The Big Bear Meditation Center is located in the scenic pine and juniper forests of the San Bernardino Mountains in southern California, about 5.2 miles from the town center of Big Bear. The meditation center itself is about a 2-1/4 hour drive from Los Angles and Orange counties. It is situated at an elevation of 6700 feet, cool, crisp, and quiet in the summer, and well away from from the heat and bustle of the cities in the valley below.
How BBMC began
The Center was founded by Mr. Than Thai and Mr. Xuan V. Nguyen, who acquired the land and built the facilities from 2003 through 2005. The building has approximately 6,700 sq ft. of living and working space, and is located on 1.4 acres of land. On the completion of construction, the founders initiated small private meditation groups for Samatha and Vipassana meditation. In 2008, the founders applied for, and received a non-profit status, and opened the meditation retreats to the general public. The center has two private small cottages for hosting the sangha teachers, and an additional room for five sangha. For the laypeople, there two shared rooms each from men and women, for a total of four rooms.
Accommodations
BBMC is one main, three stories building. The main building does not have an elevator, only accessible by walking up of stairs. All floors accommodate with mobility limitations.
- The meditation hall and men shared bedrooms are located on the third floor. Each bedroom has bunk beds, mattress and one bathroom attached.
- The entrance, lobby and women shared bedrooms are located on the second floor.
- Each bedroom has bunk beds, mattress and one bathroom attached.
- The dinning room and kitchen are located at the ground floor.
- If travel arrangements permit, please bring your own sheets, pillow case, towels, and blankets or sleeping bags.
- Room temperature is controlled by the thermostat for the entire building. Using an individual electric heater is not permitted
- .Camping is not available.
- Unless there are medical reasons, requests for particular rooms cannot be accommodated. Please contact us in advance regarding appropriate arrangements
Accommodations for Sanga (monk)
Accommodations for Sanga (monk) is a single room cottage with bathroom attached, very limited numbers of cottage are available for monks.
Food and Meals, What we serve
Our kitchen has meal plans that support a meditation environment. We balance the need to provide nutritious vegetarian food for all.
● At breakfast, we serve fruits, oatmeal and an alternative cooked grain.
● The main meal of the day is served at lunchtime. We serve tasty, varied, nutritious vegetarian meals that often include dairy and eggs.
● A lighter dinner can be saved for late afternoon if you have special diet or medical requirement. Please contact us in advance for appropriate arrangements.
● A selection of caffeinated and herbal teas are freely available at all times, as well as milk, soymilk and sweeteners.
All of our meals are served buffet-style, with ingredients listed next to each dish. For those with allergies to gluten and/or dairy, a gluten-free grain and a plain vegetable are available at lunch.
Food allergies and sensitivities
We are aware that some are allergic to certain foods. We label ingredients carefully so that you can monitor what you eat. However, please be aware that our kitchens use ingredients that are allergens to some people – such as peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, gluten and soy – to provide sources of protein in a vegetarian diet. We cannot remove these allergens from our menu to accommodate individual needs. If you have a serious food allergy, please keep this in mind as you decide whether this retreat is suitable for you.