I installed the little Hondo of Amidaji

update June 12th - I finished the wooden floor of the Hondo! Under this floor there is water insulation and heat insulation. The next and last thing to do before I can install the altar, is to make insulation for the inside walls (see the last photo).
update May 26th - working on the water insulation floor (see photos)
update May 13th - I fixed some errors at the concrete platform on which the little Hondo is placed,  raised it  and enlarged it a little more. In the next weeks, depending on the funds I am able to raise, I will add a water resistance floor (inside), some good isolation for the walls and electricity  

update May 8th - I added the windows and finished the roof

Dear friends in Amida Dharma,

I have just came back from Amidaji construction site and I am happy to inform you that I successfully installed the little Hondo (Dharma Hall). You can see the progress in the photos bellow.

The Hondo is not ready yet for religious services, as I still have to do a lot of things until then. For example, I need to add something at the rooftop, add windows, fix some errors at the concrete platform[1] on which the Hondo is placed, add a water resistance floor, some good isolation for the inside walls, electricity, etc. All these will require extra funds, which for the moment I do not have, so any little donation will be grateful received and appreciated. I mention that since the beginning of this project I spent around 2500 euro, which came from donations sent by readers and Dharma friends from all over the world. Nothing could be done without the help of  these people who are the true founders of Amidaji. As I said from the beginning, all donors and people who support in one way or another, the construction of this temple, will be considered among founders, and their names[2] will be remembered in a special place inside the temple.

As you can read in the first article explaining my plan, after I finish the Hondo and make it ready for the public, I will add some accommodation facilities, a bathroom with showers and toilets, a library and a kitchen (all these arranged in line along the four sides of the property). For the moment this Hondo can easily accommodate 15 people at a religious service, but if I gather enough funds, I will build a greater Hondo near it, and transform the present one into the library. This is one of the advantages of working with such building materials – I can always change the destination of the buildings and re-arrange them according with the necessities and the funds I am able to raise.

Also I have to add a good fence to surround the property of the temple, clear the rest of the land of the grapevine roots and weeds, and arrange the landscape in a place more appropriate for a temple.   

I suppose it might take two or three years until the entire Amidaji project will be ready, depending on the speed of raising funds.  But even if the entire project is still far from being ready, the Hondo will be opened to members and visitors, for religious services and Dharma talks, as soon as I finish installing the things I mentioned at the beginning of this post and for which I am now trying to gather some extra funds.

I will keep you informed of any progress made with the Hondo and other things related with Amidaji project. I am sure that good news will soon come!

Gratefully yours in Namo Amida Butsu,
Josho

If you wish to help the construction of Amidaji temple, please go to the donation/sponsorship section from this website. 

                                               

I added the windows and finished the roof

I added the windows and finished the roof

I fixed some errors at the concrete platform on which the little Hondo is placed, raised it and enlarged it a little more. In the next weeks, depending on the funds I am able to raise, I will add a water resistance floor (inside), some good isolation for the inside walls and electricity.

I fixed some errors at the concrete platform on which the little Hondo is placed, raised it and enlarged it a little more. In the next weeks, depending on the funds I am able to raise, I will add a water resistance floor (inside), some good isolation for the inside walls and electricity.

working on the water insulation

water insulation

I finished the wooden floor of the Hondo! Under this floor there is water insulation and heat insulation. 
The next and last thing to do before I can install the altar, is to make insulation for the inside walls. 

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[1] The platform was made last year. See the link here: http://www.amida-ji-retreat-temple-romania.blogspot.ro/2013/08/building-concrete-platform-for-hondo-of.html

[2] And the names of people for which the donation was made. For example, some people may donate in the name of their dead relatives or friends.