Communication Between Sangha & Friends

Some early definitions of what the Forest Sangha Newsletter is intended to be.

Having had the opportunity for a rethink about the Newsletter, we offer something of a broader focus than previously: a communications medium for the Sangha, not specifically moored to any one place.

We welcome contributions and comments to help it to develop. There are two main kinds of written material. Firstly, more extensive reports of narrative and documentary nature; and secondly, shorter notices and invitations, for the Grapevine. This need not be relevant to the U.K. alone as there are close ties, and frequent comings and goings between Sanghas in Britain, U.S.A., Switzerland, Australia, Thailand and New Zealand. It would be good if the Newsletter could develop into a means of communication between monasteries and lay people who feel a kinship via the teachings of Venerable Ajahn Chah.

As there is bound to be diversification over such a widespread community, notification of events, projects, debates and even failures, can provide us all with reflections on how the holy life should be lived in our contemporary world. Viharas that produce their own Newsletters are welcome to extract material from this one. Material that doesn't fit into one edition of the Newsletter may well find its way into another one, into Looking Ahead, or grace the pages of a so-far-unborn Annual.

One last and crucial point: the copy date (the time by which material needs to be here at Amaravati) is about three weeks before the Newsletter is due to appear. So the next copy date is August 10th.