We are Friends of Tisarana, a group of lay friends and supporters, aspiring to facilitate the construction of the New Dhamma Hall for our community. The main objective of our group is to provide information on involvement and communicate avenues for participation in this important undertaking.

Tisarana Buddhist Monastery has been a central presence in the midst of Buddhist Communities in the Ottawa Area and the GTA for nearly 15 years. Our physical infrastructure is well established with kutis built around the property, a Bhikkhu Vihara constructed in 2012 and the main house providing accommodations to lay guests. All this has been made possible by the generosity of friends in Canada and around the world.

Over the years, the need to create a suitable indoor space providing refuge, stillness and silence for friends to gather and meditate has been deeply felt. A larger hall than the present Sala will also facilitate gatherings such as Kathina, Vesak and similar community events seamlessly and with ease. Currently, the capacity for such events is limited due to space constraints and these events are usually conducted in halls rented nearby.

After several years of careful reflection and planning, construction of the New Dhamma Hall for our community began in April 2022. Construction has been progressing smoothly over the last two years, thanks to generous support and skilled execution.

The structure of the New Dhamma Hall is now complete. The building was completed to a “closed in” stage prior to the winter season in 2023 so that interior work could be carried out through the winter months. The contractors are currently working on finishing the electrical, plumbing, dry walling, sound system and other remaining installations. We really hope that we will have the New Dhamma Hall completed to the level of occupancy to host the Tisarana Katina Ceremony on October 27, 2024.

Once built, the new Dhamma Hall will be the heart of our Monastery, providing space and opportunity for silent enquiry, meditation as well as community activities all year round. We hope to see this project to its culmination for the benefit of our wider community.

This shared space built from the Dana of our community, will encourage Sila and enliven Bhavana. We invite you to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get involved and support this endeavour.