Day visitors are welcome to participate in the daily activities of the Monastery (see Daily Schedule) and also spend the day meditating in the ordination hall, dining hall, on the tent platforms, and on the walking paths in the avocado orchard. During your visit, day visitors are asked to observe the Five Precepts and follow Monastery Etiquette. Please refer to the FAQ section for information that may be helpful during your visit.

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The Alms Round

 

The monks’ alms round is at 8:30am every day. If you are running late, the last chance to offer food to the monks is 9:00am at the Dining Hall. This is the only meal of the day. If you arrive after 9:00am, the resident laypeople can receive the food, store it overnight, and offer it to the monks the next day.

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Dhamma Books

 

There are books and mp3 CDs on meditation and Buddhism in the Library and Dining Hall. These are completely free of charge. Take what you think might be useful for you or your family and friends. Most of the books and recordings are also freely available to download from dhammatalks.org.

 

The Orchard

 

The Monastery is located in an avocado and persimmon orchard. Please don’t pick fruit directly from trees in the orchard without first getting permission from one of the monks.

 

Avocados - During the peak avocado harvest season (approximately March - June), a third-party company will harvest the avocados. Proceeds offset the significant water bill for keeping the trees alive to provide shade needed by the inhabitants of huts and tents.

 

During peak avocado season, many avocados will fall onto the ground. Visitors are encouraged to collect fallen avocados and place them inside the new kitchen. If there is an abundance of avocados during this period, only firm avocados need to be collected. All soft or slightly soft avocados, or those nibbled on by squirrels can be removed from walking paths and tossed under the trees. Significantly fewer avocados will fall outside the peak harvest season. During that time, fallen avocados that are firm or slightly soft may be collected and placed inside the new kitchen. 

 

All fallen avocados collected or touched by monks should not be brought inside the new kitchen, as they are not suitable to be offered for the monks’ meal. These avocados may be stored in the container labeled “Lay Avo” outside the new kitchen and are free for laypeople to take home.

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Wildlife/Animals

 

Exercise Caution - The Monastery is located away from the city and is home to many kinds of wildlife. Snake and coyote sightings are common occurrences.

 

Coyotes - Coyotes typically do not bother human beings. Guests, especially overnight guests staying in tents, may hear their howling, yipping, and barking at night. Please ignore and do not approach if one comes across your path.

 

Snakes and Small Creatures - Guests are strongly encouraged to walk on established paths. In low light situations, please illuminate the path with a flashlight to avoid accidentally stepping on creatures, including snakes. Since the establishment of the Monastery, the sole incident of a snakebite occurred in 2023, which involved a rattlesnake. While the person who was bitten received timely medical attention, it required an emergency hospital visit and administration of anti-venom. With the hefty healthcare costs in the US, a snakebite may likely result in an expensive, if not exorbitant, hospital bill. Fortunately, incidents like this are rare, but please exercise caution so that your visit is peaceful and incident-free.

 

Feeding Animals - Please do not feed wildlife, including the cute squirrels and rabbits. There is an overpopulation of squirrels and rabbits, so we don’t want to further boost their numbers and exacerbate the imbalance. Refrain from encouraging any stray pets that may have wandered over from the neighbors (i.e., do not pet, feed, or interact with them). Generally, the one exception to feeding wildlife is hummingbirds. They are fed by the monks.

 

Pets - Kindly leave pets at home, because they can be disruptive to wildlife and are easily agitated by the coming and going of other guests.