About the Monastery
Learn the story of Bhava Nirodha Nilaya, where we preserve the bhikkhuni tradition and cultivate the authentic Dhamma.
Home About the Monastery
Bhava Nirodha Nilaya was established with the vision of preserving the millennial tradition of Theravada bhikkhunis and bringing the authentic Dhamma to Latin America, especially Cuba.
It is a quiet, small hermitage on 7.2 acres of ecological land at the end of a dirt road in Fort White, Florida. Our monastery is a refuge where all beings can find peace and wisdom.
The teachings of the Buddha, known as Dhamma, have traveled across cultures and continents, transforming hearts and communities for over two millennia. Now, these timeless teachings have reached Latin America and Cuba, where they are embraced by a vibrant and growing community.
Our project, led by Ayya Marajina, a Cuban-American bhikkhuni based in Fort White, Florida, is dedicated to nurturing and supporting this emerging community. We provide a hub of information about local events, teachings and retreats for practitioners across Cuba, while serving as a bridge for international friends who wish to learn about and support the growth of Buddhism in Latin America and Cuba.
We believe that the Dhamma flourishes best through connection, generosity and mutual support. Whether you are in Cuba or abroad, your participation and contributions help sustain and strengthen this spiritual community. Together, we are fostering a space where compassion, wisdom and spiritual friendship thrive.
To establish the first Theravada temple in Cuba, preserve the authentic bhikkhuni tradition, and create a network of Dhamma communities extending across Latin America, bringing the teachings of the Buddha to new generations.
To be a beacon of wisdom illuminating Latin America with the authentic Dhamma, creating a network of bhikkhuni monasteries that preserves the original teachings of the Buddha and trains future generations of practitioners dedicated to the Noble Eightfold Path.
A Cuban-American Bhikkhuni ordained in 2012 at Aranya Bodhi Hermitage, California. With over 15 years of meditative practice, she has dedicated her life to establishing the Dhamma in Cuba and aspires to help train the next generation of bhikkhunis in the Americas.
Bhava Nirodha Nilaya stands at the meeting of two forests: the Thai and the Sri Lankan. The Venerable's in-person teachers come from the Sri Lankan tradition. She also acknowledges the guidance received through the teachings of Luang Por Chah, Luang Por Maha Bua and Luang Por Mun.
"Seeing the Dhamma as the highest blessing, I work so that these teachings may flourish in lands where they had never before taken root."
In the week between Christmas and New Year 2024, a group of Sinhalese Buddhist families from Jacksonville turned a disused barn — until then used to rescue and rehabilitate horses — into the hall where the community now gathers, in seven days. This was a rural corner of north Florida with no Buddhist or meditation centre of any kind.
The hermitage sits on 7.2 acres at the end of a dirt road. The grass is not mown and no insecticides or fertilisers are used, and a four-thousand-gallon pond gives the animals water through the droughts. Deer, turkeys, rabbits, hawks and owls raise their young there every year.
See the galleryThe hermitage holds relics of the Buddha together with relics of Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī Therī, the first bhikkhunī to attain arahanthood and founder of the Saṅgha of bhikkhunīs.
Beside them rest relics of Bhaddā Kaccānā Therī and of the two chief disciples, Sāriputta and Mahāmoggallāna. A row of small stupas also holds sacred earth from the stupa sites of several therī and of the laywoman Visākhā.
Follow our journey through reflections, events and meaningful moments as we establish the Dhamma in Cuba and Latin America. Each story is another step on our path of compassion and wisdom.
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Copyright 2025, Bhava Nirodha Nilaya. May all beings be happy and free from suffering.
