The Theravada Buddhist community Clear Mountain Monastery has established a permanent residence in the Seattle area of Washington state. After three years of searching for land and extensive fundraising, the monastery has acquired a forested property near North Bend.
Supporters raised approximately $4.93 million for the project. On August 31, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho arrived at the new site after completing a three-day walking pilgrimage from Seattle. They began the journey on August 29 from St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral. On the final morning they paused at Sea View Park and North Bend City Hall, where they met local residents and officials, including North Bend Mayor Mary Miller.
Earlier this year, Clear Mountain purchased roughly 20 hectares of land. Friends of Clear Mountain, the nonprofit that manages the monastery’s finances, said the addition of a second property would bring the total to about 36 hectares. Ownership of the second parcel remains pending resolution of a related matter.
Both Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho are Western-born Theravada monks who spent significant portions of their monastic lives in Thailand. According to Friends of Clear Mountain, each has lived as a bhikkhu for more than a decade and speaks Thai. At present the monastery is home to the two monks and one steward. In the initial phase the monks will live and practice in small monastic huts, known as *kutis* in the Theravada tradition. Longer-term development of the land will follow.
Future plans call for a residential community of up to 20 monks and nuns, along with programs open to the public. These will include chanting and meditation, study of the suttas and Pali language, online and in-person Dhamma teachings, daily alms-food offerings, observance of Buddhist holy days, accommodation for visiting monks, and day-long meditation retreats.
Longer-range development includes construction of a large temple capable of seating several hundred people, a multipurpose hall, guest housing for nuns, gardens, walking paths, and additional kutis. These projects are expected to be completed in phases over a number of years.
Clear Mountain Monastery began in 2021 when Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho set out to establish a Theravada community in the Seattle area. The community is rooted in the Thai Forest Tradition, which emphasizes a simple monastic life, meditation, Dhamma study, and reliance on lay supporters for material needs.
The North Bend location was chosen for its relatively quiet natural setting while remaining accessible from Seattle. The property includes forest, wetlands, small streams, wildlife habitat, and views of Mount Si. It lies near Cedar Falls Road SE, between Interstate 90 and Rattlesnake Lake, close to the Wilderness Rim community. The drive from downtown Seattle takes about 40 minutes.
Because Theravada Vinaya rules prohibit monks from handling money, all donations and financial matters are managed by Friends of Clear Mountain, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Vice President Steve Wilhelm noted that individual gifts ranged from a few dollars to several thousand. “Every donor is thanked personally or by phone at least once every six months,” he said. “Whether five dollars or ten thousand, every gift matters to us.”
Clear Mountain Monastery joins the diverse Buddhist landscape of the western United States. According to Pew Research Center’s 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study, about 1.1 percent of U.S. adults identify as Buddhist, and roughly 45 percent of the country’s Buddhist population lives in the West. The establishment of a permanent residence for Clear Mountain is therefore more than the founding of a single monastery; it represents a notable expansion of Theravada practice and community-based spiritual activity in the region.
Read More>>: Clear Mountain Monastery Secures Permanent Temple Near North Bend, Washington