Mettā Forest Monastery

It was founded in 1991 by Ajaan Suwat Suvaco (1919–2002) along with his student Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu.

[4]: 103 Ajaan Ṭhānissaro stresses the importance of strict adherence to the Vinaya or Buddhist monastic code which teaches relying only on donations from the lay community as well as living in the wilderness, a key feature of the Thai Forest Tradition of which he is a part.

[7] There was an increase of temples being built in the 1980s and 1990s, with Mettā Forest being one of fourteen established in California in the 1990s.

[9] These wishes were carried out as the monastery now draws Buddhists from the surrounding California area.

Theravāda Buddhism is practiced in many different ways across the US; congregating in monasteries is just one way to practice Buddhism,[8] and the Mettā Forest Monastery invites laypeople to connect to their religion and community.