Birken Online Upāsikā Program
for Dedicated Lay Buddhist Practitioners Around the World
For over 2,500 years, the four-fold assembly of Buddhist monks, nuns, laywomen and laymen have closely supported each other on the Buddha’s path to liberation. The Pali term “upāsikā” (laywoman) or “upāsaka” (layman) can be translated as “one who sits close by”. It has come to refer to dedicated lay Buddhist practitioners who join with monastics in the practice of the Dhamma and who commit to follow the Three Refuges and Five Precepts.
Building on the models established at other Western monasteries in the Ajahn Chah Thai Forest Tradition lineage, Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery (‘Birken’) established the Birken Upāsikā Program for Dedicated Lay Practitioners in 2015 to provide a formal training structure for lay people to practice and study together under the mentorship of Ajahn Sona (with over 30 years in the robes, he is now referred to as ‘Luang Por’ (‘Venerable Father’) by his closest disciples – a traditional honorific for senior monks of the Thai Forest Tradition) and in close relationship with the monastery.
Program Description:
Graduates of the three earlier initiate training sessions, which included an onsite gathering component at Birken monastery, will be known as Alumni Upāsikās. Beginning in 2021 we launched a new generation of the Upāsikā training program that will now be completely online.
In this new iteration of the Birken Online Upāsikā Training Program, virtual teachings are provided for one year (January-December) by Luang Por Sona through monthly Dhamma talks, assignments and discussion on a password-protected website.
The central teaching theme of the first year of the program is a systematic study and practice of The Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path, using a core text by Bhikkhu Bodhi (“The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to the End of Suffering”) and corresponding Dhamma talks by Luang Por Sona. Beyond this central theme, monthly assignments deal with the broad topics of meditation, sutta study, chanting, forms and conventions of the Thai Forest Tradition, and the symbiotic relationship between the monastic sangha and lay practitioners. Meditation instruction focuses on Luang Por Sona’s methods for meditation on the breath (ānāpānasati), loving-kindness (mettā), death (maraṇasati), and walking meditation. Luang Por Sona also spontaneously weaves in other essential teachings and relevant aspects of Buddhist history, with an emphasis on understanding samatha and vipassana practices in a historical context.
Participants are encouraged to foster a close relationship with Luang Por Sona as their spiritual mentor during the first year of the program, and to seek spiritual advice from Luang Por Sona through an online discussion forum website. Another core component of the program is the strengthening of kalyāna-mittatā (wise spiritual friendship) between upāsikās by way of the virtual realm of the online discussion forum, as well as separate discussion groups whether online or in-person.
After completing the initial year of formal online training, new Upāsikās are encouraged to establish or join existing regional Alumni Upāsikā groups that are affiliated with Birken, as well as participate in the Alumni Upāsikā online program of continued study and community sharing.
Program Objectives:
- To provide dedicated lay practitioners with a formal spiritual training structure that will aid in the deepening of individual practice and self-discipline.
- To cultivate lay practitioners’ conceptual and experiential understanding of the Teachings of the Buddha, as well as the forms and conventions of Birken and the Theravada Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah.
- To strengthen the symbiotic relationship between Birken’s ordained Sangha (Luang Por Sona) and affiliated lay practitioners (upāsikās).
- To foster a supportive community of ‘kalyānamittas’ (spiritual friends) for like-minded lay people affiliated with Birken.
Eligibility & Requirements:
This program is not designed for absolute beginners or newcomers to Luang Por Sona’s teachings or the Ajahn Chah Thai Forest Tradition, but rather for experienced practitioners who wish to deepen their practice under the tutelage of Luang Por Sona and to strengthen their affiliation with Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery.
Therefore, to be eligible to apply for the 2022 Birken Online Upāsikā Training Program, you must have watched or listened to all of Birken’s 10-day Virtual Metta Retreat before applying for the program.
This includes thorough independent study of all online retreat Dhamma talks (approximately 5 hours in total) and Teatime Q&As (approximately 10 hours in total) in video form (found on Ajahn Sona’s YouTube Channel), and/or as podcasts (available on Apple, Spotify, Podbean, and other podcast platforms.)
Mandatory Online Requirements:
The structure of this program is in the form of monthly online assignments that will be emailed to all participants in the Birken Online Upāsikā Training Program on the first of each month starting on January 1, 2022. All participants are required to participate in the virtual training program which begins each year on January 1 and concludes in late December of the same year.
Upāsikās should plan on from 3-5 hours per month of individual self-directed time commitment to their assignments, in addition to any online or in-person group discussions with other Upāsikās in their program. Questions to Ajahn Sona and other participants are submitted online through our online forums; comments are permitted under each assignment and there is a general gathering place for more broad questions as well. There are no set times to meet online to allow for participation across the globe. Future live Upāsikā Dhamma talks and/or video calls with Ajahn Sona may be announced at a later date.
The Upāsikā Commitment:
By committing to the Birken Upāsikā Program, participants will aspire to:
- Take the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts as the foundation of their spiritual life.
- Take the Theravada Thai Forest Tradition (Ajahn Chah lineage) as the focus of their Buddhist practice.
- Commit to Luang Por Sona’s teachings, modes of practice, and personalized guidance for the duration of the program.
- Commit to practice formal meditation daily.
- Designate one ‘Day of Observance’ per week, on which a heightened importance is given to their spiritual practice (e.g. following the Eight Precepts and making more time for meditation on the weekly lunar days).
- Commit to actively engage with the online monthly assignments (recorded Dhamma talks, assigned chants, assigned readings, and online discussion forum).
- Provide support to the Sangha, according to their means and abilities.
- Commit to complete the full first year of online Upāsikā training.
- After the first year of online Upāsikā training, participants will then have the option to join established Alumni Upāsikā groups or create new Upāsikā groups for continued training and support. Such new groups will need to seek formal approval from Luang Por Sona before being considered an active Upāsikā group.
Three Refuges:
1. To the Buddha, I go for refuge.
2. To the Dhamma, I go for refuge.
3. To the Sangha, I go for refuge.
Five Precepts:
1. I undertake the precept to refrain from taking the life of any living being.
2. I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not given.
3. I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual misconduct.
4. I undertake the precept to refrain from false and harmful speech.
5. I undertake the precept to refrain from consuming intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness.
Support the Monastery
Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery is a registered Canadian charitable society and is supported entirely by donations or ‘dāna’ (generosity). All teachings, accommodations, and meals are offered free of charge. It is left to the good will and discretion of visitors and well-wishers to decide how they might support the work of the monastery.
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Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery
7000 Smith Lake Forest Srv Rd.
Knutsford, BC | V0E 2A0 | Canada