Pacific Hermitage

Chris Holcombe, a dedicated practitioner living in Fairview, Oregon, will be serving as our temporary Dana Coordinator. Chris has enjoyed visiting the Hermitage over the years with his family, and steps into this role with a spirit of generosity and care.  He looks forward to supporting the flow of dana and connecting with the community.  As always, you can reach the dana coordinator at dana@pacifichermitage.org.

Our Dana Coordinator, Cāgasiri, was recently involved in a car accident and is currently recovering from a traumatic brain injury. While she will miss being in touch with everyone during this time, her focus now needs to be on rest, healing, and recovery. We hold her with deep care and kindness as she takes the time she needs.

We are grateful to Chris for offering his time, energy, and willingness to serve in this interim period, anumodana!

Happy 2026!

The Hermitage has entered into the Winter Retreat time, which is from January 1st – March 31st. As previously noted, Ajahn Sudanto will be the only monastic in residence through the end of March. This is the first time that Ajahn has had the chance to spend winter retreat at the hermitage alone, and to really limit activities so that he is more fully in retreat mode. It is particularly good timing since his new kuti is complete, and he is very grateful for this time of peaceful, dedicated practice.  The community is happy to offer him this gift of supported solitude.

Ajahn’s Travels

Ajahn Sudanto returned to the Hermitage in early December after traveling for nearly two months. His journey began in October, when he visited Abhayagiri for the Kathina.  From there, he stopped in Japan to visit a relative in Kyoto before heading to Thailand. He spent more than a month in Thailand visiting eight different monasteries. The majority of his time was spent at Wat Khao Opat, Wat Pah Boonlorm, and Taotam Forest Hermitage, though he also visited Wat Pah Nanachat, Wat Nong Pah Pong, and Wat Pah Subthawee Dhammaram, among others. What a beneficial gift for Ajahn to spend time with the monastic Sangha in Thailand.

While in Thailand, Ajahn Sudanto was offered quite an auspicious gift specifically for the Monks’ Retreat House project.  The offering was a beautiful Buddha Rupa image and stand.  Crafted from sandstone, it depicts the Buddha’s first teaching at Deer Park, in Sarnath India.  More details about this beautiful and timely offering will be shared in a separate post very soon.

Tuesday nights at Yoga Samadhi

Though Ajahn is on retreat, Tuesday evenings at Yoga Samadhi will continue through the winter.  Tuesdays are a great opportunity to talk Dhamma with Ajahn during this time, and as a reminder the schedule is as follows:

• 5:15 PM – 6:15:  Silent meditation (doors are locked at 5:15 sharp)
• 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM:  Community meditation and Dhamma reflection

Anyone can join either or both sessions whether you have joined before or not, all are welcome.

Winter Meal Dana

A meal dana update for the winter was recently published here.

Looking Forward

We will begin our Garden Parties in April as usual.  The first one will be held on Saturday, April 4^th, mark your calendars.  Caring for the Hermitage land is a wonderful way to welcome in Spring and connect with the community.

Ajahn Sudanto will be away traveling for two weeks from mid-March.  In May Ajahn will be at Birken for the annual tradition of the Birken-Pacific Hermitage retreats from May 1^st – 24th.  (Reminder that registration is now open until January 21^st.) Following the retreats, Ajahn will travel to Abhayagiri for its 30th Anniversary celebration.

May the community be happy and well, and may 2026 be a fruitful year on the path.

Ajahn Sudanto returned to the Hermitage on Friday, December 5th, after his travels in Thailand and Japan.  The Hermitage is now settling into the stillness of Winter Retreat, which is from January 1 – March 31.  Any work projects are stopped during this time, as are most outside events (except Yoga Samadhi).

Ajahn Sudanto will be the only monastic in residence through the end of March 2026. This is the first time that Ajahn has had the chance to spend winter retreat at the hermitage alone, and he is very much looking forward to a time of peaceful, dedicated practice.  There will be a few shifts in meal dana opportunities, and our dana coordinator Cāgasiri wanted to share an update on offering alms during the winter season.

DECEMBER

Alms round and weekend meal offerings are continuing as usual for the balance of December. Ajahn Sudanto will be away briefly from December 24 through December 26, and this is already reflected on the alms calendar. There is an opportunity to offer the meal on Sunday, December 28^th (as well as the first weekend in January 2026), please email dana@hermitage.org if you are interested in offering.

WINTER RETREAT, JANUARY – MARCH

Visiting the Hermitage

During the winter retreat period, Ajahn will not be receiving guests or hosting group meal offerings on weekdays (with the one exception of the PFoD Upasikas gathering one Tuesday each month).  There is still the opportunity to speak with Ajahn and have Dhamma conversations on weekends, and on Tuesday evenings at Yoga Samadhi, which will continue. 

If you would like to offer a weekend meal, please email dana@pacifichermitage.org with the date you are interested in; you can view available dates on the meals calendar here: https://pacifichermitage.org/calendar/meals-calendar/

A gentle reminder that while Ajahn Sudanto may receive alms from anyone, he is only able to visit and offer Dhamma reflections when a male is present.

Alms Round

January 5^th-16th:  Ajahn Sudanto is planning a period of fasting beginning after the New Year. The initial plan is to fast Monday through Friday for the first two weeks, January 5^th– 16th. During that time, Ajahn will pause the weekday alms round (weekend meal offerings will continue). Ajahn may decide to extend the fast another week or two, he will update us at the time.

January 19th-March 16th

Ajahn will go on Alms round on weekdays as usual.

March 16^th– April 1^st:  Ajahn Sudanto will be away during this time, so alms round will not occur. (Weekend meal offerings will be paused as well, as shown on the meal dana calendar).

If you regularly offer along the alms route and anticipate being out of town for any part of the winter, please feel free to email the Dana Coordinator at dana@pacifichermitage.org to share the dates you will be away.   

Anumodana

We are very happy that Ajahn Sudanto, who is so generous with his time, is taking more time in solitude during this year’s winter retreat period.  Anumodana to all whose support make this beautiful gift possible.  Thank you, as always, for the care, attentiveness, and generosity that continue to support the Hermitage.

Our new Dana Coordinator, Cāgasiri, has shared an update on all the ways the community can participate in this beautiful act of generosity.

Meal Dana Coordinator Update

Recently, there was a meal offering organized to bring folks out to the Hermitage who had never offered a meal to the monastics before.  There was a palpable joy felt in the room when a new supporter lifted a dish and offered it into the hands of one of the monks for the first time. Watching this scene unfold was a beautiful reminder of how this simple act of offering food nourishes both the receiver and the giver. It is an exchange that lives on in the heart, and can be recollected again and again to brighten the mind.

There are a number of ways that anyone who wishes to can participate in this beautiful act of generosity.  We wanted to share an update on some of the possible ways to join in.

Join the Weekly Alms Round

Each Monday through Friday, the monks walk into the White Salmon on their alms route.  Supporters in White Salmon can choose a day to have the monks stop at their home each week to offer them a meal.  It is a wonderful chance to be generous and to connect with the Hermitage monks.

Currently, there is a gap specifically on Mondays, since a supporter who had been offering alms on Mondays has moved away.  Anyone interested in being a part of the weekly alms route in White Salmon and filling this open spot on Mondays, we would love to hear from you!  Please email the Hermitage directly at hermitage@abhayagiri.org or call (509) 416-6654.  We are happy to answer any questions you might have about the details of how this works.

Offer a Meal at the Hermitage on the Weekend

On the weekends, the monks warmly receive visitors at the Hermitage between 10:00 – 1:00, with the meal offered at 11 AM (since the monks may not eat past mid-day).  If you would like to sign up to offer a meal on a Saturday or Sunday, you can email the Dana Coordinator at dana@pacifichermitage.org to sign up.   Emailing the dana coordinator lets the Sangha know that the monks will have alms offered that day, and the names of those who have signed up appear on the Meal Dana Calendar on the website. 

If there is a name on the Meals Calendar for a particular weekend day, please know that additional supporters are always welcome to sign up for the same date, or to spontaneously join in if they are inspired to do so.

Note that when you sign up to offer a weekend meal offering, you can either bring food to offer in person, or order a restaurant meal if you aren’t able to be there.  You sign up for the day in the same way by emailing the dana coordinator, and mentioning that you will be placing a restaurant order.  Please note whether the food will be delivered or if the monks will need to pick it up. More details and a few restaurant options are listed at the end of this post.

This way of offering alms can be a great alternative if your schedule, health, or the weather make offering in-person difficult.  It may be especially useful as we transition into the winter, when snowy or icy roads can make travel difficult.

Join the Emergency Rescue Squad Group

Another beautiful part of the Hermitage’s web of support is the Emergency Dana Rescue Squad — a group of friends who can be contacted when a weekend meal offering date is open, or when there’s a last-minute cancellation. When this happens, the dana coordinator sends a group email to all those who have signed up for this list, and anyone who wishes may reply to sign up to offer that day (in person or by restaurant offering).

If you feel inspired to join this circle of helpers, please email dana@pacifichermitage.org to be added to the email list.

We are deeply grateful for all who continue to support the Hermitage with your generosity of food, time, and care. These offerings help sustain both the monastics and the wider community, and bring much joy to all.

Local Restaurants for Meal Offerings

Here are three local restaurants that make Restaurant Offerings possible:

White Salmon Baking Co (509) 281-3140

• Best to order one day in advance; monks pick up the next day at 8 AM
• Open every day 8am–3pm (closed Tuesdays)

Nativ Café (509) 426-5341

• Best to order one day in advance; monks pick up the next day at 8 AM
• Open every day 7am–3pm

Beneventi’s (509) 493-2177

• Best to order one day in advance
• Delivery to the Hermitage is available on Saturdays at 10 AM
• Open Monday–Saturday 10:30 AM–8 PM (closed Sundays)