Sunnataram Forest Monastery : Thai Forest Monastery Bundanoon, offering a Meditation Retreats program

The monks are grateful and touched by all of your support and concerns.  We have received many phone calls and emails from many monks and nuns, supporters and retreat friends.  We wish everyone to be safe and peaceful.  With gratitude from all at Sunnataram Forest Monastery, Bundanoon.

Update Tue 28 Jan 20

The whole area of the monastery was covered by thick smoke in the early morning and late evening due to the backburn activities near Penrose and Wingello. There are a few spot of smouldering fire in the men area. The temperature was quite high, the monks could not do much work in the day time. Just try to monitoring the fire situation. Chao Khun Supachai, the Head of Thai monks in Australia / Abbot of Wat Dhammadharo,Canberra visited us in the afternoon. We inspected the whole burnt area of the monastery. He said 'it is worst than Wat Buddhadhamma in Wiseman Ferry last year bushfire incident '. He promised to bring many Thai monks to join the chanting blessing on 28 Mar 2020 of our 30th Anniversary.

Please click here for more photos

Account Name: Sunnataram Forest Monastery Incorporated

ANZ Bank, NSW, Australia

Swift code: ANZBAU3M

BSB: 012 547

Account No. 2370 37944

The monastery lost almost all Ladies' and Men's accommodation, 25 water tanks, water pumps, meditation bushland and a lot of building materials.

Thank you to everyone who has kindly made a donation to rebuild a few new shed.

To protect everyone’s kind donation and the monastery, we do not allow anyone to do advertising or raise funds on behalf of the monastery, without approval from the committee of Sunnataram Forest Monastery Incorporated.

We are most grateful for your direct deposit to our account:

Thank you very much. Sadhu Anumodhana

The monastery is looking for used caravans or mobile homes to replace our ladies’ accommodation and huts which were burnt down by the recent bush fire. So we will be able to continue to provide spiritual service via meditation retreat to people in need.

Please email us if you have one. Thank you.

Friend in need is a friend indeed.

The monastery is still under the threat of the active bush fire, We lost most of Ladies' and Men’s accommodation. We are sorry that we can't provide any accommodation to volunteers.

Help

1. Cutting the fallen burnt trees:  skilful chainsaw operators, helping hands to remove the wood.  (If you have any heavy machines like bobcat, excavator, 4wd folklift, or 4wd truck, please contact us.)
2. Raking around the existing buildings to prevent the spread of bush fire.
3. Indoor cleaning of huts and halls.

 Please let us know if you or friends would like to help by email [email protected] so our volunteers can prepare meals for you all.

 Things to prepare

1. Eye protection
2. Working clothes
3. Your chainsaw if you have one

Please be aware that the rise of temperature on this weekend may reignite the bushfire, please drive carefully.

เสาร์ที่ 28 มีนาคม 2563

ภาษาไทย กรุณากดที่นี่  Please click here for Thai language  หรือ เฟสบุ๊ก Aon Uma

Instagram

To follow up our current activities, please visit Instagram @kimmcsweeney52  or   #sunnataramforestmonastery.

Every Tuesday

6 - 8 PM Buddhist Chanting, Guided Meditation & Dhamma talk by the monks. All are welcome.

Every Sunday

Buddhist talk and a short meditation session for people who are interested to learn Buddhism between 11 AM -2 PM.

Buddhism for HSC Students

After experiencing teaching Buddhism in many high schools, we have decided to include a section in our website to help those students studying Buddhism in HSC. Read more in 'Dhamma Teachings/Buddhism for Students'

Teaching Monks: Further Training in Australia

Sunnataram Forest Monastery now establishes a special training program: Teaching Monks: Further Training in Australia, to support international Buddhist monks who want to learn how to teach Buddhism in Australia and the West.

We welcome any non-Thai monk who would like to undertake this program to experience teaching Dhamma and helping Dhamma work in Australian culture for 3 months. Please email us.

Thank you & Sadhu

We would like to thanks to all friends who kindly donate Bunning Gift cards and other gift cards to the monks. We have been using them to purchase many building materials to maintain the monastery and to support our Dhamma teaching programs. May all happiness and wisdom be with all of us. Sadhu

 Before you send in application form to make a reservation, please make sure that you are able to complete the whole retreat.  To leave the retreat earlier is considered to be unfair because there are some other people who can't participate the retreat due to your occupied spaces.

Please send in the application form at least 7 days in advance. After sending the application form online, you will received an email from us to acknowledge your booking. If you don't hear anything from us in a four days, please contact us again by email. And please kindly send an email to confirm your booking a few days before the retreat starts. There are always people on waiting lists who want to take the available places in each retreat.

Thank you.

 Fri 13th - Sun 15th Mar 2020

Sorry we need to cancel this weekend retreat due to the damages from the bush fire.

 Sat 28 Mar 2020

10 AM - 3 PM

Special Blessings for Australia's Regeneration After bushfire & 30th Anniversary of Sunnataram Forest Monastery

 *Buddhist chanting blessings by monks and nuns from all schools of Buddhism

*Thai vegetarian lunch for all

*Fundraising to rebuild the monastery.

All are welcome. Free admission.

 Fri 10th - Sun 13th Apr 2020

Weekend Meditation Retreat: Out of theKarma

3rd - 9th May 2020

Vesak Special Retreat: The Enlightenment of the Buddha

We accept only our friends who have practised meditation in this monastery for at least 6 retreats.

5th - 8th June 2020 Queen's Birthday Retreat

Long Weekend Retreat: A Happy Lifestyle