Our History
Our lineage is rooted in the Buddha, Siddhartha Gotama, who lived and taught in India around 2,600 years ago, and in the Bhikkhuni Sangha which began with a group of dedicated women in the Buddha’s time, led by Mahapajapati Gotami, the Buddha’s aunt and adoptive mother.
The Buddha discouraged the creation of separate lineages, leaving the Dhamma-Vinaya (Teachings and Discipline) as his legacy, but over the centuries many Buddhist schools, lineages, and traditions have formed.
Our spiritual director, Ayya Anandabodhi, originally trained in the Thai Forest Tradition with the Siladhara Order at Amaravati and Chithurst Buddhist monasteries in England from 1992 to 2009. These monasteries were founded by Venerable Ajahn Sumedho, the foremost western disciple of the Venerable Ajahn Chah.
The Siladhara Order is a 10 precept order of nuns who keep a high standard of training similar to the Bhikkhuni discipline, but who are not granted full Bhikkhuni Ordination that was given by the Buddha. The Siladhara Order was established in 1983 in England where it continues to grow. Read the Forest Sangha Newsletter that commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the Siladhara Order. While the training and support for practice was good, the hierarchical structures eventually became oppressive for some of the nuns, as there was no possibility to develop leadership and few opportunities to share the Dhamma.
With a wish to open up the possibilities for women, in 2009, Ayya Anandabodhi and Ayya Santacitta responded to the invitation of the Saranaloka Foundation and left the UK. Aloka Vihara was established in San Francisco where they resided from 2009 to 2014.
Listen to the talk given by Ayya Ananadabodhi the evening before they left Amaravati Monastery:
The initial intention was to start a branch monastery but seeing the groundbreaking work of Ayya Tathaloka and other local bhikkhunis, it soon became clear that taking full ordination was the right thing to do.
In 2011, Ayya Anandabodhi and Ayya Santacitta returned to the UK to respectfully take leave of the Ajahn Chah lineage and the Siladhara Order in order to take full Bhikkhuni Ordination. They received full Bhikkhuni Ordination at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, with Ayya Tathaaloka Mahatheri as preceptor and with the support of the Sri Lankan Bhikkhu Elders from Buddhi Vihara, Santa Clara, and ABS Temple, West Sacramento, and monastics from many parts of the world. You may recognize a few faces in the group photo below.
Listen to Jack Kornfield’s Opening Address:
Watch ‘A New Beginning’ (14:27):
The intention in coming to the US had always been to establish a forest monastery for women, and in 2014, the San Francisco vihara moved to the Sierra Foothills near Placerville and became Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery. This quiet forested property was developed into a peaceful Buddhist sanctuary and received many visitors and guests, both lay and monastic over the years.
In 2021, the Caldor Fire swept through, burning down the forest and some of our meditation huts. Thanks to the Fire Department and the metta and prayers of many, the house and guest lodging survived, but the forest was burned as far as the eye could see – and further. After having been evacuated for 3 weeks, the monastic community returned and spent the following months clearing fallen trees and cleaning up the remnants of the forest dwellings.
Our monastic life continued, but in 2022 it became clear that the efforts to sustain the forest monastery were outweighing the possibility to deepen our meditation practice, and in January of 2023, the forest monastery came to an end. The resident monastics dispersed, like seeds bursting from a seedpod, and spread in several directions to practice and share the Dhamma.
Ayya Santacitta established the Aloka Earth Room in San Rafael, CA.
Ayya Ahimsa returned to her homeland, Canada to establish Canmore Theravada Buddhist Monastery, in Canmore, AB.
Ayya Niyyanika, together with Ayya Suvijjana, established Passaddhi Vihara in Olympia, WA
Ayya Dhammadipa, having now returned to her Zen roots, founded Dassanāya Buddhist Community in Alexandria, VA.
Ayya Anandabodhi came to Port Townsend for some months of sabbatical, supported by Anagarika Bethany. Feeling at home in this town on the Olympic Peninsula, and appreciating the local monastic sangha, and the presence of many lay practitioners in the area, she decided to stay, and establish Pārāyana Vihāra. In 2023, An. Bethany took Samaneri (novice) Ordination as Samaneri Junha and trained at the Vihara for two years.
In 2025, the vihara witnessed new growth, with the arrival of Ven. Satima, who was invited to continue training at Parayana Vihara following her first vassa (rains retreat) here. Ven. Thubten Kunga, originally a bhikshuni at Sravasti Abbey, requested training and ordination into the Theravada lineage. Her request provided Ayya Anandabodhi the opportunity to serve as a Bhikkhuni Preceptor for the first time, and on Nov. 21, the first bhikkhuni ordination in Washington state took place in Port Townsend, with 6 bhikkhu and 8 bhikkhuni Theravada monastics in attendance. Bryanna also received anagarika precepts from Ayya Anandabodhi that day, beginning her monastic life with the Pali name Anagarika Khema.
