has been founded north west of Lisbon, near Ericeira. Amaravati's retreat centre provides meditation courses for lay people from April to December. A meditation workshop for lay visitors happens each Saturday from 2-4pm, and there are family and other practice and teaching events happening at the monastery regularly. In accordance with the principle of dāna established by the Buddha, the monastery and the retreat centre are run entirely on donations. Amaravati is near the Hertfordshire village of Great Gaddesden. The nearest towns are Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted. The mediaeval convent of St Margaret's, abolished by Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, was for centuries just 400 yards along the lane. Amaravati in the ancient Buddhist language of Pali means "deathless realm." Retreat Centre The monastery includes a retreat centre offering monastic and lay retreats most of the year. Long Term Plans In 2013, plans were unveiled to update the buildings to a more eco-friendly design, replacing some of the old wooden buildings. So far the following have been completed Aroga Kuti: Nursing cottage for elderly monks, completed in Nov 2017. Heartwood House: Increased accommodation for the nuns' community. Re-building of the nuns' residence at Amaravati. See also Thai Forest Tradition Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah Aruna Ratanagiri, UK Chithurst Buddhist Monastery, UK Wat Pah Pong, Thailand Wat Pah Nanachat, Thailand Santacittarama, Italy Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, USA Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery, Canada Bodhinyana Monastery, Australia Buddhism in the West Buddhism in the United Kingdom Buddhism in Europe References External links Official website Forest Sangha website Forest Sangha newsletter 1984 establishments in England Buddhist monasteries in England Buddhist temples and monasteries of the Thai Forest Tradition Monasteries in Hertfordshire Overseas Thai Buddhist temples Religious organizations established in 1984 Thai diaspora in Europe