1976: A visit to Thailand.
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1978: A second visit to Thailand.
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How Amaravati came to be.
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It is an interesting story which shows that many factors had to come together in order for this seemingly impossible project to be successful:
... As for me, just as before Ajahn Cha allowed me only an hour or so each day to acquaint him with the problems in England. And since my concerns were only about money and the exchange rate between Thai Baht and English pounds stood about forty to one, so every time I opened my mouth I was talking in millions.
At one point he said “We have a few thousand available here. But you come talking in millions. It seems to me you’re a man who’ve bought a new car but can’t afford any petrol. I will have to come to England for six months to raise that kind of money”
I laughed and said “How you think you’re going to do that?” to which he replied “I am going to use my magnet”.
He eluded to something I had never known before but in the ensuing years came to witness for myself: the power of one such as he to inspire and generate a wellspring of gifts way beyond anything I had ever thought possible without ever mentioning he had any need of anything at all.
Slowly, it had begun to filter into my dim awareness how heavily I was then being criticized by many people, some of high influence and importance, for buying Chithurst House at all. What I had done was widely regarded as foolishness. ...