So Where Exactly is John?

I've been receiving a few emails recently where it's come to my attention that people might be a little confused as to where I'm currently residing and/or where I'm going next. So here's a quick update about me...

Back in October, I visited Abhayagiri monastery for two weeks. Most of these posts I have been writing have been about the two week trip. Mostly I did this because Internet access is not generally allowed while at the monastery. (If I stayed for a longer period of time, then I would be permitted some Internet time here and there.)

Since November, after I got back from Abhayagiri, I've been staying with my mother in Los Angeles. The reason is simple, Abhayagiri is booked up until April 2013 to guests. Wat Metta, the other monastery I was considering studying at near San Diego, is also booked up until January 2013. So I've been trying to figure what I'm going to do next.

So what I decided to do, given all this, was plan a trip to Australia! After all, isn't that what everybody else does when their plans get derailed?

Actually, there is a less whimsical reason for me going to Australia. When I first thinking about which monastery I wanted to study at, my first inclination was to go study with Ajahn Brahm.

Ajahn Brham receiving alms on Kathina day

Ajahn Brahm is the abbot of Bodhinyana Monestary in Western Australia near Perth. He's also well known for providing very accessible and humorous Dharma talks. For other reasons, mostly having to do with being close to my mother, I decided to try Abhayagiri in northern California instead of going there. So given that's not really a possibility right now, I'm going with my first inclination.

So, just before the new year, I'll be heading over to Australia for three months. In the meantime, I've been spending a lot of time with my mother and she lives in Los Angeles. But, I'm currently in Berkeley, California. With my mother. Confused? I'll explain more in my next post...