May 20, 2026

One of the most fundamental rules defining the life of a Bhikkhuni is that she is only able to eat food offered into her hands that day.

The Buddha established this rule to require the Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis to have daily connection with their householder supporters, for mutual benefit. Traditionally this meant walking on alms round each morning to receive food for the day, or accepting an invitation for a meal in someone’s home.

For the monastic receiving these offerings, it’s a daily reminder that they live dependent on the generosity of their community, and their practice is for the benefit of all.

For those offering the food, it’s an opportunity to come into contact with the monastics, and offer direct support for their practice.

Every seven years, most of the cells in our body are renewed. Once a monastic has been in robes for more than seven years, nearly every cell in their body is made up of the nutriment offered to them out of generosity. For those who offer food, their offering continues to live on, in the body of the monastic, sustaining their practice, continuing the benefit of that generosity.

The Dhammadharini Bhikkhunis live as the Buddha guided, and only eat the food offered to them each day.

For those who wish to support the monastics in this way, in modern times there are now several options for how this may be done:

Offer in-person at the Monastery:

If you are local, you may visit Dhammadharini Monastery in person, and offer food for the monastics:

• A single dish for the meal.

• An entire meal for the whole community for that day (contact us to find out how many people are in residence).

• Groceries, which can later be prepared by one of the resident stewards, and offered to the monastics on your behalf.

If you are interested to come to the monastery in person, it's helpful to contact us in advance, to let us know you're coming and be sure there's someone here to greet you. Sunday can be an especially nice day to visit, because you can participate in our Dhamma programs before and after.

Come see us on our Tuesday alms round:

On Tuesday mornings we go on alms round in Petaluma at Trader Joe's and the farmer's market, and you're welcome to meet us there. Learn more here.

Offer groceries for the community for the week:

We have a program where a friend may sign up to offer groceries for the whole community for the week -- by bringing the groceries in person, ordering them to be delivered, or making a financial donation (and our resident stewards will do the shopping). Please contact us if you're interested in learning more, and we'll put you in touch with our Dana Coordinator who manages this program.

Make a financial donation for food

You may make a financial donation specifically for food, and one of our resident stewards will shop and offer on your behalf. This may be a one-time donation, or an ongoing recurring donation.

Offer a gift certificate to a local restaurant

You may choose a restaurant nearby to Dhammadharini Monastery, and offer a gift certificates - and one of our stewards can order and pick up a meal to be offered on your behalf.