With some easing of the pandemic restrictions in NSW and ACT Santi will be part open from the first weekend in June. We still have to have certain covid-safe restrictions in place however, not only with the govt. regulations but also to protect the Santi community and their visitors, and prevent the possible spread of the virus. (These restricted hours will stay in place until after the monastic vassa retreat which ends in early October – depending on govt. restrictions still in place by then).

Here are the changes for visiting and offering dana at Santi for the next while:

• The monastery will be open on Saturdays only, between 1-3pm, for groups and individuals totaling 14 people maximum. Groups or individuals must book ahead before coming, either by phone or through email, and each person must record their contact details in a visitor’s book (a govt. regulation).
• As the Santi community currently uses the kitchen and library area daily and prepares/takes their meals there, we will be keeping the downstairs part of the house (incl. kitchen) closed to visitors for now. The space is too small to enforce social distancing and it is too risky for infection with many different people using cups, crockery, cutlery, etc.
• However, the meditation hall will be open for visitors to use at that time. Please aim to arrive by 1pm as the nuns will conduct a blessing ceremony with the refuges and precepts, and offer a guided meditation and Dhamma reflection soon after your arrival.
• Visitors may offer dana items/groceries to the nuns on the bench outside the kitchen. (If you’d really prefer to offer cooked food, then it can also be offered in containers outside the kitchen for use the next day or freezing).
• As the kitchen won’t be available, visitors are asked to either eat their meal before or after visiting, or if preferred, people can bring a packed lunch to eat in the garden (but please be aware it is very cold here at this time of year!)
• Visitors may use the meditation hall, public toilets, walk around the garden, or go for a walk to the cliff-view lookout, (with appropriate social distancing for those not within the same household).
• The cave and cave road is still off-limits as we are yet to complete the work to make the area safe again after the bush fires.

NB: As before, if you or anyone in your group has any cold or flu symptoms, however mild, please choose not to come and defer your visit to a later date, (and seek medical advice).

We look forward to welcoming you on your next visit to Santi.

If visiting is not an option for you however, you can still offer dana to the nuns via an online donation, and we are happy to dedicate blessings and merits for your loved ones… See here for more details.