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Natural Growthby Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, Abbess

Like trees in a well-tended forest, Sravasti Abbey grew in many ways in 2017—grew in size and in the Dharma. This is a natural process as Abbey monastics mature in their practice. We thank each of you for your support and rejoice in the interconnected web of people around the world who share and treasure the Abbey’s values: non-harming, helping others, and thoroughly subduing our afflicted minds.

As the Abbey grows, we are also sending deep roots into American soil, roots that will help to hold the Buddha’s Dharma more firmly and clearly far into the future.

A Flourishing Monastic CommunityThe year began and ended with an emphasis on monastic life. In January, Ven. Dr. Bhikshuni Heng Ching from National Taiwan University inspired and energized the community with teach-ings on the Vinaya. By the end of the year we were preparing for the

Living Vinaya in the West course and getting ready to host Ven. Bhikshuni Master Wuyin and a faculty of fully ordained nuns from Luminary International Buddhist Society for more Vinaya teachings.

Vinaya is often defined as the monastic ethical code, but we are learning how it is so much more than a set of precepts. The Buddha’s compassion shines through the meticulous instructions he gave for how monas-tics can live together harmoniously to support our spiritual development and serve society.

The community grew in 2017 too. In the natural growth process, we ordained new anagarikas into the training precepts, gave novice ordinations, and sent two community members to Taiwan for full ordina-

tion. We finished the year as 11 bhikshunis (fully ordained nuns), one bhikshu (a fully ordained

monk), two shikshamanas (training nuns), and two anagarikas.

Learning and Practicing Buddha’s TeachingsOf course, as the monastic community deepens our lived experience of the Dhar-ma, we have more to share with others, and the Abbey shared Dharma aplenty in 2017. In addition to our usual Memorial

Day and Labor Day retreats, Exploring

Natural growth flows out from nurturing the Abbey’s mission: To support a flourishing monastic community where learning and practicing Buddha’s teachings cultivate peace in the hearts of the residents, visitors, and the world.

Photo by Gen Heywood

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Monastic Life, Exploring Buddhism for Young Adults, and the annual one-week retreat, we were blessed with wonderful guest teachers. Dagri Rinpoche, eminent scholar Geshe Yeshe Thabkhe, Geshe Dadul Namg-yal, Bhikshuni Ven. Sangye Khadro, and Buddhist scholar Dr. Jan Willis all shared the Dharma at the Abbey. We also welcomed a visit from Geshe Tenzin Chopa Lhadron, one of the first 20 nuns in the Tibetan tradition to receive the geshe degree. We loved that so many international practitioners as well as Americans, and especially incarcerated people, participated in the annual Retreat from Afar.

Abbey monastics also traveled to teach the Dharma, including visits within the U.S. and to Russia, Mexico, Germany, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore. I especial-ly enjoyed teaching at Istituto Lama Tsong Khapa in Italy, where I had spent time as the spiritual program coordinator over thirty-five years ago.

Creating Peace in the Hearts of Residents, Visitors, and the World The Abbey’s natural growth in 2017 also ripened in multiple publications. Wisdom Publications released Approaching the Buddhist Path, the first volume in a series entitled The Library of Wisdom and Compassion that I co-authored with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This series will be His Holiness’ major English-lan-guage work describing the path to awakening from beginning to end. We expect at least eight volumes, so the series will require lots of attention over the next few years!

Wisdom also published Practical Ethics & Profound Emptiness: A Commentary on Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland. It was a joy for me to edit these amazing

teachings by one of my spiritual mentors, Khensur Jampa Tegchog.

We also self-published a collection of six booklets on the Vinaya that describe precepts and rites for those with various levels of ordination. Internation-ally, several of my books were published in different languages: Buddhism for Beginners in Arabic; Working with Anger in Vietnamese; Open Heart, Clear Mind in Hebrew; Living with an Open Heart in Spanish; and Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions in Chinese.

Outreach continued to be an important Abbey activity through our prison Dharma program, interfaith activ-ities, and our support for local homeless and at-risk youth. We also spread the Dharma online by posting hundreds of video and audio teachings. Abbey monas-tics spoke at local schools and hospitals, and we hosted a high school class studying world cultures.

Most of the community was also involved with our on-going work in the Abbey forest and grounds. We love the connection with the land and cherish the responsi-bility to preserve this property for future generations of nuns and monks. The flower and veggie gardens prospered too.

In the background of all these activities, the commu-nity built Prajna Cottage, a small residence for the abbess. I have lived in a wonderful cabin without running water since 2005, and I wasn’t sure this new home was necessary. However, as 2017 gave way to the new year—and during a heavy snowfall—I moved into the new home and relished the experience of tak-ing a shower without having to hike through the cold. I thank every one of you for that! I am also happy that future abbesses or abbots will be spared that particular experience.

Everything the Abbey does is enhanced and supported by volunteers, supporters, and well wishers around the world. We rejoice that people near and far join us in creating peace in a chaotic world. Through our efforts, may kindness naturally grow in our own hearts and in the world.

Thank you for all you do to support the Abbey’s efforts to benefit others.

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Ven. Thubten Chodron led all courses and retreats unless otherwise noted.

• Winter Retreat: Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga or Four Establishments of Mindfulness

• Developing Compassion Retreat with Ven. Chonyi and Ven. Samten

• How to See Yourself as You Really Are course

• Three Principles of the Path with Dr. Jan Willis

• In Praise of Dependent Arising, plus White Tara and Amitabha Empowerments with Dagri Rinpoche

• Young Adults Explore Buddhism• White Tara Retreat• The Art of Transforming Suffering with

Ven. Sangye Khadro• Exploring Monastic Life• Developing Concentration Retreat• Madhyamaka Through Metaphors with

Geshe Dadul Namgyal• Aryadeva’s 400 Stanzas on the Middle Way

with Geshe Yeshe Thabkhe (via Skype)• Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions

course• Nyung Ne Retreat with Ven. Tenzin Tsepal• New Year Vajrasattva Retreat• Monthly Sharing the Dharma Day

Ongoing Monastic Education

2017 Courses & RetreatsStatistics502 video teachings

Sravasti Abbey posted

to our YouTube channel

Ven. Chodron’s guided meditations on Insight Timer App received 44,293 playsOver 213 students from 20 countriesparticipated in the 2017 Retreat from Afar, including 100 in U.S. prisons

263 students completed the Sravasti Abbey Friends Education (SAFE) distance learning courses

529,683 viewsOnline Dharma videos drew

• Completed the fourth varsa retreat and pravarana ceremony

• Continued with fortnightly posadha ceremony to purify and restore precepts

• Performed kathina ceremony for offering the “robe of merit”

• Two-week Vinaya course with Ven. Dr. Heng Ching of National Taiwan University and Ven. Tien Chang of Chou-Feng Temple

• Continuing education on monastic discipline• Completed weekly teachings on Nagarjuna’s

Precious Garland with Ven. Thubten Chodron (streamed live)

• Continued weekly teachings on The Gomchen Lamrim with Ven. Thubten Chodron (streamed live)

• Began weekly teachings on The Course in Buddhist Reasong & Debate with Ven. Thubten Chodron (streamed live)

• Weekly class on The Fundamental Mind with Dr. Jeffrey Hopkins (via Skype)

• Daily Bodhisattva’s Breakfast Corner teachings• Regular Nonviolent Communication training

with LaShelle Lowe-Charde (via Skype)• Weekly colloquial Tibetan and classical Chinese

language instruction via Skype for suitable students (via Skype)

“I am moved by the sincere desire of the Sravasti Abbey monastics to receive the monastic precepts and learn how to live in the Vinaya. This earnest attitude is rare.” —Ven. Heng Ching, National Taiwan University

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United States:• Ven. Thubten Chodron shared the Dharma

in Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint, ID; Northampton, MA; Portland, OR; Spokane, WA; Chicago, Il; Cleveland, OH; Garrison and New York, NY; plus an online course with Wisdom Academy

• Other Abbey monastics shared the Dharma in Spokane and Walla Walla, WA; Coeur d’Alene, ID; Carbondale, CO

International:• Ven. Thubten Chodron shared the Dharma

in Italy, Germany, Russia, Denmark, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore

• Ven. Tenzin Tsepal shared the Dharma in Mexico

Teachings

• Practical Ethics and Profound Emptiness: A Commentary on Nagarjuna’s “Precious Garland,” by Khensur Jampa Tegchok, edited by Thubten Chodron, Wisdom Publications

• Approaching the Buddhist Path, by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and Thubten Chodron, Wisdom Publications

• Six Vinaya texts, translated, edited, and published by Sravasti Abbey:

Pravrajya and Siksamana Ordination Rites

Teachings and Rites for Sramaneri/as

Siksamana Posadha and Other Rites

Bhiksuni Posadha and Rites to Establish the Territory

Bhiksu Posadha and Rites to Establish the Territory

Varsa, Pravarana, and Kathina Rites

Forest WorkCompleted 3.6 acres of forest care – thinning and limbing to prevent forest fire and mitigate forest disease.

Social WorkAbbey residents sat on the board and volunteered skills for Youth Emergency Services (YES), serving about 130 local teens, and gave talks at the Rotary Club, Gonzaga University, North Idaho College, a

mental health institution, and at Interfaith services. About 50 teens from a local high school visited the Abbey.

Prison WorkAbbey monastics visited and gave Dharma talks in Washington prisons. We also provided books, audio and video teachings, spiritual counseling and correspondence, touching over 1000 incarcerated persons in the US.

Offering Service

Publications Mexico

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Geshe Yeshe ThabkheGeshe Dadul Namgyal

Photo by Gen Heywood

Ven. Thubten Pema received

shikshamana ordination.

Photo by Gen Heywood

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“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of such a beautiful home from which to continue her

remarkable service on behalf of our holy Gurus and all the many fortunate beings she has helped and will continue to help for a very long time to come. Well done, well done, O Daughter of the Family!”

—Jonathan Landaw

Prajna Cottage

Ven. Thubten Losang and Ven. Thubten Pende took full ordination in Taiwan.

Dr. Jan Willis

Exploring Buddhism for Young Adults

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Supportingthe Dharma

to Spread in the World

“Thank you for helping to create peace, particularly in these times, to keep our inner moral compass ever aligned to the bright light of wisdom and compassion you shine.”

—Leigh Miller, Oregon, USA

The Abbey values transparency in all our activities.

However, we no longer think it’s wise to publish financial reports or donors’ names on the web. Write the office for a complete copy of the 2017 Annual Report that includes

the financial report and benefactors.

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2017 BenefactorsThanks for offering your time, material support, and good wishes to

support the sangha and help spread the Buddha’s teachings.

Sravasti Abbey exists solely by your generosity. In addition to your essential financial and in-kind offerings, a network of volunteers helps at the Abbey and around the world; their names

are in green. We often receive offerings with no name attached, and sometimes volunteers put in time that is not recorded. Whether your name is here or not, please know that we are doing

important work together. Together, we’re creating peace in a chaotic world.

Malaysia

Sravasti AbbeyA Buddhist Monastery

Creating Peace in a Chaotic World

Residence: 692 Country Lane Newport, WA 99156 USA Mailing PO Box 447 Address: Newport, WA 99156 USA

Phone: (509) 447-5549email: office.sravasti@gmail.comweb: Sravasti.org ThubtenChodron.org

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