Dear Dhamma friends,
 

this is an important message from our Association Karuna Sevena, sent out in close consultation with our teacher venerable Bhikkhunī Visuddhi. Please take the time to read it carefully.  Thank you in advance for your time and attention.

The time is ripe for us to make some changes regarding the overall operation of the ārāmā (monastic abode) and the lay hostel (Viveka) in Prostejov. From September 1, the Karuna Sevena Society will concentrate all its efforts on the care of the monastic life and practice of Venerable Visuddhi.  Venerable Visuddhi wants to devote herself intensively to her own practice, to the translation of Buddhist texts, to the teaching of the younger generation, and enjoys giving individual time to serious practitioners. The main goal and duty of a Theravāda monk/nun is to work hard on the path to liberation (nibbāna), and it is therefore a priority of our lay community to provide her with these supportive conditions at all times. 

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Bhikkhunī Visuddhi has been supported in the Czech Republic at the cost of great personal sacrifice for 14 years since it returned from Sri Lanka in 2009 and the Karuna Sevena monastery was founded. The purchase of a building for lay practitioners (called the Viveka) and the supervision of its maintenance by parts of the Karuna Sevena Association laid the foundation for a suitable place for individual retreat as well as for mindful group practice and operation. In this regard, all conditions are provided for all those interested in the Buddha's teachings to take responsibility for the running and management of this safe place. There has come a natural end to the period in which the KS Society and Bhikkhunī Visuddhi itself were dealing with all organizational matters. Our current priority is primarily monastic support. 

We warmly welcome all genuine practitioners who are firmly grounded in Buddhist ethical principles, who realize the interdependence between the lay and monastic communities, and who have matured to understand the Buddhist path of cultivating the mind. Contact us to request use of the Viveka facilities for individual or group practice. The bottom line is to be able to individually venerate and care for the space (both physically and spiritually) in accordance with pre-existing order and structures.  It is not a problem to make a stay from a few days to a month. Both beginners and long-term practitioners can ask Bhikkhunī Visuddhi for teaching and guidance. By prior arrangement, the Venerable may meet with practitioners and guide them in Dhamma and meditation and come out of her retreat, but neither the Venerable nor the KS Society will function as a support team of volunteers involved in daily activities.

Finally, we would kindly ask you to write a few lines over the next month to confirm your interest in staying on our mailing list, which is in a new stage of development. It is important to us that we know that those who have received mail from us with information about the programs and Dhamma materials are genuinely interested in receiving them and appreciate them. In this day and age of endless information flow and endless "scrolling" on our devices, we still believe in the power of personal transformation. We strongly feel the need to build a warm and regularly supportive Buddhist community around our teacher, where ethics and generosity are naturally practiced and nurtured with mindfulness and full attention. In short, if you feel you can be a part of this project, stay on board and stay in touch with us.

We will be grateful for regular donors, responsible and mature practitioners who become part of our Buddhist community.

Yours in the Dhamma
Míša, Lucie, Bára and Ivona for the Karuna Sevena Society

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Calendar for the New Year 2023-2024

We have prepared a range of activities and programme for the new year 2023-2024. Before any stay and visit to ārāmā Karuṇā Sevena, it is important to be well acquainted with the running of the monastery and its rules. For details, please click HERE

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