To receive one of Clear Mountain’s malas, made from locally-sourced Montana agate and other beads blessed by senior teachers in Thailand and the community during pilgrimage to the Bodhi Tree, click the button below or fill out this form. The malas, sponsored by donors to the Clear Mountain Book & Mala Fund, and strung or finished by the local community, are freely given and shipping covered from an existing reserve, though if you wish to contribute towards future postage costs, you may do so here. As international mailing costs average approximately $15 per mala, we ask those requesting from outside the US consider contributing if they are able (though if you lack the resources to donate, don’t worry! We still want you to have a mala). Please allow one month for shipping. If the mala doesn’t fit, or you decide you’d like a different size, you may return it via mail and make a new mala request, noting it as an exchange. If you live in Seattle, you may simply request one at a Saturday gathering. If the beads’ color begins to fade with repeated use, please feel to email malas@friendsofclearmountain.org for instructions on where to mail them for restringing with more colorfast beads, though you may also simply have them restrung locally while keeping the blessed agate beads. We do ask that you treat the malas with respect, and when setting them down, consider doing so in a high place, preferably a shrine. 

You may use the mala for Recitations of Refuge, in your own practice, or as an article of faith. For a detailed description of how to use a mala in practice, see the video, Mālas in Daily Life. We do ask that, before requesting, you join Clear Mountain’s community by attending at least three events, in-person or online, and that each person request just one mala. Additionally, we hope you’ll continue to follow the monastery’s growth through the newsletter and other means. You may email Bonnie, our wonderful “mala manager”, at steward@friendsofclearmountain.org with any questions.

May all beings be well!

We are excited to share that in recent weeks, a potential new home for Clear Mountain has emerged – and it’s the most promising land we’ve seen yet. The land consists of two adjoining properties in North Bend, totalling around 90 acres. The land meets many of our criteria, including a scenic and forested 40-minute drive from downtown Seattle – which is close enough for visits before or after work, a key aspect of Clear Mountain’s vision. Additionally, the land features a large forest (we saw a herd of elk on our first Board visit), a stream, and a view of Mount Si, a sacred mountain. The land features enough buildable area to accommodate the eventual vision of Clear Mountain: 20 huts, a large temple, a multi-purpose hall, and more. The roads leading to the land are wide enough to accommodate fire access requirements – a major hurdle encountered with previous properties during our search. Finally, the land is within 1.2 miles of a restaurant that could serve as a site for alms round, including the ability for donors to order carryout. In short, these two properties strike a target we’ve been trying to hit for three years, and we’ve decided to make an offer.

The acquisition of both properties is important to prevent future development nearby from being too close. Re-zoning and development of forested land surrounding any monastery threaten that monastery’s sacred environment and the ecosystem of the surrounding forest. Encroaching development has compromised other monasteries, and we want to prevent it.

Seattle-area real estate is not cheap, and the combined price of these 90 acres and accompanying Due Diligence and acquisition costs is just below $5 million (approximately $4.93M). Clear Mountain currently has $4.3 million in given and pledged funds, meaning approximately $600K must come within the next three months of our Due Diligence period if we are to secure the land for the monastery—by March 22, 2026.