Museum hosts talk on Buddhist monastaries

Did you know there’s a Buddhist monastery north of Spokane? Join Venerable Thubten Chodron, founder and Abbess of Sravasti Abbey, at the Museum of Arts & Culture on June 16 to learn more about “Buddhist Monastics in the Inland Northwest.” The program, includes a public talk at 10:30 a.m., a meditation workshop at 1:30 p.m., and a photo exhibit. The Museum’s café will be open for lunch.

Venerable Thubten Chodron, founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey, a Buddhist monastery located north of Spokane, will share how Buddhism has come to the West, its value to Western culture, and talk about life at the Abbey. A guided meditation workshop will follow in the afternoon. Led by Venerable Thubten Chonyi, a long-time practitioner and Abbey resident, the workshop will teach two different types of meditation to cultivate a calmer, happier mind,.

Ven. Chodron will also introduce her new book The Foundation of Buddhist Practice, co-authored with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In addition, there will be an exhibition of images by Gen Heywood Photography to illustrate the rich cultural experience of Tibetan Buddhist monastic life that has now found a home in the Inland Northwest.

While Buddhist monasticism is fairly new to the region, Sravasti Abbey, founded in 2003, has quickly woven into the fabric of local culture. It is the first and only Tibetan Buddhist monastery for Westerners in the U.S. Ordained nuns and monks as well as lay people live there, devoting their lives to studying and practicing Buddhist teachings and sharing them with others. Guests are welcomed.

Detailed guidelines for visiting Sravasti Abbey can be found under the “visiting” section of sravastiabbey.org.