About Saranaloka Foundation
Officers and Board Members | Our Advisors | Governance | Financial Data
Plan to Visit!
Come visit the vihara for meditation workshops, pujas,
Dhamma talks and to support the nuns.
Where We Began
Saranaloka Foundation was established in 2004 to support nuns from Chithurst and Amaravati monasteries in England to come to the United States to teach. After numerous visits, enthusiasm for the presence of women monastics allowed Saranaloka to extend an invitation to the nuns' community to set up a permanent monastery here in the United States.
The First Year
In December 2009, we set up the Aloka Vihara in San Francisco to house three nuns and an anagarika: Ajahns Anandabodhi, Metta, Santacitta and Anagarika Santussika. The first nine months were full with the vihara open, the nuns teaching around the Bay Area and across the United States and long visits from Ajahn Thitamedha and Sister Sumedha.
Where We Are Now
The Aloka Vihara is well supported and both Ayya Anandabodhi and Ayya Santacitta are in residence there.
The decision of the nuns to take bhikkhuni ordination was followed by a decision of the Saranaloka Foundation to allow the evolution of Aloka Vihara to include ordained bhikkhunis. It is the intention of the Board of Directors to offer support to both the siladhara (10-precept nuns) in England, when they come to America to teach or visit and to the Aloka Vihara and its resident nuns who take bhikkhuni ordination.
Read letters from the nuns and Saranaloka President and also several articles that clarify bhikkhuni ordination, etc.
Looking Ahead
The intention to found a training monastery for bhikkhunis in a rural setting on the West Coast continues to be a goal. We hope you will join us in this historic effort to provide a place of Dhamma practice for ordained women as well as a place where both lay women and men will come to visit and practice.
Ways you can support this effort:
- Do fundraising in your local community
- Help to fulfill the Dana List
- Offer a meal to the nuns through Lotsa Helping Hands website
- Offer a ride to the nuns through Lotsa Helping Hands website
- Join Yahoo Groups to stay connected
- Make a one-time or recurring donation to Saranaloka Foundation
Please contact us if you are interested in helping with these endeavors.
The official headquarters of the Saranaloka Foundation are at Aloka Vihara, 1632 48th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122.
Saranaloka Foundation has five Officers. Please contact us if you have any questions.
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