Bhante Yogavacara Rahula: July 2023

Hi Friends,

I am planning to try and keep this blog more up to date with my living and teaching here at the Lion of Wisdom Meditation Center near Damascus Maryland, and the periodic travel and teaching outside of the Lion of Wisdom. This will begin with uploading more recent photos from LOW here and from my recent return to teaching in Germany.

I was in Germany for three weeks from June 7th-27th with one week in Berlin and two weeks near Hamburg at the Haus Der Stille Retreat Center.

During my week in Berlin I stayed with my longtime Sri Lankan friend Gitan and his German wife Susan. Here are a few photos of the beautiful secluded bungalow, on the outskirts Of Berlin where we spent the evenings and mornings, enjoying the natural surroundings.

Danish style bungalow near Spandau

Quaint treehouse in the large yard

Typical German breakfast

view from breakfast table

My favorite German lunch: juicy white asparagus, potatoes, scrambled eggs with tofu and salad served by Susan in their apartment in Charlottenburg.

I conducted a weekend yoga and meditation seminar (as retreats are often called in Germany) in Berlin at a new yoga center named, School for Yoga and Prana. This center was started by the senior student of Asha and Keshav Rekai, for those of you who know of them from many of my previous posts before 2017. Keshav has since passed away and Asha has unfortunately retired from teaching due to onset of dementia. Many of my prior friends/students from Berlin attended this program so it was a reunion of sorts.

While in Berlin I visited the venerable Buddhistisches Haus in Frohnau and met some old friends there for a 'reunion' meditation.

Photos with old friends from a small pre-birthday celebration at a Chinese restaurant outside of Berlin

From Berlin I rode the train with Gitan and Susan to Buchen (40 kilometers outside of Hamburg) to get ready for the annual 10-day vipassana with yoga meditation retreat at Haus Der Stille that I had been conducting there since 1988. The last time I had given the course was in 2018. Again, many old students/Dhamma friends came to participate and to celebrate my 75th birthday on June 21st.