Led by the Abhayagiri Community November 17-25, 2018 at Mount Madonna Center in Watsonville, CA (near Santa Cruz) Abhayagiri Monastery in Redwood Valley, California and the Sanghapala Foundation invite you to join Ajahn Sudanto, Ajahn Karunadhammo, Ajahn Nyaniko, Debbie Stamp and others from the Abhayagiri Community for a 9-day retreat over the Thanksgiving holiday. We will create a monastery environment during our time together, and we offer you this opportunity to explore the Dhamma in a setting that differs somewhat from a typical meditation retreat. We will all live the monastery life, following the Eight Precepts, taking only what is offered, and attempting to reflect on our every activity as part of our practice. This will include ...
Posted July 9, 2018

This past weekend we celebrated the completion of our cloister area buildings and grounds. Dhamma talks were given by Luang Por Liem, Luang Por Viradhammo, Luang Por Jundee, Rev. Heng Sure, Ajahn Jayasaro, Ajahn Sona, and Ajahn Kongrit. As well as Luang Por Liem, Ajahn Sucitto, and Ajahn Achalo before and after the ev...
Posted July 8, 2018

The overarching Dhamma practice for the human realm–the realm of being affected by people and events, and by our moods, limitations and disappointments–is the cultivation of empathy (anukampa). This is the fellow-feeling that motivated the Buddha to teach; it’s the sense that we live in a shared scenario with its qualities, problems and potential. When it’s activated, it follows one or more of four intentions: loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), sympathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity (upekkha). Collectively they are known as the ‘measureless’ or ...