A Month In Geneva Florida
Introduction
During the month of November, I stayed in Geneva, Florida, at a very small florida buddhist monastery near Orlando —or what you might call a typical small three-bedroom house. Normally, the place is dormant and empty, but I was able to awaken this once-dormant monastery by going for alms, as I did in Kaua’i, ordinations, visitors and with my enthusiasm for teaching.
About The Place:
The three-bedroom house is supported by a very small group of Myanmar people on roughly 4 acres of land. About 5-8 families are involved with the support but only one family lives within a suitable driving distance. Because there are no property taxes and the annual costs are low to keep, this place was kept alive. I was introduced to this virtually unknown place in May 2024 by Czech Ashin Sarana. We were supposed to live together at this monastery for one week, but due to circumstances, he had business elsewhere during that time, and I was left alone. Ashin Sarana eventually disrobed with the aspiration of pursuing a career in counseling, along with other personal reasons, and he is now a layman. During that week alone, I had many opportunities to teach, and I was invited back.
Sayalay Ordination
My first task was to ordain a Sayalay. This was exciting for me since it would be the first time I ordained anyone. I wrote about the experience
here.
A Sayalay is an ordained Buddhist nun with 8 or 10 precepts found in the Myanmar tradition. The ordination went well, and after 10-11 days, she disrobed according to plan. Although the ordination was brief, she had a great experience and she was in tears moments before she would officially disrobe. Because of this positive experience, some of her friends have expressed an interest to ordain if-and-when I come again.
A Yogi Visits
I manage a project called Tipitaka Pali Reader (TPR) and I have a volunteer from Quebec who has been working on “TPR extensions” to include the missing extra texts. It is a long term project, but very important. We first came in contact when he expressed a desire to ordain after reading an article I wrote called Where to Ordain . He was able to come for 10 days as a yogi and also a volunteer (kappiya). A kappiya is a helper while a yogi is one who practices the dhamma full time. He was having some trouble in the beginning, but I switched his practice to Loving-Kindness meditation and he started to shine. He was especially helpful in preparing small breakfasts and some lunches as well. He also helped with a trip to the food pantry across the street. We did two chanting sessions (Vandana) per day and “charged” up some embroidery thread he had. At the end of his visit, I tied some of that thread around his wrist to remind him of his precepts and also the chanting. If he keeps the precepts and the content of the chanting in his mind while wearing the thread, it will protect him. He enjoyed his visit and decided to shave his head the day before leaving. He intends to keep that style when he goes back to Quebec.
Going to a Food Pantry
(Picture taken from their public facebook page)
A food pantry is a food distribution center for poor people. Since I’m poor, I qualify. While the TVI supporters did not exactly like the idea of me collecting food from such a place since they would buy whatever I needed, I still went anyway. Why? I could lower the supporting costs and it is also mentioned in the monks’ rules (vinaya). In the vinaya, there is a thing called āvasathapiṇḍa (food distribution center). I thought it would be good to go there, and I have done so when I was in Kaua’i. I have also taken hot meals at The Salvation Army when I was in Kaua’i.
“Vevaṇṇiyamhi ajjhupagato”ti,
“I have become one who has no (social distinctive) appearance”,Pabbajitena abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ.
One who has gone forth should frequently reflect on this.“Parapaṭibaddhā me jīvikā” ti,
“I am bound to others for my livelihood”,Pabbajitena abhiṇhaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ.
One who has gone forth should frequently reflect on this.
dasadhamma sutta
My yogi would collect the food and since I did not touch the food, it could be stored and used again legally. At the food pantry, you are given a ticket to mark your place, and you are allowed to choose what you want from certain quantities from certain sections of foods as you pass through a line. When you are finished, you will have roughly twenty five pounds of food which can feed one person for quite a few days.
Some visitors
Although there were just a handful of visitors from the small Myanmar Community that invited me, there were some people that I have known from Pa-Auk Monastery in Myanmar who happened to be in Florida.
There was a Jamaican Yogi I knew from Pyin Oo Lwin and Mawlamyine who normally lives in South Korea. He visited for a day while visiting his mother near Orlando. Strangely enough, another person I knew, a former monk at Pa-Auk, Mawlamyine also visited me. He lives in Kentucky, but was visiting his future in-laws in Florida during the same time. He also lived in South Korea for some time and speaks Korean. Although I thought they should meet, they missed each other at the monastery by one single day. Nevertheless, I had a great visit with both of them (separately).
Lastly, my cousin who grew up with me in West Hartford lives near Orlando and works as a golf pro. We had a great visit; he brought some family-favorite treats.
Going For alms
One of the interesting things that I did was go for alms in this tiny Christian Town. I had a great experience and everyone seemed to be very friendly to me. I felt some good Aloha from this small Christian town. There is a video posted about my Florida alms experience down below:
Samanera Ordination
I also ordained my first novice monk (sāmaṇera). Originally, he was going to ordain for 5 to 7 days, but due to Thanksgiving falling very late this year, only 3 days could be spared before I left on December 1. Because he was so new to Buddhism, but willing to ordain at the urging of his partner, I allowed this very brief ordination to happen. I named him Dhammarasa which means “The Taste of Dhamma.” Normally the taste of Dhamma is the attainment of Nibbāna. However, since he was only ordaining for a very brief time, he was only getting a small taste. It was my hope that his name would inspire him to ordain again, and to also attain the real taste of Dhamma as well.
Connecting With An Old Friend
When I was at ITBMU, I used to eat breakfast and lunch with a Vietnamese American monk named Ashin Punna. In 2017, his teacher appointed him to oversee the construction of a new and very large monastery in Florida. You can see the website here. We didn’t get a chance to visit together during my last one week stay, but we made a determination to visit this past November. I made the initial visit and got a grand tour. The place is very nice with 80 life-sized statues of the chief disciples of the Buddha. Furthermore, there are many different large Buddha sculptures throughout the property. The monastery was very impressive. The meditation center can house up to 100 yogis at a time.
Pātimokkha
I invited Ashin Punna to come to my monastery with three monks he knew and I chanted a short version of the 227 rules. We had so much fun, we agreed to do another one two weeks later. The monks were also interested in walking for alms with me. I agreed and we all went together before the ceremony. The donors of the monastery were very happy. On the second chanting of the rules, there were approximately 30 visitors who came to celebrate this occasion.
Saying Goodbye
There was talk of selling the monastery and relocating it to Jacksonville, but since my visit, the place has come alive. Visitors from Vietnamese and Sri Lankan communities have come, showing its potential to serve more than just the Myanmar community. They will hold off on selling and eagerly await my return.
I am currently at the International Institute of Theravāda and plan to stay at Spring Hill Monastery next year while pursuing an online Master’s in Buddhist Studies. Despite the nice visit, I still enjoy Sri Lanka’s culture very much.
Summary Poem
In a quiet house on four acres wide,
Dormant no more, with monks inside.
The alms in town, the two who ordain,
A place awakened, when the Dhamma came.
Sayalay’s tears with brief shaved heads,
A yogi’s practice, shining the threads.
And Dhammarasa, a novice with grace,
Such a short time, with only a taste.
Visitors came from far and near,
Old friends, new faces with love and care.
Chanting the rules with monks by my side,
The home once dormant now awake and alive.
With alms in a Christian town embraced,
The warmth of Aloha, deeply laced.
A seed of faith, with inspiration sown,
In hearts it grew, the Dhamma known.
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