Bhavana Society

The Bhavana Society is a Theravada forest monastery and retreat centre at High View in rural West Virginia, a few hours from Washington DC, Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Its name is the Pali word bhāvanā, mental cultivation. Ven. Henepola Gunaratana (Bhante G), a Sri Lankan monk who came to the United States in 1968 and wrote Mindfulness in Plain English, formed the society with his student Matthew Flickstein in May 1982. They bought the first 13 acres in May 1984 and began the first building in 1985; it was inaugurated with two kutis (monks' huts) in October 1988, the first ordinations followed in 1989, and a new meditation hall was built in the mid-1990s. The monastery now stands on more than 50 wooded acres. Monks and lay residents live and train there, and suitable candidates can train for novice and full ordination. Retreats through the year draw on the Pali Canon and include breath and body awareness, chanting and loving-friendliness (mettā). All retreats are free of charge, and the society is funded by donations. Day visits and longer residential stays outside retreats are arranged through the society's website.