Karuna Buddhist Vihara
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Kindness, Courage and Community

4/6/2025

 
Hold steady. When it seems like the reminders of how uncertain everything is in Samsara are screaming louder than ever, it is time to step back onto the solid ground of mindfulness and clear comprehension. We can rely on that ability to take the position of the witness that we’ve been practicing for years and from that point of view, grounded in Dhamma, take action in our life and the world that is likely to be beneficial. When we see so much unkind action, we can choose to put an emphasis on kindness. When threats seem to loom larger, we can summon up our courage. When division and disharmony appear to flourish, we can put our energy into building and sustaining community, and hold steady as the fierce winds blow.

If we take this position of witness, observing the passing phenomena and the sense of self constantly changing, then fear loses its basis. The community we want to surround ourselves with is not one that emphasizes the belief in personal existence, but one that constantly reminds us to investigate and realize that which doesn't change. Even as we are in the process of this investigation, gradually coming to full understanding, letting go of the position of personality, we begin to experience how kindness and courage naturally arise. We start to genuinely directly experience cāga, the giving up and letting go of suffering.
-- Ayya Santussika

Enjoying time with Monastic Brothers and Sisters

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Venerable Dhammadinna and the Eastbay Dhamma Group

For the past two months the KBV bhikkhunis have been immensely enjoying the company of their bhikkhuni sister, Venerable Dhammadinna during her stint as a visiting associate professor at UC Berkeley.
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April 12th: The next meeting to discuss more verses from the Dhammapada is coming up this Saturday at Eastbay Dhamma, in Berkeley or online.
Redwood Vihara Kalyanamitta Time

The KBV bhikkhunis welcomed dear, sweet Dhamma brothers, Venerable Jin Wei and Venerable Jin Chuan, to the Boulder Creek neighborhood as they permanently settled into Redwood Vihara. 

Friends for many years already, it was a very enjoyable day sharing community time, a meal, forest wandering and some good Dhamma. 

The next week, they took a very informative (and fun!) field trip to the local San Lorenzo Valley Museum in Boulder Creek, learning about and appreciating the interesting history of the area together. 
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Helping Hands at the Hermitage - Community Work Day

Saturday, April 19
KBV Hermitage
9am: "How do I apply the Dhamma to THIS?!?!"
11:00am: Vegetarian Potluck
12pm: Merit-making time! Fire safety + other fun tasks
On top of the usual, imperative fire clearance, more tasks are at hand this time.
Assistance is needed with a variety of jobs, for all skill levels & abilities.
All are welcome for a day of Dhamma, community, physical work and a consequently good night's sleep!
Please email the Bhikkhunis if you plan to attend.

Help us make YouTube videos commercial-free for 2025

Members of the lay community ask again this year for you to consider watching or playing a lot of YouTube videos from the KBV YouTube channel. If there are 4000 view hours in a rolling previous 365 days, then people can learn the dhamma from the KBV Ayyas free from commercials and ads.  

There are MANY worthwhile videos that the Ayyas have produced that are worth your
viewing time. Here are some playlists you might want to consider: The Paramis, The Five
Hindrances, The Eightfold Path, The Five Khandas, The Four Iddhipada, Chanting, BCBS Class, Self & Non-Self, guided Meditations, Body Deconstruction/Asubha, Buddhanusati and the Brahamaviharas. 

Additionally, if you have enough mobile data or home internet data, consider plugging in at night and choosing a long playlist (like 2023 “How do we apply the dhamma?!?!") and click play all, or select the "loop" feature. The devas may be listening, or perhaps your pets. 
Please consider weekly viewing to help ourselves and others watch these valuable videos ad
free.  Ad free means no interruptions--so one can be in a meditative state while listening.

-- Paula Brottman
KBV YouTube channel

Upcoming Retreats

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Photo taken by Eric Holtz

Vesak Daylong Retreat (Hybrid)    
Saturday, May 17  
9:00am – 4:00pm
Vegetarian potluck at 11:00am
909 Coachella Ave, Sunnyvale
​Zoom Meeting Link
Everyone's welcome to join in celebrating the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and passing away. Program includes meditation, chanting, Dhamma talks, and a traditional "baby Buddha bathing" ceremony.

Residential Retreat
May 30 - June 4, 2025
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
Disentangling the Tangle - Finding Freedom in Relationship with Ourselves, Others and the World
Ayya Santussika, Ayya Santacitta and Ayya Cittananda
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Residential Retreat
June 6-19, 2025
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center
Cultivating the Seven Awakening Factors – the Sambojjhaṅga
Ayya Santussika and Ayya Cittananda

​Residential Retreat
June 30-July 6, 2025
Big Bear Retreat Center, High in the piney mountains above Los Angelas, California
Disentangling the Tangle - Finding Freedom in Relationship with Ourselves, Others and the World
Ayya Santussika and Ayya Santacitta

In the Spirit of Generosity: A Vital Addition to the Hermitage

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The lay community is working to bring a new kuti and shrine to KBV next year. The vision for this is a structure large enough for puja and meditation, for both monastics and visitors at the hermitage. If you’d like to support this project, please visit the forest shrine kuti page.
--   Philip Chui

For the Benefit of Many

12/17/2024

 
The Autumn of 2024 shed golden riches broad and deep.  From the Kathina, to drawing near to Thailand krooba ajahns, and daylong retreats, to our upcoming yearlong Upasika Program, the KBV Ayyas and the lay community are thriving, headed towards freedom.

2024 Kathina 

Giving a blessing to all during the Kathina at the Sunnyvale, CA Meditation Center. 
​From the left, Bhante Jayasara, Ajahn Nisabho, Samaneri Junha, Ayya Niyyanika, Ayya Cittananda, Ayya Santussika, Ayya Anandabodhi, and Ayya Suvijjana, with much gratitude for the very generous support of KBV and our resident monastics.
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On November 2nd, the four-fold sangha came together to celebrate and support Karuna Buddhist Vihara. Giving and receiving intertwined, producing happiness for all.
Everyone gets to offer the kathina meal to the bhikkhunis! A line was formed for a ritual pindabhat,  so that each could place rice in the alms bowls of the monastics present. 
A special moment: sponsors formally offer the robe cloth to the bhikkhunis. The nuns went right to work, sewing in to the nighttime to make a new lower robe for Ayya Santussika. One of the best kind of "work" party. 

December 28th Daylong Retreat in Sunnyvale 
See home page for more details

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​The Dhamma theme for this daylong retreat:
reflecting on the path and putting down the burdens, including working with feeling in the body

New Year's Daylong! 
​Ring in the new year at the hermitage

January 1st 
10am to 4pm, 11am potluck
It's essential to contact us for directions!
See home page for more details
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Annual bon fire and "Thus Should You Train Yourselves" individual instructions for each of us from the Buddha, helping us to "step onto the right path of practice" for the coming year

KBV 2025 Upasika Program

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The 2025 Upasika Program begins Wednesday January 26th.
  • A year-long program of study, learning, reflection and sharing
  • Application for the program still open
  • In person and on-line
  • Lead by Ayya Santussika and Ayya Cittananda for committed practicioners
See the Upasika Training Program page for more information

2024 Thailand Pilgrimage -   A gallery of images for you to enjoy

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Here we are at Ajahn Gunha's teaching area below his kuti.  Ajahn Gunha is in the center. 
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Ajahn Suchart taught, inspired and affirmed our journey on the path.
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With Ajahn Jayasaro at Bahn Boon for a private Q&A session -- and his Netflix series teleplay preview!
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Everybody helps out
during monastery stays. 
Such a great way to be with folks. Chopping greens has no language barrier! Full of good work and smiles. Plus, one gets to learn how to prepare some delicious, authentic vegetarian Thai food. 

Reflections from Thailand

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Khao Yai National Park, next to Wat Pah Subthawee (Ajahn Gunha's monastery)
This year's trip to Thailand was definitely a pilgrimage! It was a real mix of challenges and Dhamma joy, with many opportunities for learning coming at us from all angles. 

​Three things stick out:
1) Ajahn Suchart and Ajahn Anan strongly emphasized constant mindfulness in daily life as a way to deepen our meditation practice. Finding techniques that work for us might be a challenge, but brain storming with kalayanamitta is a good place to start.
2) Ajahn Gunha repeatedly encouraged us to balance our material development and our spiritual development, making progress concurrently in both areas for a happy life.
3) Ajahn Gunha also spoke at length about living from the Dhamma instead of living from the sense of self. 

Stay tuned to the teachings from Ayya Santussika for more insights from the pilgrimage.

Wintertime fun at the hermitage! 
Yummy mushroom season, banana slugs, and neighborhood roadwork parties are wintertime staples at KBV. Next up, burn pile/bonfire time! 

Laying Down Burdens/Taking Down Laundry

10/25/2024

 

The most common questions and what's next

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Sometimes it is the simple things. Taking down laundry and looking up, amazed.
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Bhante Nandisena, Sayalay Sujātā and her parents.
How was your retreat?
The answer we've been hearing from the bhikkhunis is that the retreat was GREAT! There is more on this in a reflection below from Ayya Santussika.

Where is Andrea (former Anagārikā Sarana) and how is she doing?
Ayya Santussika and Ayya Cittananda have been in close contact with Andrea since she returned to Mexico last December. Their on-going guidance and Andrea's dedication and determination made for a productive year of development on several levels, leading to her taking robes and 8 precepts again and a plan to train at Saraṇa Vihāra with Sāmaṇerī Arindamā in Spain for 2025. Her new name, currently, is Sayalay Sujātā, given as she took robes at Dhamma Vihāra in Mexico to facilitate entering Spain as a religious worker. Her name might change again as she enters the training there. The prospect of her training and eventually teaching in Spanish and helping start the first bhikkhuni monastery in Spain is rich with potential. Everyone at KBV is cheering her on.
What's coming up for teachings and opportunities to participate?
The first great way to participate is to join us for sutta study this evening - YES, sutta study is now on Friday evenings! Or come on-line or in-person to the daylong tomorrow, Saturday, October 26, at the Sunnyvale Meditation Center.
Next, everyone is invited to the ...
KBV 2024 Kathina next Saturday, November 2nd

Here are a few words of welcome from the Kathina organizers:
As we head up the Kathina Committee this year, my spouse Dilhara, our baby Asher and I, along with the support of our other family members and KBV community members, warmly invite you to join us in celebrating Karuna Buddhist Vihara’s Kathina ceremony. This meaningful event is an opportunity to support the Sangha’s spiritual practice and honor a cherished tradition in Theravada Buddhism.
This special occasion not only strengthens the bond between laypeople and the monastic Sangha but also offers a chance for all of us to generate merit and cultivate generosity. We hope that through our collective contributions, we can further support the Sangha and bring ourselves closer to the Dhamma.

We are all also really excited to receive all the visiting bhikkhunis, samaneri and bhikkhus who will participate in the kathina ceremony and offer their own words of wisdom on the topic "For the Benefit of Many:" Ayya Suvijjana, Ayya Niyyanika, Ayya Anandabodhi, Samaneri Junha, Ajahn Nisabho, Bhante Jayasara and Ayya Santacitta (online). We hope to see you there, either online or in person.
 PictureA new walking meditation option emerged during retreat

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KBV Kathina 2018
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KBV Kathina 2019

A Wonder-filled Vassa

PictureHere's Deborah providing yet another wonderfully delicious and nutritious meal, including observing all the emerging dietary restrictions for Ayya Santussika.
The retreat support team was awesome!

There is much appreciation for everyone who stayed at the hermitage to serve, brought meals or groceries, took away trash, organized volunteers, took care of the grounds and everything else!

Great job supporting a wonderful vassa retreat!
More photos and videos from the vassa
A fellow path-walker
What looks like a small spine of redwood duff is actually a tiny living being. This inch-worm shared the labyrinth path, inching along, effected by small obstacles, yet, finding the way along the path, as many of us do.  Perhaps if the Buddha had seen an inchworm, we would have The Inchworm Simile to learn from!
Fellow Creek-Swimmers
The creek running through the KBV Hermitage property is protected because steel head trout swim up it to spawn. The young trout were visiting Ayya Cittananda while  she cooled off in the clear creek waters.
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Vassa Retreat Reflection - October 15

​For the third time since this vassa began, the moon is nearly full, signifying that this time of retreat has nearly reached its end. During last night, walking meditation with the moon peeking between the redwoods, lighting up patches on the walking path and the surrounding ferns and forest, with the crickets humming, the soft murmuring of the creek, the gentle breeze and that delicious forest scent, the heart was full as the moon with peace, gratitude and joy.

“How was the vassa?” – people will ask. It was difficult and wonderful, including illness and doctor’s visits, physical work in the forest and so, so much needed peace and quiet. There was some amount of study and creativity, and plenty of time for stillness and solitude. This retreat has been a precious gift. We want to thank everyone who made it possible through their support.

Some twenty-plus years ago, I happened to be in the presence of a number of senior monks. Ajahn Ñāṇadhammo told Ajahn Liem about my plans to become a nun. Ajahn Liem said to me, “You will lay down many burdens.” That has certainly been true, throughout the years and also during this vassa. Now, the task at hand is to return to a busier “normal” schedule -- preparing for kathina and the trip to Thailand, teaching, meeting with people, … -- without picking up any of it as a burden. Or, noticing when something has been picked up as a burden and putting it down again, bringing the mind back to a state of peace and clarity. 

Sometimes we might notice a pattern in the types of things we pick up. After all, there are thousands of inputs to the mind every day. We only grasp onto a few of them. We can ask ourselves, “Why this?” We can practice and learn how to investigate the patterns and develop the ability to be at peace with a thought or feeling that brings up aversion or desire … without touching it, without picking it up as a burden. There is a lovely and helpful talk on this topic by Ajahn Kalyano called “Knowing and Putting Down the Burdens of the Mind.” I hope you find it useful and have many opportunities for the kind of peace and solitude that allows for this kind of practice.
With much metta,
Ayya Santussika

Bhikkhuni and Bhikkhu ordinations at Empty Cloud Monastery for Sāmanerī Satimā and Sāmanera Vaḍḍha

Immediately upon the end of the vassa retreat, the KBV bhikkhunis headed off to New Jersey to help with an ordination unlike any they had seen before: a sāmanerī and sāmanera ordained as a bhikkhuni and bhikkhu simultaneously. It was a beautiful ceremony and a precious time connecting and reconnecting  with dear friends in the greater monastic community.
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Midsummer's Calm

7/9/2024

 

Residential retreats already scheduled for 2025​

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Karuna Buddhist Vihara bhikkhunis gave three residential retreats this season, and have already scheduled four for 2025.  The lay community can enjoy week-long dives into dhamma and insight at:
  • Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Massachusetts,
  • Spirit Rock Meditaton Center in California,
  • Cloud Mountain Retreat Center in Washington State (2 weeks), and
  • Bellingham Insight Society at Samish Island, Washington State, near Canada.   
​Taking time away from the distractions of the householder life to bathe in the dhamma with our Ayyas as teachers is a treasure for many!
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More information can be found on the Retreats page.  

New Bell Tower

The new tower in the outdoor shrine area now holds the beautiful oxygen-tank-turned-bell. It's rich tones will call residents to gather for practice sessions and meals. Thanks to Olivia and Zerubba for donating the materials, and for all Zerubba's skill and hard work on such a beautiful job building it.

New Walking Meditation Deck for the Elder's Kuti

The final piece of finishing the Elder's Kuti, now officially named "Upekkha Kuti," was to add a walking meditation deck. Eric Welty, with help from his friend Richard and the two Ayyas, built in just a few days, just in time for the 3-month retreat.

Vassa begins July 21

Vassa 2024 is about to begin! For the first time, the KBV bhikkhunis will be able to spend the three month "rains residence" on a much-needed retreat at KBV's hermitage property, practicing in silence with the lay stewards who have generously offered to support them.

But don't worry, you'll still have the opportunity for a weekly Dhamma fix with Ayya Santussika. She intends to continue offering the Saturday morning program on-line.

For more information, including ways of supporting the bhikkhunis and your own practice, see the Vassa 2024 page. 
Asalha Puja - Dhamma Day - July 20th

To start off the vassa on the right foot for all of us, lay or monastic, KBV is having an Asalha Puja daylong meditation retreat. This is one of three main Buddhist holidays, honoring the occasion of the Buddha's first teaching of the Dhamma to his first five monastic students, formerly his companions in the holy life before his enlightenment. All are welcome to join us, following the usual daylong schedule found on our homepage.
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Kathina will be held on Saturday, November 2 this year

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​Save the date!
Potluck meal at 11am, followed by the Robe Offering ceremony and visiting with the monastics at 1:30pm.
More details to come, but meanwhile you can check out our Kathina 2024 page and our Kathina Dana Wish List page.

Many beloved monastics plan to attend this year's event:
Ayya Suvijjana and Ayya Niyyanika of Passaddhi Vihara
Ayya Anandabodhi and Samaneri Junha of Parayana Vihara
Ayya Santacitta of the Aloka Earth Room (online)
Ajahn Nisabho of Clear Mountain Monastery
And Bhante Jayasara of New Jersey (and hopefully soon of Colorado!) will possibly attend again this year, as his schedule allows.

Reflection - Changing Your Life and Your Relationship to the World

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Fairly often, people say that a retreat or pilgrimage with us or our Dhamma talks have really helped them and even that those experiences have changed their life. This news always brings us a lot of joy. We know, though, that we’re just sharing the Buddha’s teaching and providing support as best we can, and the real change comes because you are picking it up and putting it to use. Choosing to follow the Dhamma is the REAL change. We go from being tossed around by circumstances and plagued by old dysfunctional patterns to developing the skill and stamina to face what’s unwanted and unpleasant, using it all for our progress on the path. We also find ourselves using the pleasant and desirable experiences, realizing that even when things are going well, in the back of our mind there is this uncomfortable feeling that the other shoe is about to drop. So, practice becomes continuous, regardless, on and off the cushion, and our sīla, samādhi and pañña develop.

As this development proceeds, people realize that their relationship with the world also changes. Some of the things that were so intriguing in the past have lost their luster. Perhaps more importantly, many of the crazy things that happen in the world are experienced with more equanimity.

Our newsletter team entitled this edition “Midsummer’s Calm.” If we’re keeping up with the news, we can see that little of that calm is coming from the outside. Whew – so many unwholesome, scary things are happening! No wonder we feel anxiety, fear, worry, disgust, etc. Fortunately, the Buddha’s teachings guide us through being present with those feelings, putting them into appropriate context and choosing appropriate responses. And, “the world” here also includes our own bodies. Whatever is happening, mindfulness and clear comprehension help us step back from it enough to see the situation for what it is – the natural playing out of kamma, the natural coming together and falling apart.

Calm comes from the practice and from the web of support and security that comes with a community of people around us who are choosing the Dhamma, choosing kindness, choosing peace.

May you all be at peace and find happiness in the Dhamma. Be sure to reach out when you need a little help from your friends.

With much metta,
Ayya Santussika and Ayya Cittananda

Drawing Near

5/21/2024

 

Sima Creation at the Hermitage

A sima is a bounded space that is required for the performance of formal acts by the monastic sangha, such as ordinations. As you need a group of four bhikkhunis to perform formal acts, we are very grateful that we had the help of the bhikkhunis from Passaddhi Vihara to create simas at both the hermitage and meditation center during their stay with us. 
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Ayya Suvijjana and Ayya Niyyanika spent 3 weeks at KBV, between the hermitage and meditation center, while they incubated their new monastery, Passaddhi Vihara. Though they were busy organizing, it was wonderful spending time with dear sangha members of such learning, kindness, and integrity.
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Retreat at Spirit Rock


Teaching this five day retreat at Spirit Rock was also a great opportunity to enjoy the company of dear monastic sangha members, while helping the retreatants deepen their practice and understanding of the Dhamma.
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Work Parties and Projects - So many happy helpers!

Linda and Greg Booth came to help out and enjoy time together with the Ayyas at the hermitage. Greg worked full-throttle for a week to complete the wood tile deck for access to the downstairs bathroom, laundry/pantry, and power station rooms, and Linda kept us all alive and well with her healthy cooking and care.
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Anumodana for the beautiful job!
Deborah Bowes sewed and installed a waterproof cover to protect from rain on the UTV. 
​No more wet seats or heads! 
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Deborah also got a workout digging some steps for the slippery trail leading from the main cabin to the upper kutis. Anumodana for all your hard work, Deborah!
Fun with fire clearance, and fun with burn piles made of the usual fallen limbs and trees from over the winter.  Stoking the burn pile is a happy task.
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May, Nguyet, Ayya Cittananda, Maarten, and Jerelle following Ajahn Gunha's advice: the work is the happiness and the happiness is the work!
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Vandana beautifying and pruning the outdoor shrine garden, to help keep the main cabin wildfire ready and safe.
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Spring Community Work Day
From left to right: Ayya Santussika, Vandana, Maarten, Nguyet, May, Ayya Cittananda, Jerelle, Greg, Phil, Val, Linda, and Saket taking the photo.
Thank you all for coming out to help keep the hermitage safe for the coming fire season.

A Different Kind of Fire Protection

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Ayya Suvijjana and Ayya Niyyanika supported KBV in protecting the hermitage from wildfires by blessing all the buildings with the Quail's Protection chant.

Supporting the KBV Bhikkhunis During the Vassa

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Meira has graciously offered to coordinate meal offerings and practical support for the bhikkhunis during the Vassa retreat this year. If you'd like to participate in useful ways, please click here for more information and details.
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Upcoming Vesak Daylong Retreat

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We celebrate with faith, confidence, and appreciation for the Buddha's enlightenment and teaching; what an example of how to use a human life! Two thousand six hundred years later we're still able to make so much progress in bringing peace and joy into our lives and into the world because of what he did.

The KBV Vesak celebration will be  on Saturday, May 25, 9am-4pm at the KBV Meditation Center in Sunnyvale.

​Please bring a vegetarian dish.

Drawing Near

During Vesak, this is a time to draw near to the Buddha. How can we do that?

Certainly, whenever we sit in meditation or chant or reflect on Dhamma and a sacred feeling comes over us, then we are drawing near to the Buddha. Whenever our mind is filled with loving kindness, spiritual joy and happiness, or peacefulness, then we are drawing near to the Buddha. When our gratitude for the Buddha or the beauty of the Dhamma bring tears to our eyes, we are drawing near to the Buddha. 

In Itivuttaka 91, the Buddha says that someone could walk right behind him, holding the corner of his outer robe, but if their mind is full of sensual desire, ill will and malice, without mindfulness, wisdom or stillness of mind, they are far from him and he is far from them. If someone were to be hundreds of miles away with a mind free of sensual desire, ill will and malice, with mindfulness, wisdom and stillness of mind, they would be near to him and he would be near to them.

We draw near to the Buddha through our practice, through developing and purifying the mind. And our ability to develop in the practice is greatly enhanced by drawing near to the Sangha, listening to the Dhamma, sharing the Dhamma and using the Dhamma as the framework and guide for our life. 

​Fortunately, there are many opportunities to draw near through visits to KBV and our sister and brother monasteries, through tuning in to Dhamma talks and programs, live or recorded, as found on Dharmaseed or YouTube, through participating in retreats and getting involved in helping out from near or far. Some of these opportunities can be found on our homepage or calendar. Others are shared by community members on the KBV Community WhatsApp. 

We are closest to the Buddha when we see the Dhamma for ourselves and this is where our practice is taking us. It is up to each of us to step onto the path and walk.

With loads of metta,
Ayya Santussika and Ayya Cittananda

Getting Involved

1/27/2024

 

​Upcoming residential retreats


​April 2-7  Dispelling Delusion at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies 
Barre, MA     
We will be practicing deeply with the 3 characteristics: impermanence, suffering and non-self -- a core teaching of the Buddha, plus seeing what is beautiful and ugly in proper perspective. This practice and investigation lead to liberating insight.
​More details and registration here
May 5-10  With the World on Fire, Embody the Eightfold Path at Spirit Rock
Woodacre, CA        taught by Ayya Santussika, Ayya Santacitta and Ayya Anandabodhi

​More details and registration here
June 7- 20  Cooling the Mind, Warming the Heart at Cloud Mountain Retreat Center   
Castle Rock, WA

More details and registration here

Community Bonfire Work Day
Sunday, March 24 from 9am-3:30pm

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All are welcome to join in helping keep the hermitage fire-season ready.

We'll be gathering up more downed trees, limbs and brush to throw into a firefighter-approved bonfire/burn pile. 

Includes vegetarian potluck at 11am as usual, & the requisite s'mores by the fire--you know, just to keep our energy up!

New Meal Offering Calendar

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Some kind lay friends have offered to help organize a new meal offering calendar.

​You can feed the KBV bhikkhunis by clicking on this link: Meal offerings page

If you would like to help out with organizing offerings, send an email to [email protected]

Bhikkhunis on retreat during the Vassa

PictureDeer Creek at the KBV Forest Hermitage
The KBV Bhikkhunis will spend the vassa on retreat this year. For the first time ever, they will have a three month retreat at KBV for the residents. As the hermitage and Sunnyvale meditation center are well established now, and with no big building projects planned for the summer/early autumn, it finally feels like time for a big shift towards more intensive, focused practice.

From July 21 through October 17, the Ayyas will be on retreat and hope to have lay stewards staying with them at the hermitage to provide meals and look after the buildings and grounds. Members of the community are welcome to apply to serve the retreat by emailing [email protected].

During this time, Ayya Santussika plans to continue offering a recorded Saturday morning dhamma talk, and lay members of the community will continue Wednesday evening programs. 

Looking forward to KBV talks and guided meditations without ads?

Folks have been asking us if we can please get rid of the ads on the KBV YouTube videos. We need 1,000 subscribers to do that. And, right now (as we are writing this), we have 923!  Please subscribe if you haven't and invite your friends!

Save the date for the KBV Kathina 2024
Saturday, November 2nd
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​The kathina has been generously offered by lay supporters to celebrate the end of Vassa this year.

Click here for more information on the tradition of Kathina. ​
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​Thailand Pilgrimage 2024:   
November 21 - December 5
KBV community members may apply through this form
EVERYONE who wishes to come MUST apply
(We have room for 16 pilgrims)
Application deadline: June 1, 2024
Please read this letter from a former pilgrim before applying

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Ajahn Gunha teaching at Wat Subtawee

Developing Resilience and Avoiding Despair

When life throws one major challenge at us after another, how can we avoid sinking into despair?

When aging, sickness, death and other kinds of change or loss come up in life, it is important to be kind and gentle with ourselves. We can accept all of our feelings with patience, even as we stop feeding negative feelings with thoughts that evoke sadness over the past or fear of the future. We can also bring to mind the Dhamma principles that we’ve examined many times. These can take on new meaning in the midst of a challenging situation, to the benefit of everyone involved.
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Ayya Santussika in retreat in the new elder's kuti at KBV Forest Hermitage
It is good to reach out to spiritual friends during these times. Feel free to contact us, for example. We need our fellow practitioners to help us remember the Buddha’s teachings on how these changes in life are part of a much larger picture (lifetimes), on how kindness and generosity appear in many unexpected ways, and how our good qualities and actions do bring about good results. In every crisis, there are beautiful experiences as well as difficult ones.

It is important to not be concerned if meditation is difficult or impossible during these times. We should do what we can to calm the body and mind and to be compassionate and patient with ourselves, relying on all the meditation hours we've already put in. Continue to make gentle effort. Meditation might "happen" when we least expect it.

It is good to open to the flow of spiritual energy that can come through us unexpectedly in trying times. Often, there can be a surprising sense of calm and stability as the Dhamma arises in us to meet these experiences.

It is also good to continue to do things that bring us joy and happiness and to talk with our loved ones about good qualities and acts of virtue, kindness and generosity. We can do what we can to make the time we have with those close to us as sweet and uplifting as possible.

This is a great time for Dhamma practice. It’s a great time to let go of all negative memories and any grievances, and for letting go of our expectations. It is a great time for forgiveness and loving kindness.

Practicing these suggestions in times of much less challenge helps us build resilience and wholesome patterns that are more readily available to us. So don't wait until the chips fall (or they hit the fan).
 
For more on seeing reality as it is, tune in to the current series for the Sati Center or attend the upcoming residential retreat at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (April 2-7) on Dispelling Delusion.

If you would like to join a discussion on developing resilience and avoiding despair during specific life challenges, join us for “How do I apply the Dhamma to THIS” on Saturday morning, February 17th.

With much metta,
Ayya Santussika

For some spiritual uplift, take a look
at Ayya Santussika's  surprise birthday video!

Coming Together as a Community

11/28/2023

 

Starting the New Year with Dhamma

On January 1st, we will get the new year off to a good start with a daylong offered online and in-person at the KBV Hermitage. Everyone is welcome. We will meditate together and discuss Dhamma themes such as "setting the past to zero" and "being continuously happy in the present moment." The daylong will be from 10am to 4pm with a vegetarian potluck at 11am. Please email us for RSVP and directions.

The Beautiful Rains

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During the vassa in Western Australia at Bodhinyana Monastery and the Jhana Grove Retreat Center, there were storms, internally and externally, beautiful storms leading to new growth. It is a tremendous gift to have three months of fully-supported retreat time where people love and respect bhikkhunis. The open schedule allowed the body and mind to find their own rhythm for quiet solitude, deep practice and Dhamma exploration. Ajahn Brahm's weekly Dhamma talks seemed to touch exactly the points arising in my practice and Ajahn Brahmali's weekly sutta lectures opened new vistas of understanding and encouragement. Almost daily, I read from "Stillness Flowing" and "The Art of Disappearing" side-by-side. It was fascinating to see the common threads of Dhamma and practice advice there and to apply them and experience some of the more subtle reaches of the mind. I will always be grateful to Ajahn Brahm for his personal guidance and to Ayya Canda for inviting me and the sweet sense of mutual support that we developed sharing the space.  -- Ayya Santussika

Vassa at the Hermitage
It was a busy vassa back in California for Ayya Cittananda and Anagarika Sarana!

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Community Work Day

An amazing crew came together in August for a big community work day, clearing downed wood from the major winter storms early in the year. A total of 14 friends came together throughout the day to help protect the hermitage. It was shocking how much we managed to gather and clear before hiring the wood chipping crew to turn all that heavy wildfire fuel load into safe wood chips. We then used the chips as landscaping material around the hermitage.  A big anumodana and thank you to everyone who came out, made offerings for the potluck, worked themselves to the bone, and had a great time building community with their generosity!
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An exceptional crew for an exceptional amount of life-and-structure saving work! A couple of other friends aside from those depicted here also came to help out later in the day.

Days like these really add to the sense that the hermitage doesn't belong only to the monastics, but to all of those participating in KBV's activities and  Dhamma programs.

There's a community bonfire weekend coming up in February!
If you're sorry you missed the last opportunity for dana and kalyanamitta at the hermitage, there's always another chance! We're planning another community downed wood clearing day in February. We're inviting folks to come out on Saturday, February 10. We plan to gather as much downed wood as we can and have a big bonfire, complete with smores. Folks are welcome to camp in their cars or borrow KBV's tents, or share a kuti overnight.

Beta camping retreat at the hermitage

Ten retreatants stayed at the hermitage, enjoying meditating out in nature over the long (very chilly!) Labor Day weekend. It was a bit of an experiment to see how many people could stay overnight at the hermitage at one time for a retreat, and it looks like a total of 11 people on the property might have been a bit overly ambitious with the current bathroom facilities. Upcoming camping retreats will likely be kept down a bit in numbers, but everyone seemed to really benefit from the quiet, focused meditation time amongst the deep redwood forest energy. Stay tuned for future opportunities.
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Sitting and walking meditation in front of the outdoor shrine, and at spots overlooking the creek.
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A few retreatants had to leave a bit early, but these were the last meditators standing.

Experiencing Dhamma through Pilgrimage

So much of the wisdom and experience of Dhamma has come to us from Thailand that we delight in bringing people from KBV to visit some of the great teachers there, as we did in November. We want people to have their own experience of what it is like to meet and interact with people who have walked the path all the way to its end or at least much farther than most people ever imagine is possible. We set out on this year’s pilgrimage with 21 lay practitioners from KBV and 5 women in robes. The 26 of us could not go unnoticed as we visited Krooba Ajahns (the Thai way of referring to masters of Dhamma) and spent time in their monasteries.

Our first week was spent at Wat Subtawee, the monastery of Luang Por Ganha. Our pilgrims were prepared to dive in deep, showing up for everything happening: teachings, chanting, meditation, alms round, chore periods and activities no one anticipated, like a mini-tudong (a long walk in the forest, complete with elephant footprints).  Luang Por Ganha emphasizes happiness, generosity and selflessness and our group really took those teachings to heart. They treated each other and everyone with such kindness and generosity that the residents at Wat Sub were moved to express high praise of them.

The kindness and generosity continued as we visited four more Krooba Ajahns during our second week of pilgrimage. We were kindly welcomed by Ajahn Sopha, Ajahn Anun, Ajahn Suchart and Ajahn Piak. Each meeting gave our pilgrims the opportunity to ask questions and experience how different master teachers offer the Dhamma and how the Dhamma and Vinaya are lived at different monasteries.

Our pilgrims are still telling us about how this experience has changed their lives and we see that they are still supporting each other on the pilgrimage WhatsApp group. We couldn’t be more delighted and we look forward to future pilgrimages, so dedicated members of the KBV community who would like to come along will have that opportunity.

Anagarika Sarana's Disrobing Ceremony &
Bon Voyage Gathering

PictureAnagarika Sarana enjoying the Gulf of Thailand November 2023, while on the KBV monastery pilgrimage.
As much as we'll all miss our sweet, kind, wise, Anagarika Sarana, she's onto a new phase of her life. As well-grounded as she is in the Dhamma, it's time for her to spend a few years out in the world experiencing what it's like to live on her own, giving her the opportunity to learn and grow in ways she wouldn't be able to at a monastery. She plans to move to Guadalajara, Mexico and find a job in the public service sector. To support her practice, she plans to keep in close contact with the KBV bhikkhunis, and to regularly participate in programs at Pannabhumi Dhammasala on the outskirts of Guadalajara (lead by Bhante Rahula). Hopefully we'll see her back at KBV in not too long a time, after this stage of her development. 

Your last chance to catch Anagarika Sarana live and in person will be at the end of the "How Do I Apply the Dhamma to THIS?!?!" program on December 16. Her disrobing ceremony will be at 10am, followed by an opportunity for folks to offer well-wishes and favorite memories. She plans on cooking up a Mexican meal for whoever would like to join us for lunch at the meditation center in Sunnyvale at 11am (and of course you're welcome to bring a dish to share as well, if you like). Please RSVP if you plan on coming so she can plan on amounts.  

In conclusion...

Even though Anagarika Sarana is taking this time away, she'll still be part of the community, and all of you are part of this community, near or far. So please stay in touch, and know that you do have good friends on the path.

With much metta,
​Ayya Santussika and Ayya Cittananda

Settling into Vassa, a time of retreat and learning...for some!

7/31/2023

 

Ayya Santussika settles into Vassa at Jhana Grove Retreat Centre near Perth,  Australia

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A view of Jhana Grove Retreat Center, near Perth, Australia
Beginning on the Full Moon of the eighth lunar month is vassa, a time of retreat and focus on meditation for many Theravada monastics (if you're in the right hemispheres). Ayya Santussika is at beautiful Jhana Grove retreat center in the southwest corner of Australia.  Jhana Grove is one of the several parts of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia, which also includes Dhammasara Nuns Monastery, and Bodhinyana Buddhist Monastery (for monks), home to Ajahn Brahm and Ajahn Brahmali, two monks you may be familiar with.  Bhikkhuni Canda, who is starting Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project in the UK,  will also be at Jhana Grove for the Vassa.   
You can imagine Ayya Santussika held in that fine community, for three months of solitary practice, where the four-fold sangha is thriving.  She will walk to Bodhinyana every day for alms, have the opportunity for interviews with Ajahn Brahm, and come for dhamma talks with the Bodhinyana community. May this sacred time be blissful and propel her on her path towards enlightenment!

Alms round, Community Work Day, and continuing programs

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During the vassa, or "rains residence", monastics are required to stay in one place for three months, based on the ancient India circumstance that it was too difficult and too destructive to newly sprouting crops and insects to be traveling during the rainy season.

In the northern and western hemisphere, the weather patterns are quite different than they are in India or in a place like Australia, were it is indeed winter/spring during the vassa months.

At the forest monasteries in the west/north, the late summer-early fall months are usually a much more active time at monasteries, given the generally good weather. It's much easier to get work projects done this time of year, so monastics often take advantage of that. To keep the tradition alive, they spend time studying the vinaya together, and often take turns being on solitary retreat. They save their longer retreat period for when it actually is cold and wet outside where they live.

So, while Ayya Santussika is relaxing into meditation and going deep inside, it'll be a different story for Ayya Cittananda and Anagarika Sarana back at the hermitage and meditation center. 

Alms Round
At the time of the Buddha, spiritual seekers walked with their bowls to collect alms food in order to sustain their bodies. This ancient practice continues to this day in Southeast Asia. For many people, it is inspiring simply to see monastics walking in silence with their bowls; and they find the experience of offering food into the alms bowls inspiring and uplifting. Following this tradition, Ayya Cittananda and Anagarika Sarana are returning to this practice in Sunnyvale for the vassa. They plan to walk from the meditation center (after the Saturday morning program) to the Sunnyvale Farmers Market. Anyone is welcome to find them anywhere along the route (see map above), including at the Farmers Market.

After receiving whatever alms are offered, they plan to eat at Murphy Park before returning to the meditation center. You may join them their and spend some time with them after they finish their meal. It might be good to bring what you need for sitting on the grass at the park, if you wish.

Community Work Day - Sunday, August 13 (9:30am to 3pm)
You might think that since it's already August, the hermitage would be in great shape for fire-safety. But after last winter's storms, there is still a lot to be done in order to secure the kutis and other buildings after so many trees and dead wood came down. We'll need to do as much as we can in order to hire a tree service company to come chip the massive amounts of trees and branches. The nuns would really appreciate any help you could provide in gathering up branches and daisy-chaining them into a pile together. Many hands make light work, and the work is pretty fun when you're at the hermitage, enjoying the sounds of the creek (and the little fish!) and the cool, crisp autumn-ish air.

Another fun project would be putting together the decking squares below the main cabin at the hermitage. The supplies are there, but not much progress was made since Holly came to visit and gave it a great start. If there are enough friends on hand, both projects might happen simultaneously, especially for those who are into putting usable, life-sized puzzles together. 

All skill levels are welcome, and a potluck lunch/meal offering is always a good time when you're with like-minded spiritual friends. It takes a community to maintain a monastery, and the mutual support between the monastics and lay friends is invaluable, inspiring us all to go deeper into our practice. Hope to see you engaging with the KBV sangha at the hermitage!

And if you can't make it on Sunday, August 13, maybe you'd like to come help out at the hermitage some other time? Please email [email protected] if you'd like to come out and enjoy working in nature, and maybe afterwards take a dip in the creek with the friendly steelhead trout fry currently residing there.

Continuing Programs at KBV
The Wednesday night Sutta Study program and the Saturday morning program will continue in Ayya Santussika's absence, led by Ayya Cittananda. It will be Sutta Study as usual, beginning with chanting and meditation before studying together. But Saturday mornings will be a little different. In preparation for the upcoming trip to Thailand, Ayya Cittananda plans to read and discuss excerpts from the book Stillness Flowing: the Life and Teachings of Ajahn Chah by Ajahn Jayasaro. 

A joyful almsgiving (kathina), celebrating gifts given and received

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From left to right: Anagarika Sarana, Ayya Santacitta, Ayya Santussika, Ayya Cittananda, and Kalen offering the tray of requisites.
KBV's July 23 Almsgiving (kathina substitute) came off very well. It was held at the KBV Meditation Center in Sunnyvale. At this year's annual almsgiving ceremony there were three bhikkhunis present as Ayya Santacitta from Aloka Vihara Earth Room joined us for the day.

It was easy to make a sweet space for the Almsgiving, even in this house in town, because of the creative and warm-hearted efforts and good vibes of the lay community. Many thanks to all who participated, donated, and helped with setup and cleanup. A special thanks to Kalen for Sponsoring and to Neeta for coming the day before to help get the meditation center ready for the big day.    
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The Almsgiving sponsor offered this year's robe cloth, and spoke inspiring a feeling of generosity and happiness in giving from many who support KBV. Ajahn Pasanno, Ayya Anandabodhi, and Ajahns Kovilo and Nisabho all sent videos to play for the day, offering words of Dhamma and support for the KBV community.  

Progress on the Upekkha Kuti (Elder's kuti)

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A peaceful, comfortable kuti for our revered elders!
The contractor has finally finished! Anumodana to all who provided the support for this sweet building. We know it will be a great refuge for Ayya Santussika and any visiting elders who come to stay at KBV. It's wonderful to now have an easily accessible, relatively secluded, and comfortable space for them to rest, meditate and contemplate in. The little creek by it is still running a bit, adding to the peaceful ambiance. 

Reflections from the Spirit Rock Family Retreat

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In late July, I was invited to join Ayya Santacitta of the Aloka Earth Room at the Spirit Rock Family Retreat. Aside from giving a few guided meditations and some scheduled times with the various children's groups, I had a lot of time to spend with the children and their parents, separately and together. I was struck by how bright and practical the kids were, and also by how kind, respectful, attentive, generous, friendly and loving they were with everyone around them. It was clear that this particular group of families was focused on living wholesome, mindful lives, with their attention focused on sila (ethical conduct), samadhi (meditative stillness), and panna (wisdom). I was surprised at how much joy and hope for the future this experience gave me.

One of the parents asked how to teach their young children about the idea of anatta, not-self, while they're trying to support their development and self esteem as they grow up. We often hear that one has to have a healthy sense of self in order to let go of it, that there needs to be a certain level of mental stability and wellness in order to work with this tenet in practice and in contemplation.

While this is certainly true and very important, I think (and hope) that more can be done with young, bright, sponge-like minds that are ready to soak up the Dhamma out of curiosity and enthusiasm. We can guide them to contemplate the aggregates as not me or mine. When they get hurt while playing or just in life, we patch them up, comfort them, and talk with them about how the body is always changing, feelings come and go, the way we view things change, as do our ideas and thoughts. Pointing out impermanence frequently in daily life can also help plant that seed of truth in their minds, and it easily ties in with not-self. And, speaking as a then-stubbornly-agnostic child of a mother who would every once in a long while sneak in a refer to the three characteristics, it's good not to underestimate the benefits of this kind of effort (even if it looks like they're not paying attention or if they're rolling their eyes!)

With much metta,
​Ayya Cittananda

Springtime Journeys and Upcoming Annual Almsgiving Ceremony

6/19/2023

 

Karuna Buddhist Vihara Almsgiving Ceremony

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​​"Clearing the Path to Awakening"

July 23, 2023

10:30am to 2:30pm

909 Coachella Ave,
Sunnyvale, CA
From this year's sponsor: 

My name is Kalen and I am sponsoring this year's robe offering (Kathina). I am so fortunate to have met the Ayyas back in 2016 when they lived in Mountain View. It is wonderful to meet monastics so dedicated to the practice who settle for nothing less than full freedom. And not only that, but to truly share that dedication and inspiration with lay people. Wanting that freedom for all of us. I find that so inspiring and generous.

There is a lot of Dharma out there making it easy to get distracted or swayed off course. That is why I appreciate the Ayyas stay close to the suttas and core teachings. There is something safe and secure in knowing this.

As we all know the Ayyas give so much from their weekly teachings, day-longs, retreats, welcoming visitors to the hermitage, hosting respected monastics, and more. It is good seeing them live the dhamma in this modern life, showing that it is possible to live a life of intention, slowing down, kindness, and compassion. 

It's easy for me to be generous. I am grateful to be able to sponsor this year's robe offering. I encourage you all to be generous in your own way as it fosters brightness and happiness.

We could use volunteers for spreading the word of the event, managing the camera and zoom on-site, event moderator/M.C., coordinating gift bags for visiting monastics, setup/teardown of tables and chairs, bringing food, etc. If any of these resonate for you, please reach out to the Ayyas who can forward you my email.

See our Almsgiving page for all the details

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Skillful Living in a World on Fire:
Grounded in The Noble Eightfold Path
Taught by Ayya Santussika and Ayya Santacitta​

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Offered from the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies.
​An on-line course via Zoom, June 23d through 28th. 
​​See course information and register here
Watch a short YouTube invitation

Spirit Rock Family Retreat, July 23-30

Ayya Cittananda will participate with Ayya Santacitta of Aloka Earth Room in this family retreat.
​From the Spirit Rock page:
Find joy in a retreat for the whole family! This will be a time for you and your family to rest, reconnect, play, and enjoy. This is a four-night residential retreat for adults and their children ages 7-15 years old.
The days will combine age-appropriate meditation and Dharma teachings, games, arts and crafts, nature time, and more. Kids and teens will have organized time each day to be with same-age peers, fully supervised by our outstanding mindful leaders. Adults will also have their own time to practice, relax, and receive Dharma from the teachers.
The family retreat creates a safe and nurturing environment where all family constellations, races, gender identities, and bodies are welcome and belong. Children and adults from participant families often forge lifelong friendships on this retreat.
Register here

It's been a very busy spring!

The Ayyas traveled east, then north to teach and support the wider Theravada monastic and lay community. Getting to see old friends, meeting requests for teachings ranging from a few hours to many days, and enjoying rare opportunities for engaging with the fourfold sangha.  What a fun few months of giving and receiving joyously!

On the east coast, they visited Empty Cloud Monastery in New Jersey, Temple Forest Monastery in New Hampshire, and ended with teaching a retreat at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Massachusetts. 

On the west coast, they taught a retreat at Cloud Mountain Retreat Center in Washington State, joined events with Clear Mountain Monastery and SIMS (Seattle Insight Meditation Society), and taught a daylong retreat at Portland Friends of the Dhamma. Below are a few snapshots of where they went to teach, support, and visit:

Vesak at Empty Cloud Monastery in New Jersey

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It was wonderful to spend time with old friends at Empty Cloud, a dual gender monastery in West Orange, New Jersey. They helped lead the Vesak ceremony while there. It felt like spending time with family, and the Ayyas and Anagarika Sarana really enjoyed the warm interactions with the monastics at Empty Cloud and also at Temple Forest Monastery.
Left to right: Ayya Cittananda, Bhante Jayasara, Anagarika Sarana, Ayya Santussika, Ayya Suvijjana, Bhante Mettiko, and Tan Wade. 
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Venerables Jin Wei and Jin Chuan of Redwood Vihara in Boulder Creek, and Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi visiting KBV's hermitage. They had a very heart-warming time bonding with their good brothers from the Mahayana and Sri Lankan traditions.

A dhamma session during the 2 week retreat at Cloud Mountain Retreat Center in Castle Rock, WA

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An evening teaching with Clear Mountain Monastery

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For a Cloud Mountain Monastery Thursday evening gathering, voices joined together in harmony for chanting,  teachings, and a questions and answer session.
Venerables Nisabho, Kovilo, Santussika, Cittananda, and Anagarika Sarana
As one attendee remarked, "I could not keep from smiling!"

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Clear Mountain Monastery's Robe Offering (Almsgiving) Ceremony in Mid-June

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The four-fold assembly came together for Clear Mountain Monastery's 2023 Robe Offering Ceremony on June 17. 
The large hall was filled with happiness for this coming together and support for Clear Mountain Monastery, as funds increase for purchasing property near Seattle.     

Back left,  Ajahn Nisabho and Ajahn Kovilo of Clear Mountain Monastery, front row from the left- Ritthi Thirajitto of Atammayatarama Buddhist Monastery in Woodinville, WA,  Luang Por Pasanno of Abhayagiri, Ukiah, CA, Ayya Anandabodhi of Aloka Vihara, Ayya Santussika and Ayya Cittananda, Anagarika Sarana and Anagarika Bethany.

Strengthening in Dhamma with Kalyanamitta

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With all of the busy-ness during these past couple of months (and the fatigue that comes along with it!), what really stands out for us is the feeling of uplift we have from being together with a harmonious, happy fourfold sangha. We've noticed how beautifully our monastic friends at Empty Cloud, Clear Mountain, and Temple Forest Monasteries are following the Buddha's teachings from the suttas. They're excellent role models for their lay communities, who are also doing a splendid job of upholding the Dhamma.

For example, in Anguttara Nikaya 9.5, translated as "Powers", the Buddha talks about the power of sustaining favorable relationships. One does this by four means: giving, endearing speech, beneficent conduct, and impartiality. The venerables at these monasteries impeccably modeled all of these types of actions. Giving gifts and sharing requisites; speaking kind words, following right speech, and sharing dhamma; acting kindly and helpfully towards everyone, taking care of each other, and encouraging us all on the path; and treating everyone with respect, and honoring the wholesome qualities they've developed through practicing the Dhamma.

It is in turn an honor and a joy to be part of such a wonderful sangha family. We look forward to enjoying this very sweet connection with our monastic sisters and brothers on the path, and the continued close, mutually supportive connection with the entire fourfold sangha.

With warm, fuzzy metta for you all,
​Ayya Cittananda

Springtime -  The Vihara is thriving

4/21/2023

 
Bright spring mushrooms and delicate flowers pop up like jewels from the redwood tree duff. 
Just as the benefits of practice grow, and then fruit. 
Karuna Buddhist Vihara has been growing and spreading roots wide and deep. Basic hermitage infrastructure is updated and more reliable, the Meditation Center in Sunnyvale is blossoming, and several retreats are on the horizon. 

KBV Meditation Center sees growing in-person attendance and improved tech for on-line attendees

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The monastics with some of the participants of the daylong at KBV's new meditation center in Sunnyvale
The KBV Meditation Center at 909 Coachella Ave, Sunnyvale, CA is starting to feel like a home and a refuge in the South Bay area for hearing and sharing the Dhamma. More practitioners are showing up in-person for the weekly events held in this cheerful and calming space.

Many thanks for all the offerings over the years of tables, cushions, shelves, statues and other items, now coming back out of storage to complete the new meditation center. Also, much gratitude for the skills and generosity of the tech-savey folks making it possible for on-line attendees to benefit from clear video and sound.  

Teaching retreats in summertime will cancel some Wednesday Sutta Study sessions

The Ayyas will be traveling to offer several residential retreats in the coming few months, providing a welcome change for those looking forward to in-person practice.
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​However, this will cause a few of the regular Wednesday evening Sutta Studies to be cancelled, due to the traveling and teaching. Please check the KBV website and calendar updates starting in May.

Progress on the Elder's kuti
​and a deck for clean access to downstairs

Why is it that construction projects always seem to take longer than expected? It must be all those pesky details.  And all the various professionals needed to come to make a sweet cozy Kuti dwelling. Or figuring out how those beautiful deck tiles go together to make a flat deck over uneven dirt. Or snow and wind and rain storms causing work stoppage. These first months of 2023 have seen it all! And yet, there has been good progress. Since the last newsletter, plumbing, electrical, roofing, wood ceiling and drywall have been installed. 

​Holly came to stay for a few days to help out and enjoy the hermitage. The bhikkhunis gave her a file of assembly instructions and pointed her to a big pile of materials, which she gladly dove into. Maybe she will finish it when she returns. We are enjoying having a sturdy, pretty, safe and clean way to walk from the upstairs down to the pantry/laundry room and downstairs bathroom. 

 Ayya Santussika to lead residential retreat at Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Massachusetts May 12-17
"Becoming a Noble Disciple: Cultivating the Mind and Life of the Ariyasāvako"

Click here for more information

​Ayya Santussika & Ayya Cittananda to lead residential retreat at Cloud Mountain Retreat Center in Castle Rock, Washington State June 2 to June 15
"The Buddha's Gradual Path: Spiritual Progress in Lay Life"

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The Buddha frequently taught about the practice of the path as “a gradual training” (anupubbasikkhā), which unfolds in stages from the first step to the final goal of enlightenment. 

Click here for more information
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June 23-28, Skillful Living in a World on Fire: Grounded in the Noble Eightfold Path 

Taught by Ayya Santussikā and Ayya Santacitta, offered online via the Barre Center for Budddhist Studies. 

Photo credit

Robe Offering on Sunday,  July 23

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As you might remember from our last newsletter, this year will be a little different.

With all the traveling, & Ayya Santussika being away for the vassa this year, a supporter of KBV has generously offered to hold a robe offering ceremony in July.
​This will be in place of the traditional Kathina offering at the end of the rains retreat. If you'd like to help out with the offering event, please email KBV and we'll put you in touch with the organizer.   

Training the Mind to be Happy

Newsletters, by their very nature, are filled with accomplishments and plans. It is a little like catching up with a friend. What have you been up to? What's happening now? What are you planning? Of course, sometimes with a friend, we do talk about something more, something of overarching importance, something that really matters. What is that in your life? How much of the time does our conversation and our thoughts stay on the surface? What is it that encourages us to go deeper?

The Buddha keeps telling us, in one way or another, to remember that for every one of us, there is going to be a last newsletter. He wants us to remember that those mountains from all four directions really are closing in us (SN 3.25). When and how they reach us is uncertain, but the fact that they will reach us -- that part is certain. So with that sense of urgency, what should we do? When the Buddha put that question to King Pasenadi, he said, “Sir, what could I do but practice the teachings, practice morality, doing skillful and good actions?” OK, sure, that's important, that's what we're all trying to do. However, throughout the early texts, the Buddha takes it further than good and skillful actions. He tells us to actively train the mind. So, especially with the relatively short time we all have left, how should we train the mind? One powerful way to think of it is to simply train the mind to be happy.

Whenever we've visited Ajahn Ganha in Thailand, he has repeatedly talked about being happy and at ease. He said that this is the way to Nibbāna. Sometimes he even said "This is Nibbāna." Of course, he wasn't talking about a superficial happiness. This is the happiness that comes from facing and seeing through the delusion of fears, worries, irritations, unproductive regrets, anything that provokes anger, resentment, jealousy, sadness, doubt .... any state of the mind that isn't "happy and at ease." But how can we have a mind that's happy and at ease when this could be the last newsletter?
Moment by moment,
staying present with what arises,
pulling together all the wholesome forces of loving-kindness, compassion, joyful appreciation for what's good (gratitude), and equanimity,
using these to surround that which isn't happy and at ease,
seeing deeply into that defilement and
watching it dissolve.

Just in case this is the last newsletter, may you be happy and at ease with every breath you take from now until the last one in this lifetime.

Ayya Santussika
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408-354-3305
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