SBT - Asheville Community
Top News!
Venerable Tarpa has arrived in Asheville!
An exciting new chapter for SBT
We’re excited to announce that Venerable Tarpa has arrived in Asheville, North Carolina, and is now actively working to establish a local SBT community and home base. While SBT is, first and foremost, an online community, establishing a physical home for in-person events, teachings, and training would be an important step toward fulfilling our vision for SBT.
Currently, Venerable Tarpa is getting to know people, making new friends, connecting with the local Buddhist groups, and beginning to build a local community of those interested in improving their lives. At the same time, we’re exploring properties in the Asheville area that could eventually become an SBT center. This is the beginning of an exciting new chapter for us, and we look forward to seeing how this community develops.
Help Us Establish SBT Asheville
We’re currently working diligently to establish an SBT community in Asheville – a friendly community where all are welcome to come and learn, meditate, practice, and explore the Buddha’s teachings. Your support will help us establish our community and secure space for regular gatherings, teachings, meditation, and community activities in Asheville. Help us bring the SBT community to life in Asheville. Every contribution, whether big or small, helps us take another step forward.
Help make our Asheville Community a reality
Secular Buddhist Tradition, Inc.
is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization
EIN – 39-2637150
What We Offer
We offer:
– In-person teachings on Buddhism and Secular Buddhism.
– In-person meditation and practice instruction.
– In-person one-on-one training.
– In-person guidance and support.
– A friendly space to connect with like-minded people.
– A place to connect, make friends, and build community.
– A welcoming spiritual environment dedicated to learning and practice.
Local Asheville Events
Local SBT Events in Asheville
We’re currently working diligently to establish in-person local events in Asheville. But you don’t have to wait until our local community is up and running. We already have various daily, weekly, and monthly online programs that are open to everyone. You can learn more about them on our main website, SBTonline.org. Everyone’s welcome to attend, to get to know our online international community, and our dear, teacher Venerable Tarpa.
Looking for a space
We are currently looking for a space where we can hold weekly meditations and teachings. If you know of a suitable space that might be available for our activities, please message us at support@sbtonline.org.
Mindful Walking Group
We also want to begin a weekly mindful walking group as well.
Calander of Local Events
Local Asheville Events
All events below are shown in Eastern Time
For our online international events, visit our main website: SBTonline.org
Questions, ideas, or want to get involved?
We’d love to hear from you
Contact us at:
Asheville, North Carolina
Nestled in the Majestic Blue Ridge Mountains
Why we chose Asheville
While our members come from around the world, Asheville is well positioned at the heart of our SBT international community. Its “middle way” location between Europe and California, and between Canada and Florida, makes it a natural gathering place for retreats, teachings, and in-person training. Besides location, Asheville offers a unique combination of qualities that align closely with SBT’s values and vision. Known for its open, creative, and inclusive culture, Asheville supports a thriving community of artists, contemplatives, and spiritual practitioners from various traditions. Nestled in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, the region is surrounded by exceptional natural beauty – forests, trails, and quiet spaces that naturally support reflection and contemplative practice. Asheville is also accessible. It’s well connected by major highways for domestic travel and has a local airport with convenient connections through nearby international hubs, making it reachable for both U.S. and international community members. Together, these qualities make Asheville the perfect location for SBT’s first center.
Our Vision
Our vision is modest. We seek to create a simple, community-supported space that can serve the needs of our growing community. A physical home that supports our teachings, practice, and events for our local and international communities. We’re approaching this project gradually and responsibly, allowing the community’s support to guide each next step. In keeping with monastic values of simplicity and careful stewardship. Our immediate needs are minimal and are focused on supporting Venerable Tarpa and his teachings.
Phase One: Temporary Housing
Our first step is to maintain simple and stable housing for Venerable Tarpa. Currently, Venerable Tarpa has only temporary accommodations. We are currently looking for an inexpensive room, apartment, or small house where Tarpa can work, teach, and practice.
Phase Two: Shared Practice House
The next step would be to secure a rental house with sufficient space for visiting community members to stay, practice, and train. Housing and food would be offered freely to any visiting community member, with no expectation of payment.
Phase Three: Expanded Facility
As support allows, we would look to move into a larger or better-suited rental property that could accommodate larger audiences and small group retreats.
Phase Four: A Permanent Home
Our long-term aspiration is to purchase a property with enough land to support community events, retreats, and a monastery for training monastics.
An Invitation
If our vision resonates with you, you are warmly invited to:
– Support the project through ongoing monthly donations.
– Share this vision with others who may feel called to help.
– Join our team of volunteers working to make our dream a reality.
SBT is funded completely by donations
Like all of SBT’s work, everything at our Asheville center will be offered free of charge, including rooms, food, teachings, and programs. SBT and our Asheville Center Project are funded entirely by donations from our members and supporters. Your contribution will ensure that our vision will become a reality. All donations support our Asheville Center Project, our general mission, and its continuous operations.
Questions, ideas, or want to get involved?
We’d love to hear from you
Contact us at:
Donations
Help make our Asheville Center a reality by making a donation today
Secular Buddhist Tradition, Inc.
is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization
EIN – 39-2637150