Staying

Santi Forest Monastery offers the opportunity for  women and men to train in a monastic setting. Accommodation is available for monastics and lay people to stay for short or long periods. Most dwellings are situated in quiet bush settings, providing the perfect atmosphere to practice simplicity and seclusion. Those who stay are encouraged to rise early, meditate often, practice generosity and learn from the teachings that are available here.

Santi is primarily a monastic dwelling, rather than a lay retreat centre. There are no scheduled group meditations except on Saturdays. On arrival you will have a meditation interview and during the stay beginners have daily meditation report, advanced meditators may come for report on meditation every 2 or 3 days.

Everyone staying at Santi must follow the same daily routine. In addition to this routine there may also be community meetings, sutta classes, pali classes, vinaya classes, group meditation or chanting. Ayya Phalanyani is happy to discuss dhamma/meditation with you. The best time to ask general questions is during tea time. Question about meditation can be asked in the personal interview with Ayya Phalanyani. Please abstain from discussing your meditation progress with other guests and keep right speech at all times during your stay.

Daily Routine

The following is the general daily schedule. It is supplemented with other activities such as Dhamma talks, classes in Buddhist studies, and special events.

5:00 Group meditation *
6:00 Morning chanting *
6:30 Breakfast and cleanup*
7:30 Work meeting and work (Mon-Fri)
11:00 Main meal & cleanup
13:00 Individual meditation time
18:00 Drinks *
19:00 Group meditation *
* optional

The Eight Precepts

Everyone staying at Santi must follow the eight precepts.

  1. To refrain from deliberately killing any living being (including insects).
  2. To refrain from stealing. (Please ask one of the monks or nuns before taking or borrowing anything belonging to the monastery.)
  3. To refrain from all kinds of sexual behavoir in public and in private.
  4. To refrain from consciously lying.
  5. To refrain from alcohol and other intoxicants. (Smoking is also not allowed anywhere in the monastery.)
  6. To refrain from eating food between noon and dawn the next day. (Exceptions for people with genuine medical reasons. Dark chocolate, sweets, fruit juice, tea and coffee are OK.)
  7. To refrain from games, music, singing, dancing and other entertainments, and to refrain from using perfumes, make-up or jewellery.
  8. To refrain from using high and large seats and beds.

Dana

All services provided by Santi Forest Monastery, including teachings, accommodation and food, are provided free of charge through the generosity of our supporters.

To find out what provisions are currently needed at the monastery, you can call us or take a look at the ‘Dana – offering food and other requisites’ post on the main page.

Applying to stay

Lay people

Lay people may apply to stay for up to one month. This period may be extended subject to a review procedure and availability of accommodation. Attached is the review procedure to provide an idea of issues taken into consideration. long term guest review If you are interested in staying longer than one month and/or are interested in taking ordination please let us know in your application form.

There are three application to stay options:

  • Fill out online application form below (preferred option);
  • Fill in a downloaded application form and email to us; or
  • Download and print out PDF application form and post to us.

Online and emailed applications will be processed and phone calls will be answered during office hours – 8am to 11am Monday to Friday.

Application Form-doc (Fill in and email to santiguest[at]gmail[dot]com)

Application Form-pdf (No e-mail? You can print the pdf file and then post the application.

Nuns and Monks

If you would like to apply to stay, fill in the application form for monastics and return to us.
Emails and phone calls will be answered during office hours – 8am to 11am Monday to Friday.

Please note that Santi is a monastery for female monastics. Monks are welcome to stay and practice but can presently not become a resident at Santi.

Application form – monastics – doc (Fill in and email to santiguest[at]gmail[dot]com)

Application form -monastics – pdf (No e-mail? You can print the pdf file and then post the application.)

Ordination

If you are interested in ordination as a monastic (female or male), then please refer to the document available here in Ordination Procedure at Santi

Should you have any questions in relation to ordination, please forward your questions to santiguest[at]gmail[dot]com or send postal mail to P.O. Box 132 Bundanoon, NSW 2578 Australia.