Introducing the Saraṇa Vana Monastery project
We’ve purchased land for a new project in Calaceite
After the Buddha delivered his first sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, the wheel of Dhamma has not stopped turning. That Benares (Vārāṇasī) sermon on the four noble truths also gave birth of the sangha: the monastic community.
With the growth of the sangha, the Buddha established the four assemblies: bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, lay men and lay women. He thus established a marvellous formula, in which both laypeople and monastics contributed for the benefit of all.
Several suttas give accounts of the immense generosity of many lay people who donated land and had monasteries built. That same generosity is still at work today and through it’s power, we are delighted to announce that we have been able to purchase land for the construction of the Saraṇa Vana monastery in Calaceite, a small town in Aragon.
Copied! First steps: the Guha project
Those of you who have been following our progress for some time will know that we’ve held a wish to find a place to nurture into a quiet place for hosting long, secluded retreats.
In 2022, the first steps were taken to acquire a plot of land in Calaceite. We called the project ‘Guha’ (a cave for the heart) and put in every effort we could to find a way to make it work. After trying all number of options available, eventually the possibility of acquiring the land faded away as we weren’t able to raise the amount needed for the purchase within the time frame we had.
The effort and aspiration of our small community remained intact, but we were left with the question, “what now?”. The only thing that was clear was that we wanted to continue the journey, keeping the funds raised for Guha until the next possibility.
Copied! After Guha
Just a short time after we closed the chapter on Guha, not only did we enjoy a steady stream of ‘scouts’ giving us tips on new opportunities, but two separate donation offers came in just a couple of months apart: one for some family land and the other offering funds.
We were blown away by such incredible generosity of heart. This willingness to support our efforts in service of Dhamma was so deeply moving and humbling and we would like to express our eternal gratitude to both individuals.
After exploring possibility and how best we realize our aspiration, we accepted a donation for buying a piece of land and a new construction project: Saraṇa Vana.
Copied! The Saraṇa Vana monastery project
We have drawn up plans for the construction of a main building which will house a meditation hall of almost 200 square metres and a second building that will provide a dining room, kitchen, storeroom and toilets.
Ten kutis (between 20m² to 25m²) are also planned. The kutis will be space out as much as possible to facilitate solitude, tranquillity and silence. They will also have a roofed outdoor space (eaves) for walking meditation. One of the kutis has been designed to be able to accommodate those with additional accessibility needs.
We’re currently in the first stage of a three-stage development process expected to take a year and a half if everything goes smoothly.
Copied! A big thank you!
Over the years, we have been enormously touched by the support and loyalty of many people who have donated to make this possible. This has deeply encouraged and inspired us and continues to do so today. To each of you we offer our immense gratitude.
Thanks to the generosity of many, throughout the ages to this very day, we can see that the wheel of Dhamma put into motion by the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta has not stopped turning.