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The concept of Amaravati has always included space for families, and the main event to evolve has been the Family Summer Camp. The first camp was a weekend in 1985 with 16 families; extended in 1986 to a week, with interest consistently growing. Numbers peaked in 1988 with about 150 people - which was actually too many. |
| As an experiment to cater to this interest, in 1992 there were two camps back-to-back - fruitful but exhausting! Things seem to have found a natural balance with about 100 children and adults coming for a week. Over the years a 'Rainbows' weekend has produced the children's magazine - and at least one other 'low-key' weekend has appeared as well as the Young Persons' meditation retreat. As a spin-off from these events, lay Buddhists have established a Buddhist school - the Dharma School - in Brighton. |
| Developing earlier creative endeavours Venerable Kusalo introduced a series of musical dramas in 1995, each dealing with some aspect of the Buddha's teaching. The first was 'The Singing Chickens:' a spiritual quest - culminating in a meeting with the Buddha who exhorted the chickens and their friends to: 'Do good, refrain from wrong and purify the mind.' Extending the possibilities outside the monastery, Venerable Kusalo has also produced a range of interactive Dhamma computer games and an internet site. |
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