We are not accepting any applications to visit at this time. Our visitor accommodations are full.
Daily Schedule
5:00 am – Wake Up
5:30 am – Morning Puja (meditation and chanting)
7:00 am – Breakfast followed by Open Period (for personal practice and study)
11:00 or 11:45 am (DST) – Main Meal & Washing Up
1:30 pm – Work Offering (starting with Stove Circle Community Meeting on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday)
6:30 pm – Evening Puja (chanting and meditation)
Staying at the monastery
We are not accepting any applications to visit at this time. Our visitor accommodations are full.
Those already scheduled to visit in 2022 or 2023 may review here our COVID Protocol and Visitor Guidelines.
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
Cell phone reception only works for some providers 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
Snakes are occasionally seen around the vihara, some of which are poisonous. When walking on the roads near the vihara, stay away from the grassy edges.
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.