A Buddha Hall Message from Abbess Venerable Thubten Chodron
The world has changed dramatically since we announced the Buddha Hall project in 2019.
The climate crisis has risen to a crescendo of devastating weather events that we cannot ignore. Covid-19 has cost over 6 million lives worldwide so far and continues to spread. Violence and political conflict are flaring on every continent. Food shortages abound, and the costs of goods and services continue to soar.
Why would we build a Buddha Hall now?
For these very reasons, the Buddha Hall is more urgently needed than ever. For a future to be possible, human beings must find a way to work together to address the issues we face as a species. To do that, we must learn to educate not only the intellect but also the heart.
Buddhist psychology trains the mind in the ways of non-violence, emphasizing ethical conduct and establishing through clear reasoning why love and compassion are more powerful than hatred and fear.
While the Abbey has grown steadily over the years, the pandemic brought a wave of new seekers, joining us over the internet, longing for tools to understand our world, ease their pain, and be helpful to others.
And now that we are open again, guests are slowly returning in person. And already, the old Meditation Hall is overflowing again.
– Venerable Thubten Chodron

For these values to permeate our culture, the teachings must be shared widely with all who want to hear them. We need a place to train monastics and lay people in living these teachings to integrate the Buddha’s precious teachings in their lives. The Buddha Hall at Sravasti Abbey is that place.
With global inflation and supply chain issues, the cost of the Buddha Hall project has risen to $6.7 million. It is almost halfway funded already.
Sravasti Abbey needs $3.5 million in gifts and loans to finish the project in 2023 without having to pause construction.
Your help – large or small – contributes to the vision of creating peace in our chaotic world for generations to come.