Redwood Vihara
From timeless antiquity to the present, there have been men and women who have retired to nature in search of respite from the bustle of everyday affairs to investigate their minds and the deep existential questions of life. In the Buddhist tradition, nature, and especially forests and trees hold a place of particular importance: It was under a tree that the Buddha had his first meditative experience as a child; it was to the forest that he retired to lead the spiritual life after renouncing the palace, seeking a way out of suffering; he attained Awakening in the forest, under the Bodhi Tree; and in forests and groves he lived and taught for most of his life until his passing.
Redwood Vihara is a small forest monastery nestled in the Santa Cruz mountains in the tradition of Master Hsuan Hua. The land was originally purchased in 1991 with the intention of preserving the redwood forest, and it has been recently renovated to serve as a training monastery for men. Its main aim is to provide young men the opportunity to experience and practice the living tradition of Buddhist monasticism: a life of simplicity, contemplation and service following the precepts laid down by the Buddha for his community of monastics (sangha) 2,500 years ago.
At Redwood Vihara, we guide our practice and our daily interactions by the Six Principles laid down by Master Hua: not fighting, not being greedy, not seeking, not being selfish, not climbing on conditions and not being dishonest; the Four Boundless Hearts (brahmāviharas): loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity; and the heart of the bodhisattva, who aims to awaken to their highest potential in order to benefit all living beings.