Viriya Kuti Building Party! Sweet Clear Mountaineers helping at KBV
An intrepid team, led by Doug Robnett and Sarah Conover, came down from the Clear Mountain Monastery community in Seattle, Washington to help build the Viriya Kuti. Their boundless generosity was extremely uplifting! as was their depth of building skill.
Visiting, teaching and building with Clear Mountain Monastery and Passaddhi Vihara
We all thoroughly enjoyed each other's company during this precious time together. Sharing dhamma with the KBV and Clear Mountain communities over Zoom was such a warm, fun experience. And, of course, we always love communing in Dhamma with the Passaddhi Vihara monastics. We look forward to spending more time with our monastic siblings as often as possible. How blessed we all are to have these amazing Venerables in our lives!
 Left to right: Ayya Cittananda, Ayya Santussika, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho |  Left to right: Ayya Cittananda, Ayya Santussika, Ayya Suvijjana, and Ayya Niyyanika |
The best kind of fire protection - Deva power!
As part of their amazing offering while we were all together, the Clear Mountaineers joined in to help chant blessings and sprinkle water with redwood sprigs for fire protection. We could feel the devas with us! We covered all the structures and even blessed the knew Forest Shrine Kuti site (where the truck happened to be parked at the time).
Kathina on Nov 2nd, 2025
Another wonderful Kathina Day and ceremony at KBV! A big thank you to Shalini and Adam for sponsoring, and much gratitude to both their families and their friends as well for all the planning, well-prepared cloth, gifts, food, flowers, and the list goes on!
The KBV community coming together for this traditional event of mutual support between the lay folks and monastics is always a joyful, heartwarming experience. Much gratitude to all who offered time, energy, and material and financial gifts to help keep KBV thriving. And, hopefully next year, we'll be able to start work on this Kathina's main fundraising project, the Forest Shrine Kuti, where more peaceful meditation, pujas, ceremonies, and dhamma talks can take place at the hermitage.
Also, a big thank you to all the monastics who came to participate in the day--and the robe-sewing afterwards. We finished the antaravasaka (lower robe) in record time this year!
You can watch the ceremony, including Dhamma talks by the visiting monastics, on our YouTube channel.
The KBV community coming together for this traditional event of mutual support between the lay folks and monastics is always a joyful, heartwarming experience. Much gratitude to all who offered time, energy, and material and financial gifts to help keep KBV thriving. And, hopefully next year, we'll be able to start work on this Kathina's main fundraising project, the Forest Shrine Kuti, where more peaceful meditation, pujas, ceremonies, and dhamma talks can take place at the hermitage.
Also, a big thank you to all the monastics who came to participate in the day--and the robe-sewing afterwards. We finished the antaravasaka (lower robe) in record time this year!
You can watch the ceremony, including Dhamma talks by the visiting monastics, on our YouTube channel.
Teaching and Visiting in the Pacific Northwest
The bhikkhunis headed north for a teaching tour from Oct 9th to Oct 20th, spending time with monastic siblings along the way.
First stop was alms round and sangha time at Passadhi Vihara in Olympia, WA with Ayya Suvijjana and Ayya Niyyanika, and also Ayya Satima who came down from Parayana Vihara to visit.
Next was teaching, sangha time, and alms round with the Clear Mountain Monastery community in Seattle, WA.
Then, time with our long-time lay friends at a 5 day retreat on Samish Island with the Bellingham Insight Meditation Society (BIMS) community, followed by a non-residential retreat weekend with the Portland Friends of the Dhamma (PFoD).
First stop was alms round and sangha time at Passadhi Vihara in Olympia, WA with Ayya Suvijjana and Ayya Niyyanika, and also Ayya Satima who came down from Parayana Vihara to visit.
Next was teaching, sangha time, and alms round with the Clear Mountain Monastery community in Seattle, WA.
Then, time with our long-time lay friends at a 5 day retreat on Samish Island with the Bellingham Insight Meditation Society (BIMS) community, followed by a non-residential retreat weekend with the Portland Friends of the Dhamma (PFoD).
Annual New Year's "Thus Should You Train" at the hermitage
January 1, 2026
10am to 3pm at the KBV Hermitage
or 12:30-2pm online on Zoom
10:00 am Receive your "Thus Should you Train" instructions from the Buddha
11:00 am Potluck
12:30-2pm Join on Zoom to receive your "Thus Should you Train" instructions
2:00 pm Bonfire and s'mores
10am to 3pm at the KBV Hermitage
or 12:30-2pm online on Zoom
10:00 am Receive your "Thus Should you Train" instructions from the Buddha
11:00 am Potluck
12:30-2pm Join on Zoom to receive your "Thus Should you Train" instructions
2:00 pm Bonfire and s'mores
2026 Winter Retreat time
 | January 4 to April 2 Brian, Alex J, Philip and Olivia have generously offered to take turns as stewards for the Ayyas during this time of meditation, contemplation, and generally turning inwards. During the retreat, there will be regular teachings offered on-line by Ayya Santussika on Saturday mornings. Here are the details. |
Reflection - What happens when the four-fold assembly shows up?
Through all these happy and wonderful events this autumn, there has been a very delightful and powerful recurring experience (in addition to sharing the Dhamma): that of the gathering of the 'four-fold assembly.' That's the label the Buddha used when male and female monastics and laity came together. The Buddha made a place for everyone who wanted to embrace the Dhamma in his sāsana (his order - his message - his dispensation). During his 45 years of spreading the Dhamma, he headed a thriving sangha of bhikkhunis, bhikkhus, lay women and lay men - a place for everyone. In more recent times, for the past roughly one thousand years, bhikkhunis were not easy to find in the Theravada tradition. That missing presence felt like a great loss to many of us, but now in these times, to see the four-fold assembly whole again brings joy to the hearts of many.
Everywhere we went during this autumn, being together with our dear bhikkhu and bhikkhuni siblings and our dedicated lay friends of all genders, has been a time of celebration. There were many occasions when people expressed their joy at seeing the bhikkhunis and bhikkhus together, treating each other with love and respect, honoring the dignity in us all, and honoring the fact that the Buddha gave the same opportunity for the holy life through the monastic form and the upasika form to everyone who loves the Dhamma.
We have so much gratitude for being part of this and appreciation for everyone who together creates this field of merit.
Ayya Santussika & Ayya Cittananda
Everywhere we went during this autumn, being together with our dear bhikkhu and bhikkhuni siblings and our dedicated lay friends of all genders, has been a time of celebration. There were many occasions when people expressed their joy at seeing the bhikkhunis and bhikkhus together, treating each other with love and respect, honoring the dignity in us all, and honoring the fact that the Buddha gave the same opportunity for the holy life through the monastic form and the upasika form to everyone who loves the Dhamma.
We have so much gratitude for being part of this and appreciation for everyone who together creates this field of merit.
Ayya Santussika & Ayya Cittananda