Forest Path - Amaravati Buddhist Monastery

230 forest path
Practice Schedule
In general, guests have many hours a day for study and meditation
practice, so it is advisable to have had previous meditation experience
in a retreat setting and exposure to Buddhist teachings to make
best use of the situation. Below is an outline of the standard daily
routine, which varies from time to time.
3:00 a.m. Morning Wake-Up Bell
3:30 a.m. Morning Meeting: Meditation and Chanting
Dawn
8:00 a.m. The meal
Monks go out to surrounding villages on almsround.
Layguests sweep the monastery or help in the kitchen.
9:00 a.m. Chores Period
4:30p.m.
Afternoon Drink. A senior monk meets the lay guests
once a week for tea.
The schedule is supplemented by days of group practice which
include Dhamma talks from the abbot, and regular periods of
structured Saïgha retreat. All or some meetings may be replaced
by periods of individual practice according to the abbot’s discretion.
From the end of the meal until midday the abbot or a senior monk is
available to receive visitors and resident guests. Once every seven
days or so on the Wan Phra (the Buddhist Holy Day, which falls on
the quarter moon) the community observes an all-night vigil, during
which time there is the opportunity to discuss aspects of Dhamma
practice with one of the senior monks.
Training in Discipline and Renunciation
Lay guests who stay at Wat Pa Nanachat are expected to abide
by the traditional eight Buddhist precepts. The first five form
the basic Buddhist guidelines for conduct leading to harmony
and self-respect. The other three precepts encourage a spirit of
renunciation and simplicity and are among the fundamental
principles of monastic practice.