Dear friends,

we had a some phone calls from people yesterday after the catastrophic-fire-danger-day to inquire how we are doing. Thank you all for your concern!

Many heard that Santi was evacuated… So here is what really happened:

On Sunday night, after everybody of the 22 residents or guest staying at Santi had gone off for their evening abidings after teatime, I had time to check the fire danger rate for the next day (as we do it  during the fire season as a routine). I didn’t expect anything bad it was ‘high’ when I checked last time, just some hours before, that’s quite common for Australian summer. Fire danger turned out to be ‘catastrophic’ for the next day.

My first though was: ‘oh no! that’s inconvenient, we have many people here and monks and laypeople coming to visit for lunch dana.’

It took a few seconds to see the stupidity of such a thought. Then it took some more thought moments to fully understand the meaning of the danger rating in relation to our community and visitors. Then I received a warning message from Paddy, a friend of the monastery who lives in Bundanoon. He caught me at the end of the denial-phase.

As I was the one who had reviewed and -written the Bushfire Emergency Evacuation Plan for Santi I knew the policy is ‘Leaving early’.

As soon I saw one of the guests coming back to the main building, I asked her to go to the kuties and get everyone back to the Library. We spent the night together in the main house, ( men and women seperatly, of course) everybody ready with passport, woolen blanket and personal items that need to go in case of evacuation.

Early next morning everybody dependent on public transport left the monastery for their own safty because there are few trains out of Bundanoon during the day. The residents who fit in the monastery vehicle stayed on. We waited and observed the fire situation in internet. In the afternoon a fire in Exeter, in 10km distance from our monastery got out of control but fortunately the firebrigades could get it under control in short time, so that we actually did not need to evacuate.

We had tea time in Bundanoon in the afternoon in the house of friend Paddy. We took our bowls and robes, just in case of an upcoming Emergency, but we felt confident to stay at Santi for the night.

The atmosphere during the day was strange, usually we have many birds around, and if we don’t see them we hear their voices. This day was silent, no animals around, non of their voices. On a normal day I have to walk very carefully because many lines of ants are crossing it – but that day no ants.

At night the air was full of the smell of smoke from the fires around us although they were  about 50 kms away. I woke up several times at night alerted by the smell of fire, but checking outside and in internet there was no actual danger.

So, we did actually not evacuate Santi but  we did ask those whose only chance it was to get out by train, to do so – for their own safety and the safety of the firemen who would have to endanger their lives to save those caught in flames.

We share our merits with all beings that lost their lives in the fires around us. No human beings among them, fortunately – but there are many other beings who do want to live, not to die, animals, birds and insects of the forests.

May all beings be free from danger. May those in midst suffering not suffer, those in fearful situations not fear.