Cittaviveka: Chithurst Buddhist Monastery

Visiting and Staying > Staying as a guest

In general, the emphasis in the monastery is on developing awareness through living in community, and on following a daily routine which includes silent meditation, social interaction and service. The whole is held within the ethical norms of the Eight Precepts, which help to check the mind’s impulses and also promote harmony and trust. Teachings are given on a regular basis, and there are opportunities to talk with monks and nuns about Dhamma practice. There are also periods of time when the monastery is observing silence, and there are periods of relative solitude. Accordingly guests are expected to have a good degree of self-motivation and self-reliance.

On their first visit, guests can stay for up to three nights, after which they can arrange for a longer stay in the future. Any stay hinges on each individual’s ability to practise in accordance with the themes of the monastic life.

The UK government now requires us to comply with the Health & Safety standards of hotels and public access places (!). So we have to ask guests to fill in a Health & Safety Questionnaire with general information regarding their medical history. This also includes providing contact details of a person we could inform in case of their medical emergency. Please click on these links to see what information you will be expected to provide when you come to our monastery. We hope this does not cast too burdensome a light on your stay here!

All teachings, accommodation and food at Cittaviveka are offered by the Sangha and its supporters. As befits a sanctuary, there is no charge to stay in the monastery (though donations to cover costs are appreciated). If you wish to stay here, then it’s important to enter fully and sincerely into the daily life and practice of the community. This will make the stay more meaningful for yourself and harmonious for others.

Through January, February and March, the community observes a silent retreat. During this time we don’t take in overnight guests.

All guests are requested to book in advance in writing. Initial stays are limited to three nights, although exceptions are made for people coming from abroad.

Please address all correspondence to the ‘Guest Monk’ or the ‘Guest Nun’, and include specific dates and possible alternatives with your enquiry. A self-addressed envelope is greatly appreciated.

Women who would like to stay as guests at the monastery can now also write to the Guest Nun by sending an e-mail to guestnun@cittaviveka.org

If you need to cancel a booking, please give as much advance notice as possible, so that we can make your space available for someone else.