Aloka Vihara News

Taught by the Nuns of Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery December 28, 2019 – January 5, 2020 Jesuit Retreat Center, 1001 Boole Road, Applegate, CA An Invitation to Simplicity and Letting Go   During retreat we come together as 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. We create a monastic environment during our…

Thanks to the kind offer of our friends, we will be harvesting logs from a neighboring forest on September 14. Last year they generously offered us enough wood for two winters. So this year we will be harvesting green wood ready for the following winter. We welcome any hands, chainsaws and trucks for this community effort. Lunch will be offered, please be sure to bring your own water bottle. We…

On Saturday mornings from May 4 through November 9, 2019 a weekly Farmers’ Market is held in Placerville. This is a great opportunity for our nuns to meet people and receive offerings. This photo shows Ven Dhammadipa and Ayya Ahimsa with fresh greens in their almsbowls and big smiles all around. We will be at the Farmers’ Market for the next time on Saturdays: August 10 & 17 & 31,…

Join Ven. Dhammadipa and the community of the Red Clay Sangha in Atlanta for a day of sitting, walking meditation, two Dharma talks, and a community meal. Registration is now open at www.redclaysangha.org. Space is limited, but there will be a waiting list in case seats open up. The topic of the retreat is the four kinds of courage. “Meditation practice fosters an inner courage that brings clarity and strength…

  “Let the Light Shine” is a newly published book of Dhamma reflections by Ayya Santacitta and Ayya Anandabodhi, as well as many other esteemed members of the Theravada bhikhhuni sangha. It highlights the collective wisdom of contemporary women in this ancient tradition, and offers a glimpse into the value of this form of practice which was lost for so long. The book is currently available for download from the…

From August 19-29 the Aloka Vihara community will be in silent retreat. If you would like to come and offer a meal, please call us on 530 647 8262, otherwise the vihara is not open for visits over these 10 days. We are sharing the blessings of our practice with you and thank you for your kind support!

Ayya Santacitta taught a retreat on the ‘Seven Factors of Awakening’ at the Canmore Theravada Buddhist Community in Canmore, AB, Canada. Resident teacher and host Sanghamitta prepared short summaries of the talks, you can find them here, as well as links to the talks. The Three Sisters Mountain towering above Canmore

Join us for the Global Buddhist Conference on the UC Berkeley campus, on the last weekend in June! Ayya Anandabodhi, together with nuns from Dhammadharini and Karuna Buddhist Vihara, will be signing a recently published book with teachings by contemporary bhikkhunis, “Let the Light Shine.” A teaching by Ayya Santacitta is also included in the book. Ven. Dhammadipa will be in attendance at the Conference too, connecting folks with the…

On most Saturdays, one of the Aloka Vihara nuns or an occasional visiting teacher will be sharing Dhamma in the vihara shrine room. Visitors are welcome to attend, please arrive around 6:45 pm and join us first for chanting and a sit at 7 pm. After a short break, a Dhamma sharing (talk/reading/dialogue) will be offered around 8 pm. There will also be an opportunity to take the Three Refuges…

We welcome you to join us on Sunday June 9 for the second Community Workday at Aloka Vihara this year! We will be doing forest clearing work on the land, light gardening and some wood staining of two new outdoor buildings. No special skills required ~ there will be all kinds of work ~ heavy and light ~ outdoors and indoors. Please arrive by 8:30 am for a short meditation…