Dear friends in the Dhamma,
A lot has happened since the beginning of December. Although we are in the middle of our retreat period and I have already completed a retreat…., our construction site has continued until now.
Hildegard was discharged from the specialist clinic and stays on “vacation” here at Dhammacari for a few days since last Friday. She is currently planning her next step towards rehabilitation therapy in order to regain her strength and actively support the healing process…she is looking for the right place to do this.
Shell Construction
| Even though the roof was already closed at the end of November, work continued intensively. The weather conditions were still good, so some sections of the shell could still be completed. On December 12, the last components were delivered…including the staircase, canopy and balcony. |
Here the canopy is added to the south side
working on the roof of the north side….
…the installation of the stairs
The Topping out Ceremony
On December 18, the topping-out ceremony was celebrated with the craftsmen, planners and others involved in the construction. Our carpenters erected the beautifully decorated topping-out wreath on the roof to express their good wishes for the rest of the construction work, the builders and the tradesmen.
Angelika and Robert were asked as representatives of the association to hammer in the last nails…. so that the roof will last a long time 😉
This event was then toasted with non-alcoholic “sparkling wine” and all guests were invited to the future meditation room for a snack. The carpenters had already built a 15 m long table there the previous week, which was now beautifully decorated and offered enough space for all the guests. It was a lovely celebration and among the lively conversations, some construction discussions were also underway.
The installation of the windows also began last week…there will be a few photos of this in the next newsletter……now the roof is well packed for the Christmas vacations and the building site will be closed until January 6th.
Further permanent donations...
The number of permanent donors has now grown to 51…lots of metta again for this great support for the building project.
Actually, Daniel also wanted to increase the number of permanent donors with another €1,000/month…but now that he has donated the amount of €12,000 in a bank transfer, he has been added to the list of major donors.
Lot’s of metta for this generosity too.
May all those who support this project be blessed and sustained in many ways.
The next stages of construction
Depending on the weather, work on the roof – insulation and covering – will continue in January. Towards the end of January, the remaining windows should be installed and the heating engineers and electricians can start their work. Preliminary discussions and planning are already underway to determine the sequence in which the work steps can be carried out.
Our credit is now shrinking and we need further large sums for these trades.
Around €150,000 for the heating and €100 – 150,000 for the electrical installation, depending on the progress of the construction and when the individual work steps can be carried out.
The carpenters’ work on the roof and the roofing will incur further costs.
At the same time, the first work on the sanitary facilities is also necessary,
…so further costs here too.
Loans + donations + permanent donations
As already announced in the previous newsletters, we now want to continue the construction until completion…so that more places for meditators will be available as soon as possible.
This work makes it possible to express appreciation for the growth in the Dhamma. Every giving also causes an echo in the giver, the joy of giving and supporting deeply moves us and strengthens the direction in which we give this form of energy.
Who would like to participate?
There are now several ways of financing the project:
Which of you can provide loan money for this project?
Please let us know how much you can provide interest-free and for how long.
There are already a few offers and we are still clarifying the form to define this clearly in writing and, above all, legally.
Who is willing to give Dana for the next trades?
As always, any amount is welcome, once or several times.
And more permanent donors are needed to ensure a continuous flow of money.
Who will become a permanent donor and is prepared to give €100 or more per month for a year or longer?
How can you give?
When making the transfer, please state
purpose “Extension”
and in the case of a standing donation also
“standing order”.
We would also be pleased to hear from you if you are participating and whether you can commit for 1 year or longer.
As always, the transfer is made to the association account:
Dhammacari Vipassana Meditatioszentrum e. V.
Sparkasse Erding-Dorfen
IBAN DE74 7005 1995 0010 1839 03
Now we wish you a contemplative time for the holidays,
the opportunity to practice
and a harmonious time together with your loved ones.
Health, happiness and inner peace
and the courage to master the challenges
that the New Year brings
in the spirit of the Dhamma
With Metta
Your Dhammacari Team