“And what is the treasure of generosity?
There is the case of a disciple of the noble ones, his awareness cleansed of the stain of stinginess, living at home, freely generous, openhanded,
delighting in being magnanimous, responsive to requests, delighting in the distribution of alms.
This is called the treasure of generosity.”
— AN 7.6
Current Needs – We Found Land!
Since 2021, Clear Mountain monastics Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho have been steadily building a community of practitioners in Seattle. After nearly three years of searching, Clear Mountain has recently closed on the first of two properties that together will serve as its new home. The second parcel is expected to follow once a title matter is resolved.
The newly acquired properties are only a 40-minute drive from downtown Seattle, near enough to be accessible to those living in the city while also being secluded enough to allow monastic retreat. It features a large forest that serves as a migratory corridor for elk and other wildlife, along with wetlands and streams and a view of Mount Si. Crucially, there is enough buildable area to accommodate the eventual vision of Clear Mountain: 20 huts, a large temple, a multi-purpose hall, and more.
Clear Mountain’s global community of lay supporters collectively donated the full $4.93 million to purchase the two North Bend properties. Community members also dedicated over 3.3 million recitations of the traditional Pali mantra of refuge in support of the effort.
The ultimate vision for the land is a flourishing community of up to 20 monastics, open to the public in a variety of ways: pūjas (chanting and meditation); Sutta and Pāli study; online and public teachings; daily meal offerings; observance of the Buddhist holy days; visits from guest monastics; and day retreats. The vision for the monastery includes a large temple to accommodate several hundred people on celebration days, a multi-purpose hall, residence for visiting bhikkhunis, gardens, and forest paths — a refuge of peace for generations.
You may donate to the Land Development fund through the form below, and click here to join others around the world in dedicating “Recitations of Refuge” to the monastery’s development. Sadhu!
Those interested in paying by check may choose the “Pay by check” option after selecting an amount, at which point relevant information and the mailing address will display (checks should be made to “Friends of Clear Mountain” and sent to “Friends of Clear Mountain / PO BOX 21283 / Seattle, WA 98111-3283 / US”). There are also options to donate via credit card, PayPal, Venmo, and Bank Transfer (ACH). To donate through Zelle, enter “Friends of Clear Mountain” as the recipient along with the email, financial@friendsofclearmountain.org.
Donated funds are managed by Clear Mountain’s steward organization, Friends of Clear Mountain, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible with federal tax ID 88-1711004. Friends of Clear Mountain does not accept cryptocurrency donations. Please email financial@friendsofclearmountain.org about wire and money transfers, donations of securities, or with general inquiries. May all beings be well!
Supporting Clear Mountain Monastery Project
In the Theravāda Buddhist tradition there exists a lovely, deeply rooted interdependence—built on respect for practice and generosity—between the monastics and the lay community. Your open-hearted support allows monks the opportunity to devote their lives to meditation and right practice (sammā-paṭipadā) in a forest refuge while we in the lay community benefit from their teachings. Clear Mountain also aspires to provide a center of practice for the wider Buddhist community. Listed below are the various ways to give, or dāna as it is called in the Pali language, to support the monastics’ noble efforts.
Any and all support offered—whether time, work, materials, or practice—is deeply appreciated and kammically wholesome. Sadhu!
For those inclined and able, please consider a monthly donation, as such giving allows the monastery to plan for upcoming needs and provides a welcome level of continuity as the monastics continue their work in the world.
Many Ways to Give
Volunteering, Meals, & Materials
Gifts of time, skill and food are important to maintaining a long-term monastic presence at any monastery and are welcome year-round. Please visit Clear Mountain’s Support Page for more information.
Become a Monthly Supporter
Monthly Donors allow the monastery to plan for upcoming needs and provide a welcome level of continuity as the monastics continue their work in the world. We rejoice in your generosity!
Will or Bequest
Leaving a gift in your will to Friends of Clear Mountain is one way to ensure that your values and compassion will continue to be felt for generations. Your legacy gift will help sustain a home for monks and their teachings long into the future.
Donate Securities & Stock
Donation of securities is the most efficient way to give charitably. While Friends of Clear Mountain does not directly accept securities, stock may be given through an intermediary service which immediately sells donated shares and gives the resulting funds to Friends of Clear Mountain.
A History of Giving
During the past 2,500 years, support for the Sangha has been entirely provided from lay supporters through daily acts of generosity. In this spirit, support in the form of food, medicine, building materials, labor, capital, or other assistance is both appreciated and essential. Your generosity allows the Sangha to survive and to flourish.
Over the centuries, Buddhism has managed to keep the rich and vital interrelationship between lay and monastic communities set forth by the Buddha intact. Theravāda monastics, although renunciants, are not permitted to be recluses. To ensure this, the Buddha required that they be totally dependent upon the lay community for their physical support. Monks and nuns cannot handle money and they can only eat or drink what is offered to them. At the same time, the monastic community plays an important role for the lay community by helping care for their spiritual needs, and by providing moral and spiritual teachings and examples. The two communities, each essential to a balanced society, support and enrich one another.
For the lay community in the West, it is important to understand how the monks and nuns of the Theravāda Buddhist Sangha live from day-to-day. In Southeast Asia—Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia, and in pockets elsewhere—the monastics are visible each morning, walking through the nearby villages with their alms bowls, receiving offerings of food for their daily meal. The cultures of these countries are ones where the lay community fully acknowledges the dependence of the monastic community upon the laity for their physical needs such as food, clothing, and other requisites of life. The monastics, because of their vows of renunciation, cannot buy these basic items for themselves. If the laypeople do not provide for them, they will go without. If we do not feed them, they will not eat. If we do not provide for their electricity bill, they will have no heat. If we value the presence of the monastic community, it is important that we remember they need our support. The relationship that develops through this commitment to mutual support is a rewarding one, and the spiritual friendship between lay and monastic communities is a precious gift.
To read about how this relationship has developed in Seattle, see Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho‘s essays on the subject.