This year, Abhayagiri turns 30 on June 1st. Due to the growing size of our community and some logistical considerations, the current plan is to celebrate this occasion in two separate, but related events. It happens that Vesakha Puja - the full moon of May commemorating the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and final nibbāna - is Sunday, May 31st. This is an amazing coincidence that it falls so close…
Update: The teachings and readings from the winter retreat are now available via this link: https://www.abhayagiri.org/talks/collections/1/177-winter-retreat-2026-the-foundation-of-mindfulness The monastery entered the annual three-month winter retreat on January 3, 2026. Our Abbot, Ajahn Nyaniko, will be in Thailand until early March and on solitary retreat for most of March with the exception of…
Monks intent on the path of practice have always been drawn to forests because secluded environments support the development of sense-restraint, fewness of wishes, contentment, love of solitude and introspection – the core virtues of a monastic vocation. Living in nature demands care and respect for one’s surroundings and a patient acceptance of a world over which one has only limited control. While the man-made rhythms of urban life are busy, purposeful and stressful, the rhythms of nature are cyclical and timeless, exerting a steady calming effect on the mind. But perhaps the greatest advant…
This Dhamma talk was offered on March 28, 2026 at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery.
