from the last season summer, while also clearing out some of the overgrowth and undergrowth of the forested areas that has occurred with the heat and rain of Summer.
I do hope that those of you that went through the severe weather event, were not affected badly and that the clean up is happening quickly.
At such times connecting with family, friends and your Spiritual Community is most important.
I do hope to see you at our weekly Thursday Night Meditation Group and our next Sunday Retreat Day.
Please regard my verse below.
Kind Regards with Metta
John B.
Autumn Arrives
Autumn arrived with an amazing storm,
A Topical Cyclone,
Not our weather’s norm!
Blustering wind and torrential rain,
Leaves, bark and debris,
Against the window pane.
Power outage – the days all grey,
Concern for flooding,
If the rain does stay.
In time the storm did pass,
Reminding us all,
That nothing will last !
Now there is a paler pastel sky,
The days become cooler,
As the weeks go by.
Autumn, a quiet and pleasant time,
More easeful for the body,
More peaceful for the mind.
Different birds come to this place,
While some have left,
For a warmer space.
So stop and sit and breath and be,
Become calm within,
To deeply feel and really see!
