June 24th - July 9th

Venerable Jotimanto will be visiting Oregon City this summer and walking for alms most mornings from June 24th through July 9th. His route follows Molalla Avenue south from Grocery Outlet to Thai Chef (by Subway). If you'd like to offer food along the way, we're coordinating a gathering point at the Fred Meyer at 1839 Molalla Ave, Oregon City around 10:45 AM, where the Venerable will stand for about 10 minutes receiving alms.

Offering food to a monastic is one of the oldest forms of dana, a practice of mutual care between those who walk the path and those who sustain them. The meal offering calendar sign-up helps donors see when an offering would be most useful. To sign up, enter your name on the date you’re planning to offer alms. Multiple people are welcome to sign up for the same day!

What is alms round?

In the Theravada Buddhist tradition, monastics depend entirely on the generosity of laypeople for their daily meal. They don't store food, carry money, drive cars or buy their own groceries. When they walk for alms, it is not begging. It’s receiving whatever is freely offered. This is an ancient practice of mutual support: laypeople nourish the monastics, and the monastics dedicate their lives to practice and teaching in the community.

How much food should I bring?

Monastics eat one meal a day, taken before noon. Because it's their only meal, they eat more than you might expect, since all their calories for the day come at one meal. It helps to check the calendar to see if others are offering that day, and adjust your portions accordingly

What can I offer?

Monastics gratefully accept most foods. A few things to know: raw meat (like sushi) is not permitted, and meat from an animal killed specifically for the monks cannot be accepted. Monastics will receive whatever you feel comfortable offering. If you're unsure about a specific item, feel free to ask.

Do I need to sign up?

Signing up on the calendar helps Tan Jotimanto and the community know when offerings are coming, but if the calendar looks full for a day you'd like to offer, come anyway. Multiple people are welcome to offer on the same day.

Where can I learn more?

You can read the meal dana FAQ on the Pacific Hermitage Website here.