Dear Sangha,

I’m happy to share that Ayya Santacitta, a senior Buddhist nun in the Theravāda tradition, will be with us at Mountain Stream for a daylong retreat:
With the World on Fire: Embodying Ethics, Grounding in Wisdom
Sunday, October 12 | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM PT

Opportunities to practice with a fully ordained Buddhist monastic in the West are rare and deeply precious. Monastics dedicate their lives to the Dharma - living simply, guided by ancient vows and sustained by generosity. To spend a day learning from their experience and presence is a profound way to connect with the living stream of the Buddha’s teachings.

In this retreat, Ayya Santacitta will offer guidance on how to remain steady and wise amid the fires of our times. Through meditation, reflection, and conversation, we’ll explore how the Buddha’s path of ethics (sīla) and wisdom (paññā) can support resilience, compassion, and wise action.

This daylong is offered on a dana basis — there is no registration fee. We do ask that you register so we can prepare the space. The suggested dana for this retreat is $50–$100, which will be shared between Ayya Santacitta and Mountain Stream to support our teachers and the ongoing life of the Center (see below for registration details).

I warmly encourage you to join us for this special day, whether you’re new to practice or a long-time meditator, you are very much welcome.

With gratitude,
Adam Stonebraker
Guiding Teacher, Mountain Stream Meditation
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Topic: With the World on Fire: Embodying Ethics, Grounding in Wisdom
Location: In Person & Virtual
Nevada City Insight Center, 710 Zion St, Nevada City, CA 95959
Or join us via Zoom; see below
Date: Sunday, October 12, 2025
Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm PT

Cost: Dana/Donation Offering - Suggested donation $50 - $100. Any amount is gratefully received.
Pre-registration is required for both in-person and virtual participants.
To register, please visit https://square.link/u/lP1ifMAH
The Zoom meeting link will be provided to all participants upon registration.

For questions, email juanita@mtstream.org

Dana: During the daylong, there is an opportunity to offer a financial donation to Ayya Santacitta as part of the Buddhist practice of dana, the virtue of giving and receiving. AYYA SANTACITTA DANA (DONATION)

What to bring: Please bring a bag lunch.

Daylong Description: The Buddha gave the Noble Eightfold Path as a way to direct our lives away from bewilderment and towards true freedom. As we find ourselves moving into increasing ecological crisis and its impact on the planet and our lives, the Buddha’s teaching and the teachings of the Earth become ever more relevant and essential. Ayya Santacitta will offer teachings on this theme with an encouragement to bring the path to the whole of our experience.

Ayya Santacitta: Santacitta Bhikkhuni was born in Austria and did her graduate studies in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on dance, theatre, and ritual. She also worked in avant-garde dance theatre as a performer and costume designer. In 1988 she met Ajahn Buddhadasa in southern Thailand, who sparked her interest in Buddhist monastic life. She trained as a nun in England and Asia from 1993 until 2009, primarily in the lineage of Ajahn Chah, and has also received teachings in the Shechen lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.

Santacitta Bhikkhuni co-founded Aloka Vihara in 2009 and received Bhikkhuni Ordination in 2011. She is committed to Gaia as a living being and resides at Aloka Earth Room, currently located in San Rafael, CA.