Registration報名: https://forms.gle/5gxQCXREx18uZp677
Direction
Address
America Dhamma Society, 1975 Old Flat Branch Rd. Ellijay GA 30540
Directions to the ADS Cabin
- The GPS could guide you to the entrance. The mail box #1975 and Ellijay Mushrooms Sign is on the road side.
- Turn into a gravel road, pass the gate, go straight
- Turn left on the first fork (You will see a white ADS sign)
- Keep driving, after you pass two trailers on the right, in about 100 feet, turn right.
- There is a slight bent in the road, but the ADS cabin is right after the bent.
From Atlanta via I-75 N:
- Exit toward Canton / I-575 at Exit 268 30 mile
- Road name changed to GA-5 / GA-515, Keep going north 25 mile
- When you arrived the city of Ellijay drive on left lane
- At 4th traffic light turn left onto 1st Ave (Hardee’s on left)
- Go straight and cross bridge (Very short distance) 428 ft
- At traffic light turn left onto River St 0.9 mile
- At downtown traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto Dalton St. 0.4 mile
- Turn right onto Boardtown Rd 2.4 mile
- Turn left onto Old Flat Branch Rd (T-shaped intersection, hard to see) 1.9 mile
From North Carolina, South Carolina, North Georgia Via GA-76 South:
When you arrived the city of Ellijay drive on right lane
- At 1st traffic light turn right onto 1st Ave (Hardee’s on left)
- Go straight and cross bridge (Very short distance) 428 ft
- At traffic light turn left onto River St 0.9 mile
- At downtown traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto Dalton St. 0.4 mile
- Turn right onto Boardtown Rd 2.4 mile
- Turn left onto Old Flat Branch Rd (T-shaped intersection, hard to see) 1.9 mile
America Dhamma Society will be on the left with mail box #1975 (No building of any kind near by)
From Chattanooga Via I-75 S:
You can take exit 336, 320 or 312 etc. to get to I-575 / GA-5 / GA-515, but there are many turns in between. Or you can take exit 271 at Chastain Rd to get onto I-575.
Once you get on I-575 / GA-5 / GA-515 North, follow instruction below:
- When you arrived the city of Ellijay drive on left lane
- At 4th traffic light turn left onto 1st Ave (Hardee’s on left)
- Go straight and cross bridge (Very short distance) 428 ft
- At traffic light turn left onto River St 0.9 mile
- At downtown traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto Dalton St. 0.4 mile
- Turn right onto Boardtown Rd 2.4 mile
- Turn left onto Old Flat Branch Rd (T-shaped intersection, hard to see) 1.9 mile
America Dhamma Society will be on the left with mail box #1975 (No building of any kind near by)
Origination
Pa Auk Tawya Vipassanadhura Hermitage, Georgia was established in February 2017, and is operated by the America Dhamma Society (ADS). ADS is a 501(c) nonprofit organization. It is the very first Pa Auk Monastery in the U.S. led by the Sangha Committee members. It covers an area of 100 acres for religious purposes and another 48 acres will be used for ADS future charitable activities. The hermitage is about 2 hours away from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
On April 1, 2016, Ven. U Mangala and Ven. U Buddharakkhita came to Atlanta, Georgia to conduct a four-day meditation retreat. The meditation retreat provided the fellow meditators a path with a clear navigation to self-realization and liberation. The power of Dhamma is unbelievable, and that power inspired the Dhamma friends to consider establishing a permanent monastery in the US.
One of the Dhamma friends, Megan Cai realized the impermanence in our lives and wanted to find a place where she could devote her retirement life to the practice of meditation. When Ven. U Mangala knew about this, he said “A Buddhist practitioner needs to have a big heart, in order to benefit all sentient beings.” Megan was very touched by the teaching, and made a wish to establish a monastery for the sangha and fellow mediators in US. Megan immediately acted on her wish; she and her sister, Amanda Liu, found and contracted to purchase a piece of land totaling 178.08 acres at 1975 Old Flat Branch Road in Ellijay, GA on May 31, 2016, with the purchase being finalized on July 29 of the same year. In August, a road was built so cars could get to the monastery.
In September, Megan Cai joined the meditation activities in Ven.U Mangala’s Tusita Hermitage in Malaysia (Pa Auk Monastery’s Malaysia branch). From there, in October, she went to Myanmar to visit Ven. Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw and offered the monastery to Ven. Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw. Finally, in November, Megan and several other Dhamma friends gathered in the Tusita Hermitage in Malaysia to attend the Dhamma Leadership camp where the Dhamma friends and Sangha members reached a consensus to establish a monastery in the US. On January 17, 2017, America Dhamma Society, a non-profit organization was legally registered in the US due to the great effort of Megan Cai and the Dhamma friends.
We wish the Dhamma to be like the Ganges River: nourishing every Dhamma friend’s mind; and where every sentient being receives true benefits from the practicing of Dhamma.
Mission
To propagate Samatha Vipassana Meditation for the realization of Four Noble Truths:
- The Noble Truth of Suffering;
- The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering;
- The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering;
- The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering.
-The Venerable Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw
Milestones
- July 2016 Purchase of the land for the monastery.
- January 2017 Non-profit organization America Dhamma Society (ADS) established in the US.
- February 2017 Ven. Sayadaw Pa Auk named ADS as Pa Auk Tawya Vipassanadhura Hermitage, Georgia.
- February 2017, ADS Sangha Committee was established. Sangha Committee Members: Sayadaw Pa Auk, Sayadaw U Candima, Sayadaw U Kumarabhivamsa, Sayadaw U Janakabhivamsa, Bhikkhu U Mangala, Bhikkhu U Dhammagavesaka, Bhikkhu U Buddharakkhita.
- April 2017, Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw verbally granted the monastery’s mission.
- May 2017, ADS Lay Committee was established, which consists of 6 Dhamma friends under the leadership of the Sangha Committee to maintain and operate the monastery.
- May27-30 2017, Ven. U Buddharakkhita led a three-day Anapanasati meditation retreat , which is the first meditation retreat for the Pa Auk Tawya Vipassanadhura Hermitage, Georgia. 17 meditators participated in the meditation retreat.
- Vassa 2017, Sayalay Nannadassi, Sayalay Anatta, Sayalay Gharani & Sayalay Sukha came for retreats. Sayalay Nannadass conducted meditation interviews & dhamma sharings.
- November 2017, ADS was approved by IRS as 501(c3) non-profit organization.
- February 2018, Venerable Bhante U Mangala led meditation retreats & gave Dhamma teachings, 2018/02/05-23 PATVH, Georgia site & 2018/02/24-26 Atlanta city, respectively.
- May 25-29, 2018, Venerable U Mangala led 1 st English lecture series at PATVH, Georgia.
- June 8-17, 2018, Sima Setting. Invited 15 Bhikkhus from Pa Auk Monastery, Myanmar and Pa Auk family in Malaysia & Thailand to PATVH Georgia for Sīmā Setting.
- June 18-25, 2018, Invited 15 Bhikkhus from Pa Auk Monastery, Myanmar and Pa Auk family in Malaysia & Thailand after Sīmā Setting, gave dhamma talks, Q/A sessions and conducted interviews for yogis at Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
- Vassa 2018, Sayadaw U Kancana, Bhante KumaraKassapa & Sayalay Karuna spent vassa at PATVH, Georgia. Our resident teacher Sayadaw U Kancana led meditation & shared dhamma with yogis, devotees during vassa.
- June 12-20, 2019, Sayadaw U Aggana led Meditation Retreat & gave dhamma teachings.
- June 27-30, 2019, Sayadaw U Kovida led Meditation Retreat & gave dhamma teachings.
- Vassa 2019, Sayalay Sudassi & Sayalay Anatta came for retreats. Sayalay Sudassi conducted meditation interviews & dhamma sharings
Benefits of Donation
Under the support of Sangha and Dhamma friends, Pa Auk Tawya Vipassanadhura Hermitage, Georgia was established and begins its wondrous mission to spread the Dhamma. The monastery is still in a start-up stage and therefore needs everyone’s help and support. We hope that all the Dhamma friends will gain wholesome Dhamma as well as merits for their practices through support of our wondrous mission. In “The Great Chronicle of Buddha”, the chapter named “Perfection of Alm’s Giving” mentions that “Dana made at the right time, on the proper occasion is called “kala-dana”; Dana made at inappropriate time is called “akala-dana”.
Therefore, giving support during the time when the monastery is in need is a very special “kala-dana”. This support will bring happiness and great merits to the giver and it leads to final liberation; benefiting not only the current moment but also at the right time in the future in abundance.
We highly appreciate your generosity, and please feel free to forward this information to all Dhamma friends so they have the opportunity to contribute to this great cause.
May the merit of dana be shared with all sentient beings; May all beings be well, happy and peaceful; May this merit be the support to ultimate goal.