Fundraising for a forest hermitage in Poland!

A few years back the @moderators were kind enough to allow me to start this thread to help raise funds for the development of Hillside Hermitage after it moved from Sri Lanka to Slovenia. The support from Sutta Central and other forums was very warmly received, and the immense generosity had the project underway in a matter of months. It was wonderful to see these communities come together for such a great cause, and to see the project succeed.

I have recently been informed of similar cause in need of support. The Bodhi Tree Foundation and supporters of Ajahn KondaƱƱo Thero are working to purchase land with house for renovation with access to the forest. This ā€œhermitageā€ will function very much in the same way as Samanadipa Monastery (Slovenia) with a mission of being dedicated to the teachings of Early Buddhism, with an emphasis on making these more accessible to the people of Poland.

Fortunately, this effort will include many of the same monastics and lay people who have worked tirelessly over the years supporting both Samanadipa Monastery and Hillside Hermitage. This dedicated group has consistently completed many challenging projects with great enthusiasm and efficiency, and will no doubt direct that same energy to this next venture.

For those who donā€™t know here is a quick bio of Ajahn KondaƱƱo Thero (from the foundationā€™s website):

Please offer your support so we can see the forest tradition continue to prosper. All donations will go directly to the account of the Bodhi Tree Foundation, a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) registered with the National Court Register (KRS) in Poland. See here for more details.

DONATE HERE

(PayPal or direct wire transfer options available. Sizable donations are best done via wire transfers due to PayPalā€™s generally high fees.)

See the foundationā€™s News page for regular updates on progress.

Many thanks for listening and for whatever support you are able to offer!

:pray:t3:

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Ajahn KondaƱƱo Thero and some other foundation members recently visited a few properties for consideration:

Last Saturday, in a light drizzle, we went to the Beskid Niski (south-eastern region of the country) to look at two properties for sale that might serve as the site of a future hermitage. One of them (and the only one worth mentioning) was an almost 100 year old wooden house with additional outbuildings. Although beautifully situated, as you can see from the photos, it was in a state that would require significant future investment and skilled labour. So we have these photos and some more memories to add to our account of our experiences on the way to establishing the hermitage.

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Thanks so much for the updates, this is a great project and we wish you all the best. Please keep us informed!

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Will do!

Thank you for the support, Bhante!

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Hi, I see that there is now Hillside Hermitage, Samanadipa Monastery, and the Bodhi Tree Foundation. Is it correct to think that all three organizations are affiliated and are all under the general Hillside umbrella?

If so, is there a way to send a donation in the general direction of the Hillside umbrella, without specifying anything? Like - hereā€™s a donation, can you please use it in whatever way you think is best, for food, building a new hut at one of the three locations, whateverā€¦ ?

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I double checked and this is how everything is arranged:

  • Donations to Samanadipa Monastery go directly to Samanadipa and support the monastery in Slovenia.

  • Donations to the newly formed Bodhi Tree Foundation will support the future Polish Hermitage and the monks who live there.

  • Donations to Hillside Hermitage Foundation support the current physical location of Hillside Hermitage in Slovenia and also affiliated monks and nuns wherever they live - Slovenia, Poland, etc.

Note, Hillside Hermitage Foundation is essentially an umbrella foundation, and a general donation there will broadly support all three locations. However, those interested in contributing to the Polish hermitage project are encouraged to contribute directly to the Bodhi Tree Foundation, which will allow those funds to be more immediately available.

Please let me know if any of the above needs clarification.

Thanks for your support!

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Hi All,

Weā€™ve started a GoFundMe for the project. Here is the page. Sharing would be most appreciated!

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Just bumping this thread up to encourage members to share or reshare the fundraiser for this project to keep the word out. Any efforts to do so are greatly appreciated!

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