Chan Lineage of Master Hua
REDWOOD VIHARA
A Buddhist monastery among the redwoods of Northern California
Returning to nature in nature.
Cultivating unconditional well-being in service to all.
Our Community
Life at the Vihara
Sitting, walking, working the land, and sharing meals — the ordinary days that make up a year here.
Calendar
Upcoming Events
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13 September 2026 · 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Novice Ordination Ceremony at Berkeley Buddhist Monastery
Join us to rejoice in four trainees receiving novice ordination, a significant commitment that comes from much preparation. Here is a video of a previous ordination ceremony. Please sign up here
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20 September 2026 · 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Three Refuges & Five Precepts Ceremony at Berkeley Buddhist Monastery
The Three Refuges and Five Precepts Ceremony is an opportunity to take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha and to receive the Five Precepts. It is an important step on the…
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24 October, 3:00 pm – 31 October 2026, 4:00 pm
Guan Yin Meditation Retreat at GCDR
“Turn your hearing around. Listen to your nature within. This is the practice that leads to awakening.” — Surangama Sutra In a noisy world of constant stimulation, it is easy to feel…
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All living beings are my family
The universe is my body
All of space is my university
My nature is empty and formless
Kindness, compassion, joy, and giving are my way
Master Hua
From the Community
Latest News
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Chan and Chocolate: Tasting the Present Moment
Coleman brought chocolate with the instruction: “Don’t chew. Just let it melt.” Simple yet profound. Instead of rushing towards consuming the chocolate, we notice what was actually happening. As the chocolate softened slowly on the tongue, layers began to reveal themselves: bitterness and sweetness
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How to have your chocolate and to eat it too?
Perhaps the truest and most effective response to capitalistic greed is cultivating generosity. The hand teaching the heart how to open. But to give from a full heart requires knowing—truly knowing—that we already have enough . It requires recognizing that more and&
Dana · 布施
Support the Vihara
Redwood Vihara is sustained entirely by the generosity of the community. Every offering supports the monastics, the land, and the teachings.
