Cittaviveka Buddhist Monastery

ittaviveka is a monastery in the lineage of the Thai Forest Tradition of Theravada Buddhism. It was established in 1979 by Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Sumedho, who was the first abbot.

The current abbot is Ajahn Karuniko who was born in Greater Manchester in 1953. After graduating in Electronic Engineering in 1975 he worked for several years before coming to take up residence as a novice at Cittaviveka in 1982. He became a bhikkhu in 1984 at Cittaviveka with Ajahn Sumedho as his preceptor.

The resident community comprises some 20-25 monks, nuns and novices, as well as lay guests.

Accommodation at Chithurst is simple, and often in shared rooms. Men and women are accommodated in separate dwellings and there is no shared living space for couples. Women stay in the nuns’ residence and will need to take a ten-minute walk up a lane to arrive at the main House, where the meal is offered and the weekend teachings are given.

Things to bring with you:

– Clothing and footwear suitable for chilly and damp weather, for working and meditation.

– Slippers or thick socks for indoors; slip-on shoes, wellingtons, or work boots for outdoors (no outdoor footwear is worn inside).

– Please bring your own sleeping bag and a bed sheet or at least your own linen: a sleeping bag sheet, a pillowcase and a towel. If you have to borrow any bedding please ask the Guest Monk.

– Toiletries, a torch (especially in dark winter months) and an alarm clock.

Electrical Appliances – Please note that due to current Health and Safety regulations, every electrical appliance – i.e. anything which needs to be plugged into a wall socket in the monastery, must first be checked and approved by a qualified electrician. This means that visitors can no longer bring items such as mobile phones, laptops, ipods, etc. from home to plug in and use while staying here. We regret any inconvenience caused.

Guests are requested to let the Guest Monk or Nun know when they are leaving and to clean their living quarters.

Lost Property: Please contact us if you think you might have left something at the monastery. It is our policy to keep lost property in store for a maximum of three months, after which we are likely to recycle accumulated items.

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Cittaviveka Buddhist Monastery

Cittaviveka Buddhist Monastery

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