Category: News

Sept 7 Garden Party  |  Sept. 20 PFoD  |  Sept. 21 & 22:  Retreat & Pah Bah (see update in Pah Bah article below)

Garden Party is September 7

Come to the Hermitage to share in a potluck meal and help finish yard work and preparations for our monastic Pah Bah guests.  You can come for any part or all of the activities.   Information:  contact the hermitage

Potluck Meal — Arrive at 10:30 am (please tell dana coordinator if you’re participating)
Work Party — About 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Tea, Chat, Relax — Until 4:00 pm

Note: Bingen is having it’s Huckleberry Festival that weekend and traffic through Bingen on Hwy. 14 may be disrupted for a bit that morning by the festival parade. If you take Dock Grade Road from Hwy. 14 to White Salmon, you’ll avoid the parade.

Annual Pah Bah:  Join us September 21 & 22

The big news for September is always the Pah Bah weekend, including a half-day meditation retreat on Saturday and the Pah Bah meal offering and traditional ceremony on Sunday.  Details and schedule here.  Twelve monks will join be here for the weekend, including Luang Por Pasanno, Ajahn Jayanto, Ajahn Karunadhammo, Ajahn Sek and Ajahn Caganando.  Information:  pahbah@sanghata.net

UPDATE: There will be a Children’s/Family Area downstairs during Sunday’s Pah Bah ceremony. No adult supervision or organized programs are planned, but there will be books, toys and games.

Friday Night at PFoD on September 20

The Pacific Hermitage monks will be joined by Luang Por Pasanno, Ajahn Jayanto, and several other visiting monastics from Abhayagiri and Temple Forest Monastery for their regular  visit to Portland Friends of the Dhamma.   Information at PFoD website. Note:  Friday only.  Saturday activities are cancelled, due to the Pah Bah retreat.

Water System Upgrades Underway

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There has been quite a bit of trenching and laying of conduit over the past few weeks.  The Hermitage water system is getting an upgrade.  The new system will improve water flow to the existing building and landscaping, increase water storage capacity, allow for a back-up system and provide water for the future Abbot’s kuti and Retreat House.

North American Abbots Meeting September 4 – 11

Ajahn Sudanto will be away September 4-11, attending what is now a regular annual event.  This gathering of abbots or senior monks from North American monasteries is hosted at a different monastery in the U.S. or Canada each year.  This year it will be at Arrow River Forest Hermitage in Northern Ontario, Canada.

A lay community gathering to support the Pacific Hermitage.

Honored Guests

We’re honored to have Luang Por Pasanno back with us this year for the Pah Bah. Abbot Ajahn Jayanto and Ajahn Caganando from Temple Forest Monastery will also be joining us, along with Abhayagiri’s Co-Abbot Ajahn Karunadhammo, Ajahn Sek, and several more monastics from Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery.

Location: Mtn. View Grange, 1085 N Main Avenue, White Salmon, WA
Saturday, September 21: Meditation retreat with the monks (half-day)
Sunday, September 22: Almsround, meal offering, Pah Bah ceremony
More information: pahbah@sanghata.net

Everyone is welcome.   Come for any or all activities.  It’s free. Donations are welcome, but not required.  

Schedule for the Weekend

SATURDAY: Meditation Retreat

1:00-5:00 PM:  Meditation Retreat
Upstairs at Grange (door on Main Ave)
Monks will lead sitting and walking meditation and offer Dhamma reflections.  Chairs will be available, but please bring your own cushions if you want to sit on the floor.

SUNDAY: Family-Friendly, Food, Friends and Pah Bah Ceremony!

UPDATE: There will be a Children’s/Family Area downstairs during Sunday’s Pah Bah ceremony. No adult supervision or organized programs are planned, but there will be books, toys and games.

8:30-9:15 AM:   Alms Round
Jewett Blvd & Main Ave, White Salmon
The monks will walk almsround starting on E. Jewett Blvd. at about 8:30 AM, then north on N. Main Ave., arriving at the Grange about 9:15 AM.  All alms food will be put on the meal offering table.

10:30 AM:   Meal Offering/Potluck
Downstairs at Grange (door on Estes Ave)
Please arrive no later than 10:30 AM, if you’re bringing food. Bring  your food ready to serve, in your own serving bowl/plate, with your own serving utensil.  The meal will be offered to the monks at about 11:00 AM.  Please plan to take home any leftovers.

1:00-3:00 PM:   PAH BAH CEREMONY  
Upstairs at Grange (door on Main Ave) 

The Pah Bah ceremony includes the offering of robe cloth and material goods as well as monastic chanting and Dhamma reflections by senior monks.  No meditation.  Other languages may be spoken, but English will be the predominant language.  This is a family-oriented event and you are free to come and go as you please.  Chairs will be available.  Please bring your own cushion if you want to sit on the floor.

A Pah Bah is a traditional Thai ceremony, originally to offer cloth for monks’ robes.  In modern times, it has also become a gathering of friends (old and new!) for a potluck meal and offering needed material goods and monetary donations.  Pah Bahs are initiated by members of the lay community, and Sanghata, the board of stewards for the Hermitage, helps organize the event.  Children are welcome.

Volunteers appreciated  — Help would be appreciated for setting up and taking down chairs, tables, tents, etc. at these times:  Sat. 9:00 AM – noon, Sun. 9:00 – 10:30 AM, and Sun. 3:30 – 5:00 PM.  Contact pahbah@sanghata.net if you’d like to help or have additional questions.

Offering Support for the Pacific Hermitage

Support comes in many shapes and sizes — offering alms food or meals, material goods, transportation, gardening skills, etc.  Visit the Pacific Hermitage Support  page for more information.  See below and visit Sanghata for information on offering monetary support.

Financial offerings are welcome and necessary — The Hermitage is funded entirely by donations.  Since Thai Forest Traditions monks are not allowed to receive or handle money, donations and all financial matters are entrusted to a lay board of stewards.  For the Pacific Hermitage, that board is Sanghata.  They help you support the monks so the monks can focus on practice, study and offering teachings.

For information about Sanghata, Hermitage finances, or different methods of offering donations, please visit the Sanghata website, send an  email, or stop by the dana (donation) table at the Pah Bah.  Regular monthly offerings, small or large, are especially helpful for Hermitage planning and budgeting.

Dana list (needed items) — To offer material goods, check out the dana list, or email us for information.   Please do not offer the items listed as “Not needed.” There is little storage space at the Hermitage, so excess quantities are given away.  Gift cards are a helpful alternative.  Hermitage stewards use them to buy items when they are needed.  Amazon, Home Depot or Ace Hardware cards are most useful.

Pacific Hermitage Mailing List

Are you on our mailing list? Is your information current?

Please use the form on our website pages to sign up for event notices, informational emails and postal mailings.  If your contact information has changed, you’ll need to fill in the form again.

Aug. 3 Hermitage (Garden Work) Party * Aug. 16 & 17 Portland Friends of the Dhamma

August 3: Garden (Work) Party at Hermitage

There’s plenty to do to prepare for the September Pah Bah! With 12 monks staying at the Hermitage, help is needed to clear tent sites and pathways, preparing brush piles, keep the flower beds weeded and generally keep the grounds beautiful.

Come join others in the community for a potluck meal, a couple hours helping out, and/or tea afterwards with the monks.

Potluck Meal — Arrive at 10:30 am (please tell dana coordinator if you’re participating)
Work Party — About 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Tea, Chat, Relax — Until 4:00 pm

August 16 & 17: Monks Visit PFoD

On Friday evening and Saturday morning, the monks will make their regular visit to Portland Friends of the Dhamma. See their website for more information.

Every Tuesday Night: Meditation in White Salmon, WA

The monks lead meditation every Tuesday night at Yoga Samadhi in White Salmon, Washington. Cushions and chairs are available. No charge.

5:15 – 6:15 PM: Experienced meditators. One hour of silent meditation. Be ready to meditate promptly at 5:15 pm. No late arrivals or early departures.
6:30 – 8:00 PM: All levels welcome. Shorter meditation with instruction, Dhamma talk, and time for questions.

Sign-Up for Pacific Hermitage Event Notices

Are you on our mailing list? Is your information current?

Use the form on our website pages to sign up for our emails and postal mailings.  If you’re updating your information, you’ll need to fill in the form again.

July 6 Garden (Work) Party * July 19 & 20 in Portland * July 21 in Hillsboro * July 21 & 23 Willa Thaniya & Elizabeth in Gorge * Save September 21 & 22 for PAH BAH!

Regular Events

July 6th Garden (Work) Party at Hermitage

Friends, food and generosity — is there any better combination than that? Meet new friends or visit with old (er, long-time) friends at the Hermitage. Enjoy a potluck meal. Help the monks keep the yard and forest in good shape. Relax afterwards for refreshments with the monks. Come for any part or all day. Here’s the schedule:

Potluck Meal — Arrive at 10:30 am.
Work Party — About 1:00 – 3:00 pm.
Relax and Chat — Until about 4:00 pm, when the monks return to their monastic duties and practice.

Questions? Email: hermitage@abhayagiri.org

Monks Visit PFoD July 19 & 20

On Friday evening and Saturday morning, the monks will make their regular visit to Portland Friends of the Dhamma. See their website for more information.

Monks Visit Hillsboro Meditation Hall July 21

Join the monks at the Hillsboro Meditation Hall on Sunday, July 21 for a morning of Dhamma and a meal offering. More information here.

Weekly Tuesday Night Meditation in White Salmon, WA

The monks lead meditation every Tuesday night at Yoga Samadhi in White Salmon, Washington. Cushions and chairs are available.

5:15 – 6:15 PM: Experienced meditators. One hour of silent meditation. Be ready to meditate promptly at 5:15 pm. No late arrivals or early departures.
6:30 – 8:00 PM: All levels welcome. Shorter meditation with instruction, Dhamma talk, and time for questions.

Special Events

Willa Thaniya Reid & Elizabeth Day in the Gorge, July 21 & 23

July 21 Daylong Retreat, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
The Heart’s Release — Cultivating the Spiritual Faculties
Underwood Community Center, 951 School House Road, Underwood, WA 98651
Email Carole for more information the retreat and what you should bring.

July 23 Meditation and Talk, 6:30 – 8:00 PM
Yoga Samadhi, White Salmon, WA

These events are free and open to the public. No registration needed. All are welcome – those new to meditation as well as those more experienced. Willa and Elizabeth both trained in the Ajahn Chah forest tradition in monasteries in England. Willa was the senior nun at Cittaviveka. They are now based in New Zealand.

2019 PAH BAH September 21 & 22

Pah Bah weekend is a joyful and family oriented celebration of generosity, Dhamma and the Pacific Hermitage. Join us for one or both days in White Salmon, WA! It’s the biggest event for the Hermitage each year, with many visiting senior monks as special guests and a fun program for kids (Sunday only). More details in August.

• Saturday, Sept. 21:  Meditation retreat (half day)
• Sunday, Sept. 22:  Pah Bah ceremony

Reserve lodging now!
If you plan to stay overnight for the Pah Bah, please reserve your lodging now. September is a busy month in the Columbia River Gorge, and lodging can be scarce. We look forward to seeing you!

For information or to volunteer, email: pahbah@sanghata.net.

Pacific Hermitage List Sign-Up for Event Notices

Are you on our mailing list? Is your information current?

Use the form on our website pages to sign up for our emails and postal mailings.  If you’re updating your information, you’ll need to fill in the form again.