How It All Began – Founded in 2019
Mission
To practise, propagate and perpetuate Samatha and Vipassana meditation in accordance with the instructions of the Buddha as found in the Tipitaka and its Commentaries for the realization of Four Noble Truths.
To develop a conducive environment for Dhamma practice and Dhamma-related activities.
To support the endeavours of worthy Dhamma practitioners both locally and overseas.
To conduct Dhamma courses, workshops and discussions, and to conduct meditation courses and retreats.
To propagate the Buddha’s Teachings through the Dhamma eLearning platform, and the printing and distribution of Dhamma books and materials.
History Highlights
Ven. Thubten Chodron, a Buddhist nun since 1977, dreamed of creating a monastic community in the US for many years. With the blessing of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the advice of many of her teachers and senior monastics of several Buddhist traditions, she founded Sravasti Abbey in 2003.
The Abbey ordained our first novice nun in 2006, who went on to become our first fully ordained nun (bhikshuni) in 2008. By 2011, our community included five ordained nuns, surpassing the requisite number that allowed us to begin our bi-monthly posadha confession and restoration of monastic precepts, which has continued ever since. In 2014, we instituted our first annual varsa (rains retreat) and pravarana ceremony to end the retreat, thus fulfilling all the monastic rites that the Buddha prescribed for a fully functioning sangha community. Learn more about the monastic rites here
You can see photos of the Abbey’s development since 2003 in our Photo Gallery archive.
History Highlights
Ven. Thubten Chodron, a Buddhist nun since 1977, dreamed of creating a monastic community in the US for many years. With the blessing of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the advice of many of her teachers and senior monastics of several Buddhist traditions, she founded Sravasti Abbey in 2003.
The Abbey ordained our first novice nun in 2006, who went on to become our first fully ordained nun (bhikshuni) in 2008. By 2011, our community included five ordained nuns, surpassing the requisite number that allowed us to begin our bi-monthly posadha confession and restoration of monastic precepts, which has continued ever since. In 2014, we instituted our first annual varsa (rains retreat) and pravarana ceremony to end the retreat, thus fulfilling all the monastic rites that the Buddha prescribed for a fully functioning sangha community. Learn more about the monastic rites here
You can see photos of the Abbey’s development since 2003 in our Photo Gallery archive.