About the Monastery and its Unfolding Vision
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Karuna Buddhist Vihara (KBV) was founded in 2012 as a neighborhood monastery where Theravada bhikkhunis live, where women train to become bhikkhunis, where meditation and Dhamma teachings based on the Pali Canon are offered to the public, and where traditional chanting and ceremonies are conducted. KBV is incorporated as a non-profit, tax-exempt Buddhist church in the state of California. Currently, KBV has two residents: Santussikā Bhikkhuni and Cittānandā Bhikkhuni. They currently live at the new hermitage property in the Santa Cruz Mountains in Northern California.
The intention at KBV is to strive as diligently and energetically as possible for the realization of Nibbāna and to help as many people as possible to improve their lives and do the same. As the citta (heart/mind) develops in sīla (moral virtue), samādhi (meditation) and paññā (wisdom), mettā (loving kindness for all beings) and karuṇā (compassion) blossom as well. At KBV, the intention is to share these qualities and this experience along with the example of living a simple life. The inspiration for this way of living has been the many good monks and nuns that the residents of KBV have lived with and learned from over the years, as well as the Buddha himself.
To that end, the nuns at KBV study the suttas, the Vinaya and the Pali language and practice the Noble Eightfold Path with diligence. KBV holds public weekly chanting, meditation and sutta study sessions, a Saturday morning dhamma program, daylong meditation retreats and other Dhamma programs, as well as traditional Buddhist observances, such as Vesākha Pūjā and Kathina. They also offer meditation instruction, Dhamma talks and retreats for a variety of groups outside of KBV.
Since KBV began, the community of participants has steadily grown and is uniquely diverse with people representing a very wide range of ethnicities, ages and backgrounds. The common theme is interest in traditional Theravada teachings from the Early Buddhist part of the Pali Canon, as practiced and presented by ordained monastics in English in relation to modern Western culture.
With more bhikkhunis, the range of offerings and services for the public will expand according to their strengths and interests. This might include such things as a youth program, Pali classes, Qigong classes, or regular tea and Dhamma discussion meetings.
After the big, unexpected change of acquiring the hermitage property in 2019, the vision for KBV has shifted slightly. The hope is to develop the hermitage to accommodate 5 monastics and up to 5 lay people staying at the property at any given time. With the peace and energy of an old redwood forest to reside and deepen their practice in, the bhikkhunis will have the opportunity that the Buddha instructed monastics to seek in order to make progress on the path, and consequently provide improved teachings to the public. The hermitage property will also serve as a peaceful haven for lay guests to practice and participate in the activities and daily schedule of living at a monastery.
In the spirit of continuing to be accessible to those who are interested in what KBV has to offer, a meditation center in Sunnyvale, CA has been established. The address is 909 Coachella Ave, Sunnyvale, and weekly Wednesday night Sutta Study and Saturday morning hybrid dhamma sessions are held at this location. Other special programs and events like daylong meditation retreats and Kathina are also held there.
For those interested in ordination:
People often inquire about the process for becoming a bhikkhuni. At KBV, the requirements are outlined below.
The first step is to get to know a variety of monastics, which is very easy to do these days with all the online options available if you're not local. It's good to establish relationships with different monasteries and visit several before deciding to ordain. That way, one can gain a fuller picture of what is involved in monastic life. Schedules, chanting, ethos, training, teachers, and emphasis can vary widely between monasteries, and it's good to find one that feels appropriate to an individual for making the most spiritual progress.
Joining KBV's weekly Wednesday and Saturday programs is the best way to start getting to know this community. If you click the links on the homepage, you'll be let into the meetings (without a password required). This way, everyone has a chance to get to know each other a bit in order to see if it's a good fit for a visit. Anyone wishing to visit is required to come regularly (at least online) before accepting them for a stay, as our overnight accommodations are very limited and our community very small. If a one week visit (2 weeks if you're coming from very far away) goes well, a second 2-4 week visit will be allowed, and if all goes well, a 2-3 month visit will be allowed. If all is still going well, we can discuss the first phase of training as an anagarika (postulant) for one year, then samaneri (novice) training for 2 years and bhikkhuni ordination after that.
Acceptance for training at KBV is contingent on three things:
1. A person's interest being focused on Early Theravada Buddhism
2. Having a good relationship with all members of the resident community
3. The willingness and ability to change
As our monastic community is very small and our forest lifestyle pretty rugged, those wishing to ordain at KBV must also be in very good physical condition.
The intention at KBV is to strive as diligently and energetically as possible for the realization of Nibbāna and to help as many people as possible to improve their lives and do the same. As the citta (heart/mind) develops in sīla (moral virtue), samādhi (meditation) and paññā (wisdom), mettā (loving kindness for all beings) and karuṇā (compassion) blossom as well. At KBV, the intention is to share these qualities and this experience along with the example of living a simple life. The inspiration for this way of living has been the many good monks and nuns that the residents of KBV have lived with and learned from over the years, as well as the Buddha himself.
To that end, the nuns at KBV study the suttas, the Vinaya and the Pali language and practice the Noble Eightfold Path with diligence. KBV holds public weekly chanting, meditation and sutta study sessions, a Saturday morning dhamma program, daylong meditation retreats and other Dhamma programs, as well as traditional Buddhist observances, such as Vesākha Pūjā and Kathina. They also offer meditation instruction, Dhamma talks and retreats for a variety of groups outside of KBV.
Since KBV began, the community of participants has steadily grown and is uniquely diverse with people representing a very wide range of ethnicities, ages and backgrounds. The common theme is interest in traditional Theravada teachings from the Early Buddhist part of the Pali Canon, as practiced and presented by ordained monastics in English in relation to modern Western culture.
With more bhikkhunis, the range of offerings and services for the public will expand according to their strengths and interests. This might include such things as a youth program, Pali classes, Qigong classes, or regular tea and Dhamma discussion meetings.
After the big, unexpected change of acquiring the hermitage property in 2019, the vision for KBV has shifted slightly. The hope is to develop the hermitage to accommodate 5 monastics and up to 5 lay people staying at the property at any given time. With the peace and energy of an old redwood forest to reside and deepen their practice in, the bhikkhunis will have the opportunity that the Buddha instructed monastics to seek in order to make progress on the path, and consequently provide improved teachings to the public. The hermitage property will also serve as a peaceful haven for lay guests to practice and participate in the activities and daily schedule of living at a monastery.
In the spirit of continuing to be accessible to those who are interested in what KBV has to offer, a meditation center in Sunnyvale, CA has been established. The address is 909 Coachella Ave, Sunnyvale, and weekly Wednesday night Sutta Study and Saturday morning hybrid dhamma sessions are held at this location. Other special programs and events like daylong meditation retreats and Kathina are also held there.
For those interested in ordination:
People often inquire about the process for becoming a bhikkhuni. At KBV, the requirements are outlined below.
The first step is to get to know a variety of monastics, which is very easy to do these days with all the online options available if you're not local. It's good to establish relationships with different monasteries and visit several before deciding to ordain. That way, one can gain a fuller picture of what is involved in monastic life. Schedules, chanting, ethos, training, teachers, and emphasis can vary widely between monasteries, and it's good to find one that feels appropriate to an individual for making the most spiritual progress.
Joining KBV's weekly Wednesday and Saturday programs is the best way to start getting to know this community. If you click the links on the homepage, you'll be let into the meetings (without a password required). This way, everyone has a chance to get to know each other a bit in order to see if it's a good fit for a visit. Anyone wishing to visit is required to come regularly (at least online) before accepting them for a stay, as our overnight accommodations are very limited and our community very small. If a one week visit (2 weeks if you're coming from very far away) goes well, a second 2-4 week visit will be allowed, and if all goes well, a 2-3 month visit will be allowed. If all is still going well, we can discuss the first phase of training as an anagarika (postulant) for one year, then samaneri (novice) training for 2 years and bhikkhuni ordination after that.
Acceptance for training at KBV is contingent on three things:
1. A person's interest being focused on Early Theravada Buddhism
2. Having a good relationship with all members of the resident community
3. The willingness and ability to change
As our monastic community is very small and our forest lifestyle pretty rugged, those wishing to ordain at KBV must also be in very good physical condition.