* Photo taken at Passaddhi Vihara rented Duplex apartment in Olympia.
Meal Offering
In keeping with the tradition laid out by the Buddha, bhikkhunis are dependent on supporters providing meals. This helps to create a system of mutual support. By offering food (and other requisites), lay supporters provide the necessities for monastics to continue their practice, and monastics have the opportunity to share the fruits of that practice.
Click here (or scroll below the calendar) to learn more about the various ways to offer meals to the bhikkhunis, both in person and remotely.
Click here for FAQ on meal dana.
Health Update
Gluten free offerings and lower glycemic (i.e. low sugar / low carb, but not artificial sweeteners) are better for both bhikkhunis. Reason: one bhikkhuni is gluten intolerant and pre-diabetic, one bhikkhuni is allergic to artificial sweeteners.
Both bhikkhunis need cooked green vegetables, rather than raw vegetables, except lettuce can be raw. Both Bhikkhunis cannot digest melons and cucumbers.
Sign up on the meal dana calendar to offer in person, by pickup at restaurant, delivery to vihara or to schedule an alms round.
ALERT: The Wayside Cafe is closing. The monastics will use the currently offered giftcards, but please do not purchase more.
Hours for Daylight Savings Time
The bhikkhunīs follow the tradition according to monastic code of finishing their meal before solar noon. During Daylight Savings Time that is 1pm. Meal offerings between 11 and 12 are ideal, with 11 am being the best offering time.
To facilitate your offering, the monastics are happy to receive meals at the vihara, use DoorDash or restaurant gift cards, or pick up meals at local restaurants on the 32 bus line that are open at or before 11 am.
The best way to support Passaddhi Vihara with a meal is to come and offer it in person at the vihara or on one of the alms rounds. This supports not only nourishing the monastics, but also connecting with them through Dhamma and community building. Please consider carpooling with Dhamma friends or bringing a curious friend or family member.
Ways of supporting:
In person:
- Come in Person and offer a meal at the vihara, ideally at 11 am. (10:30 – 11am is a good arrival time)
- Meet the bhikkhunīs on Alms Round on Tuesdays at 10:50 am at West Central Park in Olympia or Fridays at 11:15 am at the Farmer’s Market.
We also know that many people who are too far to come in person, wish to support. There are several ways to do this:
- Offer a Doordash gift card that the monastics or their stewards can use to order a meal at a local restaurant, and the monastics can either pick up or have delivered. (If people use this approach, they can avoid the Doordash delivery fees, as the Passaddhi Vihara Support Foundation will have a DashPass that removes delivery fees)
- Offer market tokens for the Farmer’s Market, or gift cards to specific restaurants in Olympia (currently we know of Parkside Cafe, Olympia La Gitana, and Owls Nest (360-584-9085). Other options also show up in a Google search.)
- Purchase a Grocery Gift Card for a local grocery. The gift card can then be used to purchase reheatable food for the meal offering and for breakfasts and allowables. (Note: Currently, Passaddhi Vihara has plenty of these gift cards. More may be needed later in the Summer.)
- The Co-op has both deli food and meals that can be heated.
To purchase a gift card offering, call the co-op at (360) 357-1106 ext. 2; and purchase a gift a card over the phone.
You can then email the vihara, info@passaddhivihara.org, and the bhikkhunis can pick the card up at the co-op and use it for a meal or staple foods.Olympia Food Co-op Business Office
Westside Store
921 Rogers St NW
Olympia, WA 98502
For purchasing a gift card offering: (360) 357-1106 ext. 2
- The Co-op has both deli food and meals that can be heated.
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Physical gift cards may also be purchased from the following grocery stores and offered in person or mailed to the Vihara
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- Order a meal at a local restaurant that is near the 32 bus line near Division and Harrison for the monastics to pick up.
Meal Dana Frequently Asked Questions
In keeping with the tradition laid out by the Buddha, bhikkhunis are dependent on supporters providing meals. This helps to create a system of mutual support. By offering food (and other requisites), lay supporters provide the necessities for monastics to continue their practice, and monastics have the opportunity to share the fruits of that practice.
Meal Offering Q&A
What should I offer when I bring a meal to the Vihara?
A well balanced meal should aim to be heavier on vegetables and protein and less dependent on carbohydrates. A side dish of cooked veggies in addition to a main dish is always welcome. Protein sources can come from many food items that you might not initially think of, such as eggs, greek yogurt, nuts/seeds and beans. In addition, items such as yogurt, eggs and seeds/nuts, seed/nut butters and fruit can be consumed by the Ayyas for breakfast, which will be offered on your behalf earlier in the morning by a phone offering.
What is a phone offering?
A phone offering is simply done by making a phone call (usually at or before 7am). This is to offer the food in the vihara on behalf of the people that offered it on a previous day. The person calling to make the offer says, “I offer the foods and medicines in the vihara to the Sangha at Passaddhi Vihara,” or similar wording.
When someone signs up, the monastics will contact them with the phone number to call.
Some monastic communities in the Theravada tradition have taken this phone offering as an option in order to make daily contact with a person from the lay community. Some days there will also be offerings made directly into the hands or bowl for the main meal. Although this is a symbolic offering of the food and medicines, it is important to keep that daily contact.
Do the Ayyas have any food allergies or restrictions?
One of the bhikkhunis needs gluten free offerings. Both Bhikkhunis need cooked green vegetables, rather than raw vegetables, (except lettuce can be raw.) Both Bhikkhunis cannot digest melons and cucumbers. The bhikkhunis are not vegetarian/vegan, though they appreciate a more vegetarian diet.
What is allowed for the bhikkhunis in the afternoon?
Examples of useful afternoon allowable items for the Vihara are cheese, dark chocolate (without dried fruit or nuts), ginger, soy milk, and seaweed. Some nuts and seeds are allowed for medicinal purposes.
How much food should I offer?
If you live close enough to make the occasional trip, you can consider offering the meal for more than one day, as the Ayyas can use the food for additional meals if there is enough. The food will be placed in the fridge or freezer and included in a future phone offering. One could bring two or three meals worth of offerings and sign up for two or three days on the calendar.
Can a group come to the vihara to offer?
Yes. More than one person or a group may offer a meal or bring several meals to be used later.
This might be an opportunity to carpool and bring supplies to the vihara as well.
Come up with creative ideas. For example: put the world out and connect with new people in your area to set up a day to offer at the vihara together.
I don’t live nearby, how can I offer a meal?
If you live close enough to make the occasional trip, you can consider offering the meal for more than one day, as the Ayyas can use the food for additional meals if there is enough. The food will be placed in the fridge or freezer and included in a future phone offering. One could bring two or three meals worth of offerings and sign up for two or three days on the calendar.
In addition to offering in person, one can also offer gift cards to local restaurants or the local Food Coop, or can order food to be picked up by the Ayyas on the day of the offering. Another lovely way to support the Ayyas if you live further away is to call in to offer the morning meal and the weekly allowables, around 7 am each morning – you can sign up to do so on the meal calendar.
What if for the date I would like to come to the Vihara to offer the meal, someone else has already signed up?
Email info@passaddhivihara.org if this happens.
- Days marked “pre-offered” are often flexible.
- If there is enough notice, a person (people) already signed up for a restaurant pickup may be able to choose a different day.
- If the person (people) are coming to the Vihara, it is possible to have more than one person or group offer on the same day. We would let the first donors know that you would be joining in that day’s offering.
How do I sign up to offer on a particular day?
Note your name on the Meal Offering Calendar for the day you wish to offer.
Examples:
(first image shows the examples starting point =>)
Signing up to bring a meal to the vihara
Called restaurant for monastics to pick up the meal the day of the offering
Meal will be delivered the day of the meal
If you offered a gift card or extra food to be used on a future date, the monastics or the dana steward will put a day on the calendar when that food will be used.
Sign up to make the morning phone call offering
