Blue Cliff Monastery, Buddhist temple in Pine Bush, New York, United States.
Blue Cliff Monastery is a Buddhist monastery in Pine Bush, Orange County, New York, set among woodlands, ponds, and a creek south of the Catskill Mountains. The property includes meditation halls, housing for the monastic community, and open outdoor areas used for practice.
The monastery was established in 2007 when members of the monastic community moved here from other centers in the northeastern United States. The move reflected a wider effort to grow the presence of this Buddhist lineage in North America.
Blue Cliff Monastery belongs to the tradition taught by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese monk whose teachings spread widely in the West. Visitors join scheduled sessions led by resident monks and nuns, where the practice is open to people of any background.
The grounds are open to visitors, and the buildings are set up to accommodate people with limited mobility. Comfortable clothing and shoes suited for walking outdoors are a good idea, since many activities take place outside.
The monastery regularly holds multi-day retreats that are open to the public, allowing participants to live temporarily alongside the monastic community. This kind of direct access to monastic daily life is uncommon for a Buddhist center in the United States.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
