We have arrived in Valderrobres!

In mid-October we, together with a lovely group of friends, opened the doors of the monastery’s new home. It is a beautiful renovated house with a meditation room, kitchen/dining room, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It is located in the old town of Valderrobres (Teruel), considered one of the most beautiful villages in Spain.

It was wonderful to start this new stage with such dear people who came from far away to support our move. We had friends from Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and even Uruguay!

The first offering of food was truly moving in its generosity and abundance. After sharing the meal in silence, we were able to spend some time with the architect who is leading the construction of our Vana Monastery project on a site near by where we hosted Vinaya Camp last June.

With the help of some plans she had made for the meeting, we delved into the details of the project. It will be a space dedicated to long retreats. The plan is to have a meditation hall, a dining hall, kitchen and storage building, and ten kutis (individual huts) to accommodate meditators.

After a lively session full of questions as we explored the project, the whole group went to see to see the site as it currently is. It was very beautiful to have a time of meditation together there, enjoying the silence and the pleasant natural surroundings.

Back at the house we were able to meditate together and the generosity of the friends who had come surprised us with even more offerings for the monastery. It was a wonderful day and a beautiful and inspiring start to this new phase for the monastery.

We have already been able to do some short retreats with friends who have travelled from Madrid and Barcelona. In March we’ll be able to welcome regular visits to offer food, silent meditation or some Dhamma talks ( see our calender for more info ). Short retreats will also be available soon.

Quite amazingly, just a few days after moving into the new house, we were able to secure the purchase of another house a few doors down, which will be able to house nuns and long-term volunteers. The newest building needs quite a bit of repair work, which an enthusiastic group of volunteers has already started.

It will take time to complete, but we are deeply moved by the outpouring of generosity. Over the past few weeks we have received all sorts of offerings to help us get started, stoves, beds, food, materials for the new bathroom, and on and on. We are speechless at the thought of loved ones travelling from so far away to help; it is truly inspiring.

May all that is born be for the benefit of many!