Offer a Meal at the Hermitage
Buddhist monastics of the Theravāda Forest Tradition do not handle money and cannot store or keep food from one day to the next. They must rely solely on the generosity of their community for food. Everyday, they subsist only on what kind lay people offer to them.
Anyone who wish to take part of this ancient and fulfilling tradition can come to the hermitage to offer a meal to monastics. Here are a few things to know about offering a meal:
***Please note that offering a meal, in person or online, is not currently possible! We will announce it when it changes.***
Offering Online
From Anywhere in the World
When there is a steward at the hermitage, they make sure that sufficient supplies are in the kitchen so that meals can be provided everyday. This is essential to insure there will be food continuously. Although, offering online can only be done while there is a monastery attendant. Currently, there are no such attendant and offering online is not possible.
Three ways to offer a meal
1. The easiest way is to offer a the cost of a daily meal for Bhante at the hermitage for two people (22$) through the website. You can find below, a link to the website donation portal for offering lunch at the hermitage and links to offer through PayPal or Interac. This is only possible when there is a monastery attendant at the hermitage to provide meals.
$20.00
Interac e-Transfer to:
heartdhamma@protonmail.com
2. For people living in the area, food donations can be brought at any time, at the hermitage and stored in the kitchen area. They can be offered later by someone on site. (Please contact us in advance).
3. If people living in the area who would like to offer a proper meal, in a more traditional Pindapata-style, which they cook at home and bring here at 11 AM, it is still possible to do so. This is what we did at the hermitage 4 years ago. It is still possible to reserve one day of the week to come and offer. This can be a one-time offering or a recurring offering, as it used to be.
Offering a Meal in Person:
Two Simple Steps
1- Fill out the New Donor form so we can have your contact information. (Only required the first time)
2- Click the “Offer a Meal” button below the calendar and add your name to the date you would like to offer. Please sign up a minimum of two days in advance so we can plan!
***IMPORTANT NOTE: If you can’t make it or you need to remove your offering, please notify the Hermitage steward!
heartwood@heartdhamma.love
1- Meal time is at 11 AM at the Hermitage.
2- Monastics cannot eat past noon. Please be on time and plan to offer the meal at 11AM, which means arriving 10 min earlier. The meal is offered at 11 AM, then, if you would like to have a discussion with Bhante, you can do so after the meal.
3- Monastics eat only one meal per day. Plan for two large meals in one! It is better to bring too much than not enough. You can always bring anything left back with you. Monastics will not be able to eat again until the next day 11 AM!
Contact Us
If you would like to learn more or get in touch with our meal coordinator to offer a meal at the hermitage, you are invited to use the form below!