What's New
(updated July 17, 2010)
Ongoing Bay Area Monastic Evenings with the Ajahns
IMC (Insight Meditation Center, Redwood City) On every 3rd Friday of every month one of the sisters will lead this evening with traditional Buddhist chanting, refuges & precepts, guided meditation, Dhamma reflection and Q & A, 7-9PM.
Changes at the Vihara
Anagarika Santussika, who has been a wonderful support for getting Aloka Vihara up and running, has decided to leave the Anagarika training in our community and return to One Heart Center in Los Altos. She will continue to live as an 8-precept nun in the mae chee paradigm of Thailand and focus her many skills on enabling an increased awareness and engagement in the pressing enviromental issues of this time.
We will maintain contact with her and look forward to seeing the blossoming of her work. Wishing you blessings on your path, Santussika!
Visit from a Peaceful Leader
On June 5th, we were blessed with a visit from Ashin Kovida, who risked his life in the 2007 'Saffron Revolution' in Burma, by leading a peaceful demonstration of Buddhist monks, nuns and lay people in Yangon (Rangoon). Here at Aloka Vihara, Ashin Kovida shared some of the story of his life, the movement within him to do something about the terrible situation of the Burmese people and the resultant crackdown from the government. Unable to safely return to his country, he came to United States as a refugee on March 11, 2008. He lives in Oakland, California and is studying at Alameda College.
Senior Nun is Resident at the Vihara until July
Ajahn Thitamedha, a senior nun from Chithurst Monastery in England is visiting Aloka Vihara until mid-July.
She was born in 1961 in Ryasan, Russia, near
Moscow. She graduated as a medical doctor in 1986, from
Ryasan Medical University and worked for four years....
read more
Nationwide Supporters Group Has Formed
With the wish for all to share in the blessings of the siladharas' (the nuns) presence in America, we invite you to join us in the Nationwide Supporters Group. The tree has been planted in California and, as it grows, its branches will provide us all the shade and protection of Dhamma in the midst of Samsara. Learn how you can be a part of this joyous endeavor, whose time has arrived. To find out more/be in touch, please write to us.
“Saranaloka: The Light of Refuge—Seeds of a New Monastery”
For a very concise and interesting history of Saranaloka and the nuns here in the USA, read this excellent article written by board member Jeanie Daskais (Fearless Mountain newsletter, Jan 2010). (pdf)
“Intro to Insight Meditation” Booklet Available
This very popular booklet has been in print for many years and is a very helpful guide to beginner meditators. Download a pdf here.
Article: “Establishing a Training Monastery for the Nuns in California”
Read this article that contains interviews with Ajahns Anandabodhi, Metta and Santacitta, published in the October 2009 issue of the Forest Sangha Newsletter. (pdf)
Help Us Distribute Our Brochure!
Our brochure, announcing our intention for the formation of the nuns' monastery, is available and we are distributing it around the United States, Canada and beyond. If you would like copies for your sangha or town where you live, please drop us an email and we will gladly send you some—several dozen or several hundred!
sample brochure 
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