Sarasota Forest Monastery 3.34

Sarasota Forest Monastery was established by the nonprofit Buddhist Association of Central Florida in 2015. The Buddhist center follows the Theravada Buddhism, which is primarily practiced in Southeast Asia. The term “forest” comes from Thai Buddhist traditions that teach how key experiences in Buddha’s life, including achieving enlightenment, occurred in forests. The term Wat Pa in Thai means Forest Monastery.

The Monastery is an 8.7-acre land located in the heart of the residential village on the northwest corner of N. Elm and Stewart Streets in Englewood, FL. The construction is planned to begin in early 2016, after the final approval from the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners in October 2015.

Currently, the area remains heavily wooded. When finished, the monastery will include a chapel-general purpose hall, a meditation center, a workshop, and 4 monk residences.

The Monastery and Meditation center will be open to the public. It will be a place of serenity, and joy, with the aim to foster good community relations in Englewood and disturb as little nature as possible.