Who We Are & What We Do

What Sravasti Abbey is all about

Who We Are

Nuns speak with child

Sravasti Abbey is among the first of its kind—an American Buddhist monastic community where nuns and monks and lay students learn, practice, and live the Buddha’s teachings.

Founded in 2003 by author, teacher, and fully ordained nun Venerable Thubten Chodron, we practice Tibetan Buddhism in the tradition of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

While monastic training is the focus, lay guests are also welcome to experience community life, offer service, and experience the kindness of others.

The Abbey’s network is much wider than our 370-acre property in rural Washington State. Through the web, we are interconnected with friends around the world.

What We Do

Nuns look at computer with video cam.

Our days are never dull! A monastic’s full time inner focus is to learn and practice Buddha’s teachings, the Dharma. Then we share the tools to develop compassion and wisdom with anyone who asks. People of all backgrounds and beliefs can find something in the Dharma to make their lives happier and more meaningful.

We are both traditional and innovative in rooting Buddha’s teachings firmly in the West. The Abbey embraces gender equality. Social service is a key element of community life. We do prayers and practices in English.

Abbey outreach is both local and global, creating peace in a chaotic world. Web teachings are posted almost daily and we travel to teach where invited. We write and publish Dharma books that are read around the world. We pray that Sravasti Abbey will be a beacon of Dharma teachings in the West for many generations to come and an agent for peace in our world.

More on Who We Are & What We Do

Nun tends compost bin.

A Day in the Life

A detailed look at our daily schedule. Here’s how we spend our days and train our minds.

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Nuns receive online food offering.

Meet our Community

Find out who we are and how we got here.

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nun greets young girl

How We Help

Spiritual support, social engagement, and care for the environment. This is how we help.

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Venerable Chodron poses for a photo at the barn with Vicki and Harold Unruh who are the previous owners. They cared for the house, garden, meadows, and forest with a lot of love.

History and Mission

Sravasti Abbey was founded in October 2003. Many dreams and plans went before it, and much effort has followed. That’s when our history begins.

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“Our culture is so rushed and superficial… We need places like the Abbey to remind us about our true nature.”

Sean McLaughlin

Spokane, Washington

“Venerable Chodron has been dreaming to establish this Abbey for so many eons… so now it happens, now it’s actualized, and I think it’s very wonderful.”

Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche

“Thank you again… for all the wonderful work you do, to bring peace into a chaotic and difficult world.”

Dorothy Lang

Germany

Latest Teachings

Newest Photos

The soon-to-be bhikshunis continue to explore the inside of the temple.
Monthly eNews & eTeaching
Find out what's happening at the Abbey.
Learn from books by Ven. Thubten Chodron.

Sravasti Abbey

692 Country Lane
Newport WA 99156 USA
[email protected]
509-447-5549