Staying as a Guest

Day Visits

You are most welcome to visit at any time during a day. No booking or prior notice is required.
Read more information on visiting.

Overnight Guests

The monastery is primarily for the training of monks. It is very much both a local and wider community project and we like to welcome as wide a range of people as we are able. Staying here as a guest is a part of that possibility; an opportunity to experience monastic life. The following gives you some idea of what this involves.

General Guidelines

Monastic life is one of community. Guests become a part of this and follow the monastery schedule and take part in all community activities. To maximise the benefits of your time in the monastery do determine to ‘leave the world behind.’ In this respect it is not appropriate to come and go without notice or engage in external business during your stay. To help make the monastery a haven of quiet and solitude please leave computers, phones and other such devices at home. Otherwise we ask you to leave those with us for the duration of your stay. Emergency phone or email is available. Do take care of all business and travel arrangements BEFORE coming to the monastery. All this helps to ensure a peaceful, contemplative stay.

For one who mindfully develops
Boundless loving-kindness
Seeing the destruction of clinging,
The fetters are worn away. If with an uncorrupted mind
He pervades just one being
With loving kindly thoughts,
He makes some merit thereby.
Mettābhāvanāsutta, Iti 1.3.27

The Eight Precepts

The foundation of General Guidelines Monastic life is one of community. Guests become a part of this and follow the monastery schedule and take part in all community activities. To maximise the benefits of your time in the monastery do determine to ‘leave the world behind.’ In this respect it is not appropriate to come and go without notice or engage in external business during your stay. To help make the monastery a haven of quiet and solitude please leave computers, phones and other such devices at home. Otherwise we ask you to leave those with us for the duration of your stay. Emergency phone or email is available. Do take care of all business and travel arrangements BEFORE coming to the monastery. All this helps to ensure a peaceful, contemplative stay.our lifestyle is the Eight Precepts, which includes eating only before noon and avoiding all sensual physical contact, regardless of gender.

The Eight Precepts – kept by all residents and guests

  1. To refrain from destroying living creatures (harmlessness: not intentionally taking the life of any living creature)
  2. To refrain from taking that which is not given (trustworthiness)
  3. To refrain from any kind of intentional sexual behaviour (celibacy)
  4. To refrain from incorrect speech (avoiding false, abusive or malicious speech and idle chatter)
  5. To refrain from intoxicating drink and drugs which lead to carelessness (sobriety)
  6. To refrain from eating at wrong times (restraint: not eating after midday)
  7. To refrain from beautification, entertainment, and adornment (restraint: not seeking distraction, playing radios and music, and dressing modestly)
  8. To refrain from lying on a high or luxurious sleeping place (alertness: refraining from overindulgence in sleep)

Personal items to bring: a flashlight, sleeping bag (or sheets), pillow, towel and toiletries, sturdy shoes, work clothing (warm clothing in the winter months), and an alarm clock. We have blankets and some pillows if your luggage is limited.

We are not able to accommodate pets.
We don’t have facilities to support self-guided retreats.
No smoking.

The monastery is supported entirely by voluntary donations and, in keeping with our tradition, there is no obligatory charge for anything at Bodhinyanarama. Each person considers how best they can contribute to the needs of maintaining the monastery, while at the same time developing good qualities within themselves. The kitchen steward does no grocery shopping, so guests may want to check before they arrive if they want to bring something. Food is always useful with fresh vegetables and fruit particularly so.

Please also read the section on Monastic Etiquette

Making a booking

First-time visits are limited to a minimum of three nights and a maximum of seven. For those who have previously spent time with our community or people coming from overseas, it is possible to arrange a longer stay. Please don’t make a reservation unless you can make a firm commitment to follow through. Failing to cancel a reservation may mean that someone else is turned away. To book a visit, please fill in the guest booking form. Bookings can’t be made over the phone.
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