Samding Dorje Phagmo Sravasti Abbey, the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery for Western nuns and monks in the U.S., was established in Washington State by Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron in 2003.

Thubten Chodron had suggested the name as Sravasti was the place in India where the Buddha spent 25 rains retreat (varsa in Sanskrit and yarne in Tibetan), and communities of both nuns and monks had resided there.

Its founder, Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, is an American who received novice ordination in 1977 by Kyabje Yongdzin Ling Rinpoche, the Dalai Lama's senior tutor and became fully ordained in 1986.

[4] Chodron was first introduced to Buddhism after seeing an advertisement and attending an event regarding Buddhist talks and retreats while pursuing her graduate studies in Los Angeles.

[4] On her spiritual journey, she found answers to her existential questions in Buddhism and after being ordained she sought to help others on their path to enlightenment as well through her teachings in the region.

[4] At the same time, the Abbey cultivates the traditional Buddhist values of non-harming, mindfulness, compassion, inter-relatedness, respect for nature and service to all sentient beings.

The Abbey is notable because it is home to a growing group of fully ordained bhikshunis (Buddhist nuns) practicing Buddhism in the Tibetan tradition.

Before this date, Thubten Chodron, while following the teachings of her Tibetan teachers, arranged for her female students to seek full ordination as bhikshunis in Taiwan.

[9] Guests are welcome to visit the monastery and experience daily monastic life, which includes learning, meditation, tending to the gardens and the surrounding forests.

[4] On October 2, 2006, Jan Howell became the first person to ordain at Sravasti Abbey, taking her sramanerika (novice) and sikasamana (probationary) ordinations with Thubten Chodron as her preceptor in 2006.

[10][11][12] Also in 2006, the Abbey launched its first annual week-long Young Adult Retreat in order to bring Buddhist solutions to situations facing today's youth.

There is another period of offering service in the afternoon (2-4:30), followed by a short, informal ‘medicine meal’ at 6:00 p.m. Evening practice begins at 7:00 pm and lasts an hour and a half.

Each module is a 12-week set of teachings that help students to deepen their spiritual practice through Buddhist study and meditation, and strengthen their connection with Thubten Chodron and Sravasti Abbey.

Videos and commentaries by her teachers are also included: the Dalai Lama, Khensur Jampa Tegchok, Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche, Geshe Sonam Rinchen, and others.