We’re encouraged by the early positive response from participants wishing to stay as overnight guests at Aranya Refuge's Two-Month Monastery in Sooke, British Columbia in February and March 2025.

There are rooms available each of the weeks. Apply soon if you’re interested in attending for a one-week stay (Monday to Sunday). Visit our website here.

We’re happy to report that Taan Ajaan Geoff will come for two weeks during the Two-Month Monastery. We look forward to having Taan Ajaan! Ajaan Geoff is still arranging his schedule so at this point we don't know which weeks he will be here. Ajaan Peter will return to be at the monastery for the month of February. He'll be accompanied by Taan Will. We’ll be hosting other Wat Metta monks as well. We'll let you know which monks are coming when schedules are confirmed.

The monastery will be at Tugwell Cottage, a large house in Sooke, BC. We anticipate that overnight guests and day visitors will enjoy the rural setting and the open space surrounding the cottage as well as the large exterior deck that will offer an excellent place for walking meditation. There’s a forest within walking distance of the house. The monks will stay in a separate rented home which is on a neighbouring property to Tugwell Cottage.

We encourage those new to a monastery experience to drop-in for the morning meditation as well as participate in the morning meal offering that we all share. Or come for unstructured time in the afternoon, or the Q&A, meditation and dhamma talk in the early evening. Anyone wishing to bring food is welcome to do that at any time.

Questions? Please email us at registrar@aranyarefuge.org

We hope to see you at the monastery!

Anumodana for supporting the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha.

Aranya Refuge Board of Directors:

Taan Ajaan Geoff, Jacqui Balfour, Brock Brown, Russ Callaghan, June Fukushima, Irfan Pirbhai
Registration Team Volunteers: Suzan Denis, Kiko Brown, Sihan Lin, Irfan Pirbhai, Brock Brown