Greetings,
Aranya Refuge and the Victoria Insight Meditation Society (VIMS) were honoured to co-sponsor a hybrid weekend retreat with Than Ajaan Geoff (Thānissaro Bhikkhu), accompanied by Than Isaac, a senior monk at Mettā Forest Monastery, on August 9 and 10, 2025 in Victoria, BC. The topic was The Noble Eightfold Path Revisited.
We’re grateful to Than Ajaan Geoff for sharing the Dhamma with us, and we’re delighted that participants (both in-person and from “Zoom land”) were able to revisit this foundational teaching and explore its deeper dimensions.
Exciting News: Returning to Tugwell Cottage for February & March 2026 Monastery
Following the success of our 2025 Monastery for Two Months program, Aranya Refuge will return to Tugwell Cottage in Sooke, BC for our next extended monastery experience in February and March 2026.
Eight week-long cohorts are available from Monday to Sunday stays between Monday, February 2 - Sunday, March 29, 2026.
The Monastery Setting
As in our previous program, the monastery will be at Tugwell Cottage, a large log cabin with stained glass windows in rural Sooke, BC—one hour west of Victoria. The two houses on adjoining properties provide an amenable setting: one for the monks' residence, and the other serving as the meditation hall (sala), kitchen, dining area, and gathering place for lay guests.
The wood stove creates a warm atmosphere during cool days. A stream runs between the buildings, and connecting trails weave through the property. The surrounding evergreen forest offers abundant opportunities for walking meditation, and the large exterior deck provides an excellent space for outdoor practice.
The property is within driving distance to Mystic Beach and East Sooke Regional Park, where participants can practice among dramatic coastal cliffs and crashing waves - a setting appreciated by many during our 2025 program.
Visiting Monks
We're pleased to share that monks from Mettā Forest Monastery will be in residence throughout the program:
February 2-March 1: Two monks will be present
March 2-29: Two different monks will be present
Details about which monks will be attending will be confirmed and shared when schedules are finalized.
Visiting the Monastery
Overnight Guests: We will have accommodations available for one-week stays (Monday to Sunday). Options include single rooms and shared rooms for two people of the same gender.
Day Visitors: We welcome Day Visitors throughout the program to join meditation gatherings, meal offerings, and experience monastery life. We especially encourage those new to a monastery experience to drop in for the morning meditation and participate in the morning meal offering that we all share. Or come for unstructured time in the afternoon, or the Q&A and meditation in the early evening.
Offering Food: Anyone wishing to bring food for the monks is welcome to do so at any time.
The rural setting and forest provide opportunities for walking and sitting meditation both inside and outdoors.
Registrations will open later in October 2025. Look for more details in our next newsletter.
Questions?
Send us an email: info@aranyarefuge.org
Anumodana for supporting the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha to take roots in a wilderness home on Vancouver Island.
Aranya Refuge Board of Directors: Than Ajaan Geoff, Brock Brown, Jacqui Balfour, Russ Callaghan, Irfan Pirbhai, Tiara Letourneau, June Fukushima (in loving memory)
Monastery for Two Months Volunteer Team: Brock Brown, Kiko Brown, Suzan Denis, Irfan Pirbhai
"There was one time when Ajaan Fuang's students were going to go up to the chedi to meditate. They got up there and discovered somebody had left a huge mess. So instead of meditating, they cleaned up the mess. One of the women was complaining, 'How can anybody leave a mess like this in a place like this?' And Ajaan Fuang said, 'Don't complain. They gave us the opportunity to do some good up here.'
So look at it that way. There are always opportunities for cleaning things up [...] The principle applies in the monastery just as it applies when you go out into the wilderness. They always say, 'When you go to a wilderness area, try to leave the place cleaner than it was when you got there.' Well, try to make the monastery cleaner than it was when you arrived. That can be your gift."
Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu
Go Out of Your Way
October 23, 2024