Aloka Vihara News

From August 5-15 the Aloka Vihara community will be in silent retreat. We are sharing the blessings of our practice with you and thank you for your kind support!

~ Dear Friends of Aloka Vihara ~ We are glad to be able to receive visitors again at the vihara, starting on July 17, 2020. We are currently closed for retreat through to August 15. You are welcome most Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, any time from 4:00 pm through Evening Puja, which starts at 6:30 pm. One of our nuns will welcome you upon arrival and explain our simple…

Registration Opens October 1, 2020 2020/21 New Years Online Retreat Taught by the Nuns of Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery December 29, 2020 – January 2, 2021   An Invitation to Simplicity and Letting Go     During retreat we come together as a community to support each other in our practice, consciously letting go of the past and opening to the New Year with whatever it may bring. This year…

  In memory of the many people around the world who have died of COVID-19, we have created a COVID Memorial Cairn, under the great Gray Pine.       Rocks were carried up from the creek and gathered from the land.         Each part of the making of the cairn was held as sacred ceremony.              

Our new kitchen manager Maria has arrived and is currently going through a 14 days covid quarantine. It’s lovely to have Maria with us, a great addition to our resident community.

  On July 7th the installation of our new 18 panel 6kW solar array was complete and began producing slightly more energy than our current consumption. It will take about 1.5 years of running on solar to become carbon neutral for the production, transportation and installation of these panels. As we now have solar power we replaced our very old propane hot water heater with a new energy star high…

An inspiring book by our dear friend Pamela Weiss, read more…

‘Three Sisters’ towering above Canmore, AB, Canada ~  Leading to Liberation  ~   The Buddha gave the Noble Eightfold Path as a way to redirect our lives away from entanglement and towards freedom. Ayya Santacitta, Ayya Ahimsa and Ayya Niyyanika of Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery will offer monthly online teachings on this theme for the Canmore Theravada Buddhist Community, with an encouragement to ‘bring it all’ onto the path.  …

~ Dear Friends of AVFM ~ In order to be able to live stream our online events on YouTube from a mobile device, we need to have over 1000 subscribers. If you would be willing to help, please subscribe to the Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery YouTube Channel. Thank you for your support!  

Save the Date! 2020 Kathina Ceremony for Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery Sunday, October 25   Dear friends, I hope this finds you safe, healthy and at ease during these challenging times. I wanted to let you know that Aloka Vihara’s Kathina Ceremony will be happening this fall. While there are many unknowns at this point, we are planning to hold the Ceremony, either in person (if COVID-19 guidance allows), or online. I know…