Virtual Dānā Meal Program
Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery now offers a Virtual Dānā Meal Program. This is an opportunity for families and individuals to make a financial contribution towards Birken’s meal offerings in memory of loved ones without visiting the monastery. The meal will be cooked by resident stewards at the monastery and offered as either breakfast or our mid-day meal on the day of your choosing (subject to date availability). Any portion of your donation that is not spent on your sponsored meal will either be used for a meal at a later date or for general kitchen expenses.
We invite you to fill out the form on this page to schedule your Virtual Dānā Meal. You may designate your donation in the name of someone and/or select a preferred date for your dānā meal. If you have a preferred date, please include it under your selected donation amount where it says, “Write a private message to us (optional)”. For those requesting a specific date, we will reply within one week to confirm if it is available.
Should you have any questions about our Virtual Dānā Meal program, please email us (bookings@birken.ca) for more information.
May the blessings of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha guide and protect you. We rejoice in your good merit – Anumodana!
Thanks to all who have gifted us with groceries by mail – Anumodana!
We wish to express our deep gratitude to everyone who has mailed us dānā grocery items over the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Your generosity is deeply appreciated. We have now returned to our weekly grocery shopping in town so the need for groceries by mail isn’t required at this time.
If you would still like to provide Birken any of the items listed below during our continued closure, you may mail them to us at the following address:
Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery
7000 Smith Lake Forest Srv Rd.
Knutsford, BC V0E 2A0
Canada
Anumodana! We rejoice in your generosity and great merit.
Once we reopen, please return to the following protocol concerning dānā items:
Upon arrival to Birken, dānā items may be given to a Kitchen Steward, or brought to the main kitchen area. Please do not enter or leave items in the basement cold room storage area without a Resident Steward present.
Food Items:
- Tetra-Pak soy milk
- Tetra-Pak clear juices (without fruit pulp)
- Coffee-mate (non-dairy creamer)
- Ground medium roast coffee
- Dried fruits and nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, pumpkin seeds, dates, figs, cranberries, etc.)
- Nut butters (peanut, cashew, almond, tahini, etc.)
- Maple syrup
- Creamed honey
- Crystallized ginger for teatime
- Gummie candies for teatime (made with clear juice; no fruit pulp or puree)
- Dark chocolate bars for teatime (plain)
- Non-perishable food items are ideal
Monastic Requisites:
- None at this time – Anumodana!
Other Items:
- Zoll AED Plus Defibrillator set
- AAA batteries
- Facial tissues
- White paper towels
- White paper napkins
- Toilet paper (2-ply) safe for septic systems
- White letter size printer paper
- Printer Ink Cartridges – HP OfficeJet Pro 6978:
Black
Cyan
Magenta
Yellow - P-Touch Label Printer Tape:
Black on White
Black on Clear
No Need For:
- We currently have a large abundance of dark roast coffee, tea, dry legumes, white rice, pasta, towels, soap and socks.
- We are no longer are accepting homemade canned goods.
- Please do not bring large amounts of foods that need refrigeration or freezing; our fridge and freezer space is limited.
Onsite Dānā Meal Program Suspended Until Further Notice
Birken remains closed to all visitors. Visits for Dānā Meals are suspended at this time due to COVID-19.
When conditions allow for re-opening the monastery, please refer to the guidelines offered below for in-person dānā meals. In the meantime, please consider our Virtual Dānā Meal Program mentioned above.
Preparation of a whole meal is always welcome and considered a very meritorious act. Please email us (bookings@birken.ca) to book a date well in advance. We will give you an approximate headcount one week before your planned dānā meal day.
You can use our kitchen, or bring a meal that is ready to heat and serve. There is approximately two hours of prep time available to prepare the whole meal on any given day (the main meal is served promptly at 11:00am or 11:30am during Daylight Saving Time).
Preparation of a single dish using our kitchen is sometimes possible; please consult with the Kitchen Stewards before using any kitchen resources.
If you are bringing a main dish to serve a substantial number of people, please ensure that it can be reheated quickly. Many commercially prepared items require more than two hours preparation starting from a cold oven; this does not fit into our meal preparation schedule.
Please see our Visit page for more information.
Other Non-Monetary Donations
Physical labour or skilled labour are also valued forms of dānā. If you have particular skills you’d be able to contribute to the monastery (e.g. carpentry skills, plumbing expertise, etc.), please email us to inquire about possible opportunities to help (meditate@birken.ca). While you are here for a visit, your help with various volunteer ‘yogi tasks’ and the general upkeep of the monastery is also greatly appreciated.
Anumodana to our many supporters – we rejoice in your generosity and great merit!
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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Contact
Visit Enquiries:
General Enquiries:
Mailing Address:
Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery
7000 Smith Lake Forest Srv Rd.
Knutsford, BC | V0E 2A0 | Canada