Confidence for a Life of Freedom: A Daylong Retreat on Gratitude with Bhante Rahula & CMM (In-Person)
Join Bhante Rahula, Ajahn Kovilo, and Ajahn Nisabho for a day of meditation and teachings in Seattle’s largest community garden, 9 am – 3:30 pm on Sunday, June 21, at Rainier Beach Urban Farm in Seattle (5513 S Cloverdale St, Seattle, WA).
This one-day, urban retreat invites us to uncover the confidence within to shape a life of freedom. Join us on a journey of trust, inner strength, and silent renewal — a nourishing pause to reflect, reconnect, and quietly empower the heart. Feel free to contact Yanett Cepeda at yanett.cepeda@gmail.com to register. May all beings be well!
Schedule
9 – 10 am: Brief welcome, introduction, & guided meditation.
10 – 10:30 am: Dhamma talk
10:30 – 11:30 am: Sitting & walking meditation
11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Sack lunch & free time
12:30 – 1:30 pm: Guided meditation and Q&A
1:30 – 2: Walking & sitting meditation
2 – 2:30 pm: Dhamma Talk
2:30 – 3 pm: Walking & sitting meditation
3 – 3:30 pm: Closing comments, & spreading blessings
Meal (Individual sack lunch)
To keep the event simple, the retreat will not feature a potluck this year. Participants are invited to bring a sack lunch, and they may still offer food for the monastics’ meal at the start of the lunch break
What to Bring
– A meditation cushion (some spare cushions and chairs are available for sitting at the venue)
– A blanket if you get chilly sitting still
– A sack lunch
– A sun hat and sunscreen for outdoor walking meditation
– Your intention to practice in community!
Donations
All teachings are offered completely free of charge. However, those who feel inspired to help support Paññabhūmi Monastery, where Bhante Rahula stays, may do so on through the website. Additionally, those who wish to contribute towards Clear Mountain may do so by visiting the Friends of Clear Mountain website. Such contributions help support future offerings and the growth of Dhamma.
Biographies
Ajahn Kovilo
Ajahn Kovilo is an Ohio-born monk who, having been introduced to meditation through the Goenka tradition, first entered the monastery in 2006. After receiving full ordination from Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro at Abhayagiri Monastery in California in 2010, he spent the next decade training at monasteries in the Ajahn Chah tradition in America and Thailand. In 2020, after a year practicing at a Pa Auk Sayadaw monastery, Ajahn Kovilo enrolled at the Dharma Realm Buddhist University (DRBU) to study Pali and to better understand Mahāyāna practices. Having graduated from DRBU in 2024, Ajahn Kovilo has now joined the Clear Mountain community in person.
Ajahn Nisabho
After finishing college in 2012, Ajahn Nisabho left his native Washington to go forth as a Buddhist monk in Thailand. He received full ordination the following spring under Ajahn Anan, a senior disciple of renowned meditation master, Ajahn Chah, and spent the following years training in forest monasteries around the world with contemporary masters such as Ajahn Anan, Ajahn Pasanno, and Ajahn Jayasaro. Over these years, he came to believe the tradition represented a faithful embodiment of the original Buddhist path able to yield great fruit even amidst the complexities of modern life. In the summer of 2021, he returned to Seattle to plant the first seeds of Clear Mountain Monastery.
Bhante Rahula
Bhante Rāhula, born in Mexico, has spent the last 22 years in Asia in various periods, where he has practiced and studied the Dhamma.He was ordained in Myanmar by Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa, who is his preceptor. Since 2004 he has received meditation guidance from Sayadaw U Tejaniya. For 6 years, Bhante studied Suttas and Abhidhamma with Sayadaw Dr. Ukkamsacara in Macau. In 2019, he completed a course on Buddhist scriptures from Harvard University. He underwent monastic Vinaya training for 2 years in Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary in Malaysia under the guidance of Ven. Ariyadhammika, where he also led retreats and Dhamma activities for the local community. Currently, Bhante is constructing the Mexican Buddhist Center (Paññābhūmi) to introduce and propagate the Buddha’s teaching in South America. He is also actively involved in diverse programs to aid parts of the society in overcoming drug addiction and alcoholism, as well as supporting educational campaigns for children and teens to prevent such problem in this region. To learn more, visit www.bhanterahula.com.
Date
- Jun 21 2026
Time
- 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Local Time
- Timezone: America/New_York
- Date: Jun 21 2026
- Time: 12:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Location
- 5513 S Cloverdale St, Seattle, WA 98118
Speakers
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Ajahn KoviloAjahn Kovilo is an Ohio-born monk who, having been introduced to meditation through the Goenka tradition, first entered the monastery in 2006. After receiving full ordination from Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro at Abhayagiri Monastery in California in 2010, he spent the next decade training at monasteries in the Ajahn Chah tradition in America and Thailand. In 2020, after a year practicing at a Pa Auk Sayadaw monastery, Ajahn Kovilo enrolled at the Dharma Realm Buddhist University (DRBU) to study Pali and to better understand Mahāyāna practices. Having graduated from DRBU in 2024, Ajahn Kovilo has now joined the Clear Mountain community in person.
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Ajahn Nisabho
After finishing college in 2012, Ajahn Nisabho left his native Washington to go forth as a Buddhist monk in Thailand. He received full ordination the following spring under Ajahn Anan, a senior disciple of renowned meditation master, Ajahn Chah, and spent the following years training in forest monasteries throughout Thailand, Australia, and the US. While staying with some of the lineage’s most respected teachers, he grew to believe the Thai Forest Tradition’s balance of communal life with solitary forest dwelling, careful adherence to the monastic precepts, and focus on meditation represented a faithful embodiment of the original Buddhist path. Moreover, his time with contemporary masters such as Ajahn Anan, Ajahn Pasanno, and Ajahn Jayasaro, convinced him that such a path could yield great fruit in the heart even amidst the complexities of modern life.
In 2020, after nearly eight years in robes, Ajahn Nisabho returned to the Northwest hoping to help establish a refuge of Dhamma and practice near Seattle.
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Bhante Rahula
Bhante Rāhula, born in Mexico, has spent the last 22 years in Asia in various periods, where he has practiced and studied the Dhamma.He was ordained in Myanmar by Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa, who is his preceptor. Since 2004 he has received meditation guidance from Sayadaw U Tejaniya. For 6 years, Bhante studied Suttas and Abhidhamma with Sayadaw Dr. Ukkamsacara in Macau. In 2019, he completed a course on Buddhist scriptures from Harvard University. After living for several years at Sāsanārakkha Buddhist Sanctuary (SBS) in Malaysia, he returned to Mexico to found Paññabhumi Monastery in Guadalajara. To find out more about Bhante Rāhula or Paññabhumi, visit https://dhamma-pb.org/
