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A Global Monastic Order

Moksha
Sangha

A refuge for sincere seekers — walking the path of awakening, non-dual wisdom, and liberation in the modern world.

Explore
🪷

Spiritual Community

A global sangha of sincere practitioners dedicated to awakening.

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Meditation Practice

Daily practice of mindfulness, self-inquiry, and non-dual awareness.

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Dharma Study

Certified training rooted in Buddhist and Hindu nondual traditions.

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Monastic Path

Ordination for both lay practitioners and full renunciates.

✦ ॐ ✦

Wherever you are in the world, know that you are not alone. We walk this path together, in pursuit of ultimate freedom.

— Moksha Sangha

Ready to Begin?

The journey of awakening is not one you must walk alone. Our sangha welcomes sincere seekers from all traditions and walks of life.

Who We Are

About Moksha Sangha

A small but global spiritual community dedicated to the pursuit of awakening, self-liberation, and the realization of ultimate truth.

A New Path
for Liberation

We are rooted in the non-dual wisdom of Buddhist and Hindu traditions. Our order provides a structured yet flexible path for both lay practitioners and full renunciates.

Whether you seek to integrate monastic principles into daily life or fully devote yourself to spiritual practice, we offer guidance, discipline, and community for your journey.

Our mission is to cultivate wisdom, meditation, and ethical living while integrating the ancient path of liberation into the modern world. We emphasize direct realization over dogma, recognizing that enlightenment is not theoretical but experiential.

Our Purpose

Traditional monastic institutions are few and difficult to access — especially in the West. Many are rigid, hierarchical, or have requirements that make them inaccessible to many who would love to join them.

The Moksha Sangha was created to offer a new path — a monastic-inspired way of life that allows for deep practice, personal freedom, and global accessibility.

What We Are Not

We are not a new religion, political movement, or educational institution. This is a space for self-discipline, deep practice, and liberation-oriented living — free from dogma and hierarchy.

Who We Are

  • A refuge for sincere seekers dedicated to awakening
  • Rooted in Buddhist & Hindu traditions, yet open to wisdom from all paths
  • Independent of any single lineage or sect, but deeply respectful of them
  • A community of serious practitioners, not a casual spiritual club
  • A global, online community — not confined to one location
  • A non-commercial, non-political, non-dogmatic entity
  • A place where enlightenment is pursued as lived experience, not theory
  • A sangha walking together toward ultimate freedom

Three Levels of Commitment

We recognize that individuals are at different stages of their spiritual journey. Members may join at any level.

🌱

Aspirant

Exploring the path and beginning personal practice. An open door for all who are curious and sincere.

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Ordained Monk / Nun

Open to full renunciates and lay-monks fully committed to the order's principles. Requires a 30-day probationary period.

Core Principles

All members uphold the following eight principles as the foundation of their practice and life in the sangha.

I

Self-Realization as the Goal

The pursuit of enlightenment is our primary focus — not as a concept, but as lived awakening.

II

Meditation as the Foundation

Daily practice of mindfulness, self-inquiry, and non-dual awareness is the bedrock of the path.

III

Ethical Living

Aligning actions with truth, non-harm, and dharmic principles — in word, thought, and deed.

IV

Simplicity & Detachment

Cultivating inner renunciation whether lay or monastic — freedom from grasping and identification.

V

Service & Compassion

Acting for the benefit of others without attachment to outcomes, as a natural expression of realization.

VI

Direct Experience Over Dogma

Validating wisdom through personal realization, not inherited belief. We test truth in the fire of experience.

VII

Silence & Speech in Balance

Balancing contemplative silence with skillful community engagement — knowing when to be still.

VIII

Minimalism

Personal possessions reduced to essentials for full renunciates — a life of simplicity and clarity.

Code of Conduct

The Moksha Sangha Monastic Order follows a simple but profound ethical guideline: Live by the principle of non-harm and deep integrity.

  • Treat others with compassion, respect, and honesty.
  • Uphold ethical discipline as part of spiritual practice.
  • Refrain from causing harm to yourself or others.

All members are expected to hold themselves to a high standard of self-discipline, practicing accountability in their words and actions. Any member who engages in abuse, exploitation, or serious ethical violations will be disassociated from the order.

We encourage members to cultivate discipline, reflect deeply, and engage in consistent practice. The path to liberation is personal yet supported by the sangha. Regular retreats, teachings, and discussions are available to deepen practice and provide mutual support.

Begin the Path →

The Vision

Building Moksha Monastery

A nonprofit sanctuary in rural Oregon — dedicated to monastic spiritual discipline, deep meditation, and sacred study.

A Physical Home for Awakening

Moksha Monastery will be a nonprofit religious institution dedicated to monastic spiritual discipline, deep meditation, and sacred study. Rooted in Buddhist and Hindu traditions emphasizing nonduality, the monastery will serve as a residential retreat for serious practitioners.

Our goal is to establish the monastery in a rural area of Oregon with zoning laws favorable to religious use, ensuring long-term stability and legal protection under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).

Fundraising Goal: $650K – $1.25M

Location

Rural Oregon — researching counties including Klamath, Josephine, Douglas, and Curry for zoning laws favorable to monasteries, affordable land (10–50 acres), and natural beauty conducive to deep practice.

Legal Structure

Registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit religious institution. Operates on a donation-based model — no commercial retreats — with long-term residence for monks and lay practitioners.

What the Monastery Will Provide

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Sacred Practice Space

Daily meditation and self-inquiry, silent retreats for deep contemplation, and advanced training in non-dual realization.

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Sustainability & Simplicity

Minimal ecological footprint, self-sufficient lifestyle incorporating permaculture, renewable energy, and organic food production.

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Monastic Residence

Long-term residence for monks and lay practitioners. Spiritual guidance, sacred study, and a structured contemplative schedule.

A New Monasticism

Integrating traditional discipline with contemporary adaptability — serving as a model for future monastic communities.

Fundraising Goals

We seek to fundraise approximately one million dollars to acquire land, construct essential buildings, and sustain operations.

Minimal Goal
$650,000+
  • Land Acquisition: 10–20 acres in Oregon
  • Basic Infrastructure: Simple cabins and meditation hall
  • Sustainable Development: Off-grid basics
Ideal Goal
$950,000+
  • Land Acquisition: 20–40 acres
  • Infrastructure: Monastic housing, meditation hall, kitchen, utilities
  • Sustainable Development: Gardens, solar energy systems
Full Vision
$1,250,000+
  • Land Acquisition: 40+ acres
  • Infrastructure: Multiple structures, retreat facilities, library
  • Long-term endowment, advanced solar, permaculture systems

Every contribution, large or small, brings us closer to building a lasting home for awakening.

Donate via PayPal →

Next Steps

The monastery is being built carefully and methodically — with deep integrity at every step. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build something truly sacred.

In Progress

Finalize 501(c)(3) Registration

Establishing our legal nonprofit status as a religious institution.

2025–2026

Land Research & Zoning

Researching Oregon counties and filing zoning applications for favorable religious land use.

2026

Launch Fundraising Campaign

Opening public fundraising for land acquisition and initial construction.

2026–2027

Secure Funding & Land

Finalizing land acquisition in rural Oregon with the sangha's support.

2028+

Construction & Operations

Building begins — cabins, meditation hall, kitchen, and the founding of monastery life.

How You Can Help

We invite spiritual seekers, benefactors, and visionaries to contribute to this once-in-a-lifetime project.

  • Financial donations toward land acquisition and construction
  • Networking with potential donors and spiritual supporters
  • Volunteering time and skills to the project
  • Sharing our vision with your community

For inquiries, comments, or collaboration, please contact us through the form on our contact page.

Contact Us →

The Monastic Life

Become a Monk or Nun

Ordination is for those who wish to take on a monastic-inspired identity, deepen their spiritual discipline, and commit to lifelong practice in service of awakening.

Two Ways to Ordain

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Lay Monk / Nun

Those who live and work in society while maintaining deep spiritual discipline. Also called "Householder Monks." You maintain your job, family, and home — while committing fully to the dharmic path.

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Full Renunciate

Those who take full monastic vows and renounce material attachments in pursuit of dedicated spiritual practice. A complete dedication to awakening — the classical monastic ideal.

Live Where You Are

Since we have no physical monastery at this time, members of the Order live wherever they choose. The monastic spirit lives within you.

  • Some transform their homes into sacred spaces
  • Some live as wandering yogis or in remote solitude
  • Some maintain jobs and families while committing to daily practice

While you are free to design your own lifestyle, all members are encouraged to maintain a dedicated daily meditation practice, live by ethical principles, engage in regular study, and participate in sangha discussions when able.

Daily Practice

Maintain a dedicated daily meditation practice as the cornerstone of your monastic life — wherever you are in the world.

Dharma Study

Engage in regular study of core non-dual texts, self-inquiry, and contemplation. The Dharma Academy offers formal certification.

Sangha Connection

Participate in online sangha sessions, discussions, and community practice. The global community supports your path.

Three Stages to Ordination

Becoming a monk or nun is a gradual process, designed to ensure that your decision is grounded, joyful, and authentic.

I

Aspirant — Begin the Exploration

Express your interest and explore the teachings and practices of the Order. Begin gaining familiarity with core spiritual texts of nondual traditions, start a regular meditation practice, and participate in the online sangha. There is no rush — take the time you need.

II

Practitioner — Deepen the Commitment

If your aspiration deepens, you become a serious dharma practitioner. You may request further guidance, commit to regular meditation and study, take on a simplified set of ethical precepts, and consider the monastic vows. This 30-day probationary period helps you discern your readiness for formal ordination.

III

Ordained Monastic — Enter the Order

After completing the previous phases, formally request ordination as a monk or nun. Ordination includes a self-initiation or group ceremony, the taking of monastic vows tailored to your path (lay or renunciate), your new spiritual name, and recognition as a full member of the Moksha Sangha Monastic Order.

A New Name

Upon joining, each member receives a new spiritual name incorporating the Sanskrit word Moksha — liberation. Taking on this name symbolizes your new commitment to the path.

VidyaMoksha — Liberation through Wisdom
ShantiMoksha — Liberation through Peace
JnanaMoksha — Liberation through Knowledge
KarunaMoksha — Liberation through Compassion
DhyanaMoksha — Liberation through Meditation
BodhiMoksha — Liberation through Awakening

If you wish to choose your own, it should reflect your highest aspiration on the path.

Apply to Join the Order →

Formal Education

Dharma Academy

A one-year Certified Dharma Practitioner program rooted in Buddhist and Hindu non-dual wisdom traditions.

One Year of Deep Study

The Certified Dharma Practitioner course is a comprehensive year-long journey through the core teachings of non-dual wisdom traditions. Students engage with foundational texts, meditation techniques, ethics, and philosophical inquiry.

Upon completion, students receive certification as a Dharma Practitioner — a formal recognition of their commitment, knowledge, and practice.

Buddhist Foundations

The Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Three Marks of Existence, the Skandhas, and foundational Abhidharma philosophy.

Non-Dual Wisdom

Advaita Vedanta, Dzogchen, Madhyamaka, Zen, and Tantric Shaivism — the great streams of nondual realization.

Meditation & Practice

Mindfulness, Vipassana, Dzogchen Rigpa, Self-Inquiry, Mantra, and the integration of practice into daily life.

Twelve Months of Dharma

Months 1–3

Foundations of Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path, Four Noble Truths, and establishing a daily practice.

Months 4–6

Non-dual philosophy — Advaita Vedanta, Madhyamaka, the nature of mind, and self-inquiry.

Months 7–9

Advanced meditation — Dzogchen, Vipassana, Zen koan, and the integration of silence into life.

Months 10–11

Ethics, compassion, bodhicitta, service, and the paramitas — wisdom in action.

Month 12

Integration, final practice retreat, certification review, and ordination pathway for those called to it.

Certification

Students who complete the program receive formal recognition as a Certified Dharma Practitioner of the Moksha Sangha.

✦ OM ✦

Begin Your Studies

The Dharma Academy curriculum is available in full detail — explore the complete year of teaching and begin your path.

Take the First Step

The 1-Day Monk Challenge

Can you live like a monk for 24 hours? Experience a day of simplicity, meditation, and inner peace — and discover if the monastic path speaks to you.

Live Like a Monk
for One Day

The 1-Day Monk Challenge is a powerful way to taste the monastic path — to step out of the noise of modern life and into the clarity of simplicity, silence, and presence.

1

Download the Activity Guide

Get the full checklist of daily monastic activities — your schedule for the day.

2

Do As Many As Possible

Follow the schedule from dawn to dusk. Meditation, silence, study, mindful movement.

3

Share Your Experience

Tag us on social media with #MonkChallenge #MonkLife and inspire others to try.

6:00 AM
Wake Up — early rising
6:30 AM
🧘 Meditation
7:30 AM
🌿 Mindful Movement (yoga, walking, tai chi)
8:00 AM
Breakfast in Silence — eat slowly, no distractions
9:00 AM
📖 Study Sacred Texts
10:00 AM
Work Meditation — chores with full mindfulness
12:00 PM
Lunch & Reflection
1:00 PM
🔇 Silent Period — no phone, computer, or TV
2:00 PM
🧘 Sitting Meditation or Prayers
3:00 PM
🌿 Mindful Movement
4:00 PM
Reading (see recommended resources)
5:00 PM
Contemplation & Journaling
6:00 PM
Light Dinner — or optional fasting
7:00 PM
🎧 Listen to a Dharma Talk
8:00 PM
🧘 Evening Meditation
9:00 PM
Sleep Early — no phone, computer, or TV

To Support Your Practice

Guided Meditations

  • Mindfulness of Body — Joseph Goldstein
  • Big Sky Mind — Joseph Goldstein
  • Mind Like Sky — Jack Kornfield
  • Simply Settle — Patrul Rinpoche
  • Free Floating Awareness — Shinzen Young
  • Loving Kindness Meditation — Jack Kornfield

Sacred Texts

  • In The Buddha's Words
  • Patanjali's Yoga Sutras
  • The Upanishads
  • Ashtavakra Samhita
  • The Diamond Sutra
  • Treasures From Juniper Ridge

Recommended Books

  • Buddhist Life Buddhist Path — Bhikkhu Cintita
  • Be Here Now — Ram Dass
  • I AM THAT — Nisargadatta
  • The Great Secret of Mind — Keith Dowman
  • The 4 Foundations of Mindfulness — Bhante G.

Dharma Talks

  • Audio Dharma
  • Dharma Seed
  • Vedanta Society
  • Jack Kornfield
  • Thanisaro Bhikkhu
  • Joseph Goldstein
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Did the Path Speak to You?

The 1-Day Challenge is just the beginning. If you felt something stir within you, we invite you to explore the deeper path of the Moksha Sangha Monastic Order.

Our Foundations

Statement of Belief

Not a rigid creed, but a living reflection of the spirit in which we walk the path — a shared commitment to nondual realization.

Religious organizations in the United States are required to have a document outlining their religious beliefs. Ours is not a rigid creed, but a living reflection of the spirit in which we walk the path.

We affirm that the deepest truths of existence are nondual in nature. While expressions of nonduality may differ across traditions and lineages, they converge on the insight that there is no ultimate separation between self and reality, subject and object, or the sacred and the world. Our Order is rooted in a spirit of spiritual inquiry, direct experience, and disciplined practice aimed at the realization of this truth — however it may reveal itself.

✦ ॐ ✦

Shared Principles

The One Reality

Though described in many ways — such as Brahman, Shiva, Dharmakaya, or Buddha Nature — there is a single undivided Reality that underlies and includes all that appears. Some experience this as formless awareness; others as a dynamic, living unity. We make space for these diverse insights.

Direct Realization Over Belief

We value experience over speculation, practice over dogma. Liberation (moksha) is not attained through belief alone but through realization born of self-inquiry, meditation, and disciplined spiritual life.

The World and the Sacred

Whether viewed as illusion (Maya), divine play (Lila), or sacred immediacy (Zen), the world is engaged with reverently, not rejected. We recognize the diversity of views on the nature of form, while maintaining the sanctity of all that arises within awareness.

Renunciation as Inner Freedom

Renunciation is not a rejection of the world, but a letting go of grasping and identification. It is the means by which we become inwardly free — able to live with simplicity, clarity, and compassion.

Universal Wisdom Across Traditions

We draw from a range of authentic nondual traditions — including but not limited to Advaita Vedanta, Dzogchen, Tantric Shaivism, Zen, and mystical branches of other world religions. All genuine paths that aim toward direct awakening are honored.

Compassion and Insight Go Together

Realization of nonduality gives rise to spontaneous compassion. As we dissolve the illusion of separateness, we naturally care for others as ourselves. Wisdom and love are not separate.

Simplicity and Contemplation

Monastic life supports the unfolding of awakening through ethical discipline, contemplative practice, and inner silence. This life is not for the pursuit of personal gain, but for liberation and service — offered freely to all beings.