CHITHURST BUDDHIST MONASTERY
Staying as a Guest
(Last updated on 7 January 2024)
The monastery is observing our annual three-month Winter Retreat, so we are closed for overnight guest stays until 1 April. Booking reopens on 15 March, so please visit the How to Book page on our website any time from that date onwards.
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 precepts and observances, 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.
All teachings, accommodation and food at Cittaviveka are offered freely. As befits a sanctuary, there is no charge to stay in the monastery, although donations to cover costs as well as offerings of food and other requisites, are appreciated. If a person wishes 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 oneself and harmonious for others.
Accommodation for overnight guests at Chithurst is simple, and often in shared rooms. Men and women are accommodated in separate dwellings and there is no shared living space for couples. Women stay in the nuns’ residence and will need to take a ten-minute walk up a lane to arrive at the main House, where the meal is offered and the weekend teachings are given.
If you'd like to stay as a guest please read further the links on the left hand side of this page and visit the How to Book page.