Daily Schedule
We are beginning to open to overnight visitors, for more info write to <guestnun@gmail.com>.
5:00 am – Wake Up
5:30 am – Morning Puja (meditation and chanting)
7:00 am – Breakfast
7:45 am – Morning Community Meeting (on Wednesday and Saturday)
8:30 am – Work Offering
11:00 or 11:45 am (DST) – Main Meal & Washing Up
1:00 pm – Open Period (for personal practice and study)
6:30 pm – Evening Puja (chanting and meditation)
Staying at the monastery
If you are considering to come and stay, please read our COVID Protocol first.
If you can comply with the COVID Protocol, please read our Guest Guidelines thoroughly before filling out our visitor application form.
(Please Note: Due to a higher volume of requests and the complexity around COVID care, response to visitor applications may take up to a week for initial reply.)
There is space for two female guests in a separate dormitory building. A sense of privacy is created with the use of room dividers. Our comfortable trailer is a private space, available for individual use for men or transgender people. The minimum duration for staying at the monastery is one week.
As we have a limited number of spots for overnight guests, please do not make a reservation unless you are sure that you can come. This is considerate of others who are also interested in coming to stay.
We ask guests to arrive between Wednesdays and Sundays, from 8 am to 5 pm. To arrange a stay, please fill out our visitor application form. If you have questions, contact us at <guestnun@gmail.com>.
Eight Precepts
Overnight guests are asked to keep the Eight Precepts while staying at the vihara.
Monastic Etiquette
Please visit our monastic etiquette page for helpful guidance on spending time with monastics.
Outside Communications
There is cell phone reception for some providers only at Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery. The vihara does have a landline that is available to visitors for necessary calls. Internet access is limited.
Other Things to Consider
Poison Oak
There is poison oak on the vihara property. Be sure to wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when walking outdoors and/or avoid contact with poison oak plants. We are happy to share how to best protect yourself.
Ticks
Some deer ticks in the Sierra Foothills carry Lyme disease, so please be mindful when walking outdoors. Daily body checks are the best protection by far. We are happy to share how to best protect yourself.
Snakes
There are also snakes around the vihara, some of which are poisonous. When walking on the roads near the vihara, stay away from the grassy edges, as snakes have been seen there, very rarely.
Mountain lions and bears
These powerful animals live in the forests of California, please be aware of the possibility to meeting them, especially at dusk and dawn. So far, we have seen two bears and a mountain lion (Fall 2020).