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Welcome
to Cittaviveka! Or at least a brief tour of it... Cittaviveka
(pronounced chitta-vee-vayka)
is also known as Chithurst Buddhist Monastery and is a monastery in the
tradition of Theravada Buddhism, more specifically in the lineage of
the Thai forest masters. As such it is a residence for bhikkhus
(monks) and siladharas
(nuns), where their life of training in ethics, meditation and
renunciation can be supported in a quiet rural environment. The
monastery is not a retreat centre, but a living environment of
woodland, ponds, wildlife – and human dwellings. Here,
through ethical guidelines, meditation and community work, we practise
living in harmony. The community welcomes men and women who wish to
visit, stay as guests or make a commitment to the monastic life. Like
the Buddha’s teaching, the beauty and peace of Cittaviveka
can only be experienced by entering into it; however, this website is
an invitation for you to browse and ‘come and see’
for yourself in advance.
About this site
The
various sections of the website may give you a feel for the
monastery and address your initial enquiries.
About this Place
is a guided tour of the monastery that presents its ethos, aims and
style, along with a backward glance at where we’ve come from
in the past 2,500 years.
Visiting and Staying
tells how to get here, when, and also what standards you should observe
in the monastery. It outlines the daily routines and the shifts of
program for each season. Also if you’re thinking of taking up
monastic training for a period of time, this is where to look.
News
is what it says: an occasional newsletter that tells you
what’s going on (there’s generally not much).
Mostly it connects you to the human current of the monastery.
Support
lets you know how you can help out, offer service, or make donations.
Teachings
is a periodically renewed sampling of the teachings given at
Cittaviveka, or by the teachers resident here.
Images
presents some aspects of the environment - some 160 acres of woodland,
wooden huts and traditional stone buildings - that provides the
tranquil context for our practice.
Links
connects you to other monasteries, and to places where you can download
talks from various teachers in this lineage.
Contact
- our address and phone number should you wish to make specific
enquiries.
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