Santi Forest Monastery is a Buddhist community for monks, nuns, and laypeople. It's located
on 150 acres of eucalyptus forest, cliffs, waterfalls,
and caves adjoining Morton National Park in the rugged
landscape of Australia's Southern Highlands, about halfway
between Sydney and Canberra. It was established by Bhante Sujato, with his teacher
Ajahn Brahm, the abbot of Bodhinyana Buddhist Monastery
in Western Australia, as its first Spiritual Director. Santi Forest Monastery is owned by Santi Forest Monastery
Incorporated, a not-for-profit charitable association.
The primary purpose of the monastery is to offer residential
and educational facilities for Buddhist monastics who
wish to train in the forest meditation tradition with
the aspiration to realize enlightenment.
The training at Santi Forest Monastery emphasizes:
- Devotion to meditation in seclusion, the heart of the Buddha's path.
- Monastic discipline, contentment, and simplicity as a foundation for building a mature and harmonious spiritual community.
- Study of Buddhist scriptures, with special emphasis on comparative and historical inquiry into the earliest scriptures common to all schools.
Lay people are welcome to visit or to stay in order to meditate and experience the monastic lifestyle.
However, formal meditation retreats for lay people are
not conducted at Santi Forest Monastery. Senior monastics
serve the wider community through giving teachings in Buddhism and meditation in various centers in the region.
Anyone who wishes to bring the traditional offering of food for the Sangha may normally do so before the meal
time of 11.00 AM. We appreciate if you can
let us know in advance, by telephone on (02) 4883-6331 or via email to santioffice@gmail.com.
Santi Forest Monastery runs completely on mutual generosity.
Dhamma is beyond price, so we do not charge for teaching,
books, or accommodation. Santi Forest Monastery is a non-profit
charity that relies solely on donations.
Building of meditation huts and other facilities is ongoing
and your contribution is precious to us.
Anyone interested to visit the monastery is welcome. The
best time for a casual visit is 9:30 - 11:00 AM. A senior monastic is usually available to answer questions
from noon to 1:00 PM.