Pacific Hermitage

Comings & Goings

As is customary, with the end of the Vassa there will be some comings and goings at the Hermitage. Tan Parimutto will return to Temple Forest Monastery on November 8th, and Tan Suddhiko will depart for Abhayagiri in early December. The community has been so grateful for their kind presence!

Ajahn Sudanto will be traveling to Thailand and Japan from early November to early January. We hope his journeys will be of great benefit and we look forward to his return.

We’re very excited that Ajahn Nyaniko, Abbot of Abhayagiri Monastery, will be visiting the Hermitage from December 1st – 7th. Also arriving from Abhayagiri on December 1st will be Tan Cittapālo and Tan Dhammavaro, who will both remain at the Hermitage through the winter. We look forward to welcoming them all! As always, there are opportunities to offer a meal on the weekends (calendar here) and join the monks on Tuesday evenings at Yoga Samadhi. Additionally, Ajahn Nyaniko will offer a daylong at Portland Friends of the Dhamma on December 3rd, details here.

A Beautiful Pah Bah

It was a great joy that so many in the community could attend this year’s Pah Bah on September 16th & 17th. Joining the Hermitage’s resident monks – Ajahn Sudanto, Tan Suddhiko, and Tan Parimutto – were ten monks from three different monasteries, including:

• From Abhayagiri: Luang Por Pasanno, Ajahn Sek, Ajahn Nyaniko, Ajahn Karunadhammo, Tan Jotimanto, Tan Dhammavaro, and Anagarika Max.
• From Temple: Ajahn Anando and Ajahn Caganando
• From Clear Mountain: Ajahn Nisabho

The weekend activities included a half-day meditation event on Saturday, and the meal offering and Pah Bah ceremony on Sunday. These auspicious occasions have occurred since the time of the Buddha, and they celebrate the interdependence of monastics and laity. The generous support of the community will contribute to a Monks’ Retreat House at the Hermitage in the future. Anumodana!

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You can see more photos from the event by viewing this photo album.

2023 Garden Party Season

This year’s Garden Party season concluded in October with many in the community joining in to stack wood for the winter. Two newly built wood sheds were completely filled! Much gratitude for all those who worked diligently and with such care all year, taking care of the land and preparing the wood for the winter. Anumodana, may these generous acts be of great benefit.

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The Abbot’s Kuti

Many Hermitage visitors have had the chance to see progress on the Abbot’s kuti along the way, and it is now close to complete. While there is still some finishing work to do, it’s expected to be completed by mid November.

Mark Your Calendars for October 7 & 8

As is our tradition, the final Garden Party of the year is preparing for the winter by readying the wood needed to fuel the wood stove (a.k.a. the Woodchuckers’ Ball).  This year, the majority of the work will be stacking the wood in a newly constructed wood shed.

There is quite a large pile of wood to stack, and having many folks in a line to pass the firewood will make light work of it – no special skills are needed.

The Details:

• Dates: Saturday, October 7th & Sunday, October 8th
• Time: 1:00 – 3:00 pm both days, followed by tea

Note: These are separate events from the meal offerings. If you are thinking of joining earlier for the meal, please contact the meal dana coordinators as usual, dana@pacifichermitage.org.

This is a wonderful opportunity to joyfully offer generosity. And it’s a great day for the community to gather at the Hermitage while the weather is still good, and also to see Tan Suddhiko and Tan Parimutto before they return to Abhayagiri and Temple monasteries after the vassa. Anumodana!

An Auspicious Occasion

Since the time of the Buddha, Pah Bah celebrations have offered a chance for monastics and lay people to celebrate our interdependence. The Pacific Hermitage’s Pah Bah weekend is just around the corner on September 16 & 17 in Underwood, Washington.

The Sanghata Foundation is delighted to welcome Luang Por Pasanno, Ajahn Sudanto, Ajahn Sek, Ajahn Karunadhammo, Ajahn Anando, Ajahn Nyaniko, Ajahn Caganando, Ajahn Nisabho, the Pacific Hermitage monks, and visiting monks from Abhayagiri and beyond. All events will be held at the Underwood Community Center, 951 School House Rd, Underwood, WA.

Schedule & Details

Saturday Sept 16

• 1:00 – 5:00 PM: Meditation Retreat

There will be structured periods of sitting and walking meditation, and Dhamma reflections. This is a lovely opportunity to settle into the weekend and connect with the community. Please bring a zafu or cushion if you need one, as there are not enough for all.

Sunday Sept 17

• 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM: Meal Offering
• 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Pah Bah Ceremony and Dhamma Reflections

If you are attending the Sunday meal, please bring a dish to share to the venue’s kitchen, and be settled into your seat by 10:30. Otherwise, to attend the afternoon’s event please arrive by 12:30.

The monks will be available in the afternoon on both Saturday and Sunday to talk with guests and take photos, and share updates about the new Abbot’s Kuti.

Donations will support the development of the “Monks’ Retreat House” project.

We are excited to be working on this new project supporting elders in our lineage. The primary purpose of this two-story dwelling is to comfortably accommodate senior monks for visits and periods of solitary retreat. Features include an accessible sleeping room with an en-suite bathroom, separate living space for an attendant, a kitchenette, restrooms, and an elegant meditation and gathering space with expansive views of the forest.

Join Us

You can attend any or all of the days’ events. Families are welcome! There is a big field, sports courts, and a playground for kids.

If you are interested in helping or volunteering on either of the days, please contact jessicaswanson@gmail.com. 

Learn more or donate at PacificHermitage.org.

The 2023 Pah Bah to Be Held on September 16 & 17

Since the time of the Buddha, annual Pah Bah celebrations have offered a chance for monastics and lay people to celebrate our interdependence. This year’s events will be held at the Underwood Community Center in Underwood, WA on September 16 & 17.

Please join the community in welcoming Luang Por Pasanno, Ajahn Sudanto, Ajahn Anando, Ajahn Nyaniko, Ajahn Caganando, Ajahn Nisabho, the Pacific Hermitage monks, and visiting monks from Abhayagiri and beyond. Donations will support the development of the “Monks’ Retreat House” project.

Pah Bah Weekend Schedule

• Saturday: Meditation Retreat, 1:00 – 5:00
• Sunday:
  • Meal offering, 10:30 – 1:00
  • Pah Bah Ceremony & Dhamma Talk, 1:00 – 3:00

Asalha Puja at the Hermitage on August 1st

Three times a year, the community commemorates the primary Buddhist holy days at the Pacific Hermitage. Asalha Puja, which celebrates the Buddha’s first sermon, will be marked on August 1st in the traditional way: gathering at the monastery, offering a meal, taking the five precepts together, chanting, and talking on Dhamma with the monastics in residence. 

All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Please contact Jessica Swanson for more information, to RSVP, or to organize carpooling from the Portland area.

Construction News: The Abbot’s Kuti and the Monks’ Retreat House

Construction on the Abbot’s Kuti is nearly halfway done, with the roof and windows almost complete. It is on track to be finished by November 1st.

On a separate building note, the design for the Monks’ Retreat House is nearly complete. It will be a multi-use space, but primarily it will provide suitable accommodations for visiting elder monks and Abhayagiri monks seeking to do solitary periods of retreat, in addition to providing additional gathering space. We will have more to share about the project at the Pah Bah.

August Garden Party

The next Garden Party is scheduled for August 5, and you can join for any part of all of the day’s schedule. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with the Sangha and chat with other members of the community.

Mark your calendars for the final two Garden Parties of the season on September 2 and October 7.

Any sensitive, selfless act of caring and giving is something worth remembering and delighting in. It brings a sense of ease and lightness and joy to the mind, which is the kind of food we need for this work, the kind of fuel we need for spiritual happiness and the motivation to keep growing in Dhamma.

– Ajahn Sudanto

The Pacific Hermitage monks begin their annual hiking trip on Tuesday, July 18th. This year’s trip, organized by Bob & Nina Archer, will take the monks to Olympic National Park. Ajahn Sudanto, Tan Suddhiko, and Tan Parimutto will be joined by Ajahns Nisabho and Kovilo for a few days early in the trip.

The monks will return to the Hermitage on July 28th. The discussion of Bhikkhu Bodhi’s new book, ‘Noble Truths, Noble Path’ that began at Yoga Samadhi last Tuesday evening will resume on August 1st when the monks return. (Find more details about these discussions in the previous post.)

Lay members of the community will lead the meditation sessions on Tuesday evenings at Yoga Samadhi on July 18th and July 25th while the monks are away.