Abhayagiri Monastery is the first monastery in the United States to be established by followers of Ajahn Chah, a respected Buddhist master of the ancient Thai Forest Tradition of Theravada Buddhism.

The origin of the monastery can be traced to visits to Northern California in the early 1980s by Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Chah's senior Western disciple. Over the next ten years, Ajahn Sumedho developed a devoted following of students. In 1988 they formed the Sanghapala Foundation with the mission of creating a branch monastery of Ajahn Chah's lineage. In 1990 Ajahn Amaro accompanied Ajahn Sumedho to California and thereafter became the central teacher for the California students.

Efforts to establish the California monastery moved slowly until 1995. As Ven. Master Hsüan Hua, abbot of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, located in Ukiah, California, approached his death, he instructed his disciples to deed over to Ajahn Chah's disciples 120 acres of forest in Redwood Valley, fifteen miles north of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. On several occasions Master Hua had made a point of stating that it had been the dream of his life to bring the northern and southern traditions of Buddhism back together again. His offering was one of openhearted, ecumenical friendship. It enabled the communities to be physically close and to relate in an atmosphere of mutual respect and harmony.

In choosing a name for the monastery it seemed appropriate to reflect on the kindness of this offering and the spirit in which it was intended. It also felt important to use a name in the Pali language to confirm the sense of allegiance to the Theravada tradition. The name that was finally settled upon, "Abhayagiri," means "Fearless Mountain." The original Abhayagiri Monastery was in ancient Sri Lanka at Anurādhapura. That monastery was most notable for welcoming practitioners and teachers from many different Buddhist traditions. They lived there amicably alongside one another, distinct in their particular practices but not separate as communities. During the fourth century Abhayagiri housed 5,000 monks.

Ordination ceremony of Nyaniko Bhikkhu

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Ordination ceremony

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A day in the life: A monk on Fearless Mountain

Tony Anthony,
The Ukiah Daily Journal, July 27, 2004

Ukiah, Calif. (USA) -- Ajahn Pasanno appears out of the woods, walks up a few steps and plunks himself down in a comfortable wicker chair on the front porch of Abhayagiri "Fearless Mountain" Monastery in Redwood Valley.

The day is coming to a close and the peace and the quiet of the place is what is noticeable. The only noise is the distant sound of a lawnmower, which almost seems to come from some other world, a world different from this one. Ajahn, means teacher and is used in place of a first name for the abbot of the monastery. Pasanno means "one having faith and joy," the name his teacher bestowed on him when he was still a novice.

It is difficult to imagine Ajahn as a young man in a secular sense, now that he is of middle age, with a shaved head and clothed in a simple mustard-colored robe. It seems he was always this person he is now. But Ajahn's journey began in the 1970s as a young man when he left his home in Manitoba, Canada after finishing his university studies to travel the far reaches of the world. He rambled through Europe, Afghanistan and India, not seeking to become a Buddhist monk but visiting various holy places along the way.

It wasn't until he arrived in the north of Thailand that he began to feel a sense of belonging. In order to learn more about Buddhism, he attended some classes at a monastery called Wat Nong Bah north of Chiang Mai. "I was just passing through, but the Thai society seemed to have a whole different value system. I felt at home," he said.

After a month-long stay, the Abbot of the monastery suggested the young man consider ordination with an initial goal of remaining three or four months. Although he was not yet sure what he was getting into, he was willing to give it a try. He took on the robes of a forest dwelling monk thinking it would be only for a short time that was the beginning of the life he still lives now, more than 30 years later.

"You are not required to make a life-long commitment," Ajahn says, "It just happened."

The monk says he didn't have any intuition that he would lead a monastic life.

"When I began it was to learn how to meditate." But, he says, "at one point, it didn't seem possible to go back."

Thus the young monk began a practice where monks wear plain robes and shave their heads in an effort to let go of their own personal preferences.

"Doing this, is about simplification," Ajahn says. "We renounce the world because of the peace that comes from it. The quality of peace we can access and dwell in is deeply satisfying.

"I encourage people that peace and well-being are a possibility for your life - to explore that for your life. I encourage people to use the tools of a virtuous life."

An Abhayagiri pamphlet lists the "The Eight Precepts" for leading such a life: 1. Harmlessness: not intentionally taking the life of any living creature. 2. Trustworthiness: not taking anything which is not given. 3. Celibacy: refraining from any sexual activity. 4. Right Speech: avoiding false, abusive or malicious speech. 5. Sobriety: not taking any intoxicating drink or drugs. 6. Renunciation: not eating after mid-day. 7. Restraint: Not seeking entertainment, playing radios or musical instruments. Dressing in a modest, unadorned way that does not attract attention. 8. Alertness: refraining from over-indulgence in sleep.

Choosing to live amidst the beauty that surrounds Fearless Mountain may not seem to be renouncing the world at all, but Ajahn Pasanno says, "we even try to renounce the beauty. Most people try to get more of everything. Then when they get more they feel a loss when they lose it and don't have it anymore. Then they lament the separation.

"A monk gets to the place of stillness. It is not rejecting anything - it's another aspect of life that most people don't pay attention to."

A gift of land

There are eight monks who live at Abhayagiri, plus one novice and one postulate in training, all living on 250 acres of almost untouched forest land, originally a gift from the late abbot of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in Ukiah - Master Hsuan Hua. Master Hua dreamed of bringing the Northern and Southern Traditions of Buddhism together again where they could relate in an atmosphere of mutual respect and harmony.

The monastery was founded by two teachers, Ajahn Sumedho, and Ajahn Amaro after they developed a devoted following in Northern California in the1980s. The original Abhayagiri was in ancient Sri Lanka at Anuradhapura and although it follows the Theravada branch of Buddhism, the monastery was known for accepting both teachers and practitioners from many different Buddhist traditions.

"The monastery currently has more people who want to come here and be monks than the facility can handle," Ajahn says.

A monk named Sudanto, meaning "one who trains himself well" calls Abhayagiri, "a zone of peace people can use as a community resource." He explains the monastery's connection with the community as, "an interrelationship that keeps us (the monks) relevant, as a peaceful presence - people with deep knowledge and experience of the Buddhist teachings of peace and wholeness."

A day in the life of a monk

The day on Fearless Mountain begins at 4 a.m. Then from 5-6 a.m. they begin their spiritual practice with meditation and chanting. These reflections set a tone of the mind during the day. 6:30-7 a.m. there are some general chores, cleaning up and a light breakfast. At 7:30 a.m. the monks meet to delegate chores - maintenance, cooking, office tasks and the job of maintaining the miles of trails which circle through the forests. After chores, the monks have their main meal from 10:30-11 a.m.

When it comes to food, the forest dwelling monks are alms mendicants. Not allowed to plant or pick their own food, they rely on gifts. The monks can be seen on Fridays walking through the center of town collecting gifts of food.

"This creates interdependence with the lay community. We don't want to be completely cut off,"Ajahn said.

He explains this synergistic relationship. "People from the community come to the monastery to gain more simplicity, more well being. We give the opportunity for people to have the way of living, which is more peaceful, more fulfilling. Sharing our life is sort of the by-product. If one's goal is to teach, it can be distorted. Refocus on the quality of our lives and that becomes an example to others."

Ajahn is suddenly explaining some of the core elements of a monastic life. "The more the I' can get out of the way, the more peaceful things become. The monks spend the remainder of the daylight hours in their cabins where they do various forms of meditation - both traditional sitting, and walking. Ajahn explains: "Outside each cabin is a level 50-foot path where the monks develop sustaining attention on the walking - recognition of words and mental states. "

At 5:30 in the afternoon the community gathers once again for tea. This is the time for guidance by the teacher. Help also comes from the community at large - mental support from other monks. Even monks learn from each other's foibles. Asked if monks maintain personality traits like senses of humor, Ajahn says that even ascetic monks remain individuals and some are known for their enlightened sense of humor.

At 6:30 p.m. there is a reading where monks can ask questions, then from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., evening chanting and meditation.

Many questions, of course, will arise even in those experiencing blissful states of mind. Ajahn explains, "of course there is a longing to repeat that experience. We don't want to be dependent on anything. The enlightened are not dependent on anything for their happiness. Although,"he is quick to add, "there is a quality of compassion. But we strive for separation from attachments that create entanglements. We are conditioned to think we need certain things for our well-being."

Too much eating or sleeping creates complications in life. Ajahn laughs as he mentions just how much of everything people seem to need to be happy. And then, he asks, are they ever really happy?

As the sun is ready to drop behind the mountains to the west, Ajahn Pasanno is eager to show a "walking meditation." High up on the mountainside at the end of a path curving between the manzanita trees, is a small cabin where the monk spends most of his time in meditation. Beside the cabin is a 50-foot dirt path where he thoughtfully, mindfully walks with his eyes sometimes closed, sometimes open.

A gift from Thailand

During one evening recently, the Abhayagiri Monastery held a ceremony for the installation of a statue of the Buddha, a gift from a Thai donor. After the sun had set and the moon had risen, a delegation of monks - both resident and visiting but of the same forest tradition - sat on a wooden platform amongst the trees, chanting at the base of the statue. The scene was magical, with a hundred or more devotees from all parts of the country in attendance.

As the mountaintop had grown colder as the night grew later, the visiting abbot Ajahn Liam spoke in his native Pali, translated by Ajahn Pasanno for the western guests in attendance. "We might feel it is a bit cold - but nature is just being natural, natural to the climate and the season. It is just liking it or not liking it." He went on to say, "Nobody wants to suffer, to experience discomfort."

The moon was half full, sitting in the sky above the mountaintop, giving a golden glow to the resplendent life-size statue of a sitting Buddha. The breeze rushed through the trees making a sound much like ocean waves breaking on a shore. The monk's point was that nature is always in the business of just being nature and it is up to humans not to be disturbed by the world around them. Then, only then, when we accept the world for what it truly is, are we able to see ourselves as we truly are - perfect, divine, awakened individuals - happy to be who we are.

-ooOoo-

Source: Buddhist News Network, http://www.buddhistnews.tv , 28-July-2004

Thirty Years as a Western Buddhist Monk
An Interview With Ajahn Pasanno - by Fearless Mountain Magazine

***

Fearless Mountain: What was your early religious experience?

Ajahn Pasanno: I was raised in northern Manitoba, 600 miles north of the U.S. border. My religion was Anglican, which is Episcopalian in the U.S. I had a good experience growing up as a Christian. It was a small town and a small church. My family was reasonably devout. My father had grown up in the United Church, and we took religious classes together. But by the time I was 16 or 17, I found it difficult to maintain any kind of faith. I stopped going to church and taking communion. I started to look for alternatives.

FM: Did you ever think you would become a monk?

AP: I certainly didn't spend my years growing up dreaming of becoming a monk. However, I definitely had an attraction to religion, and the mystique of hermits interested me. But there were no Buddhists in northern Manitoba, or even in Winnipeg, where I attended university. However, I did take an Eastern religions class, which covered Buddhism. This reading motivated me to continue the search.

When I finished university, I had a vague idea to study Buddhism some more. I was looking for a way to learn to meditate since I knew from my reading that meditation was essential if I was to continue.

I had read mostly Zen books because that was what was available in Canada at that time. Because of this, I had a vague idea to go to Japan. I left Canada in 1972 with a one-way plane ticket to Europe.My plan was to travel overland to Asia, then go down to Australia to work and make money, and then go to Japan. I wanted to get my fill of the world before meditating in Japan.

I travelled from Europe, through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, to India and Nepal. In India, I kept my antennae out, yet nothing resonated there or in Nepal. A year after I began my travels, I arrived in Thailand. I felt totally comfortable and decided to stay for a while. I wanted to find a place to meditate. The second day I was there, I bought a dictionary and Thai grammar instruction book.

It was hot in Bangkok and cooler in the north, so I traveled up to Chiang Mai and stumbled across a monastery which had the Tripitika in English. I stayed at a hotel and went to the monastery to read the Tripitika every day. It happened to be a meditation monastery. There was a German novice who helped arrange a meditation retreat for me. It was a month-long silent retreat, the first meditation I ever did.

FM: You really jumped into it!

AP: That really opened me up. I had some powerful experiences of calm and concentration and insight, which made me want to continue to study and practice vipassana. The monks encouraged me to be ordained. I said, "No, I have traveling to do; I'm not ready to make a long-term commitment." They explained how ordinary it is to do a three-month temporary ordination in Thailand. I thought I could handle three or four months, so I was ordained.

It was there that I first heard of Ajahn Chah. One of the other monks encouraged me to visit and pay my respects to Ajahn Chah. I had only been ordained for a month or two before I was given permission to visit Ajahn Chah. I traveled up to Wat Pah Pong to pay my respects to Ajahn Chah and was very smitten. One of the first things he said was that if I wanted to train with him, I would have to stay for five years. That was difficult. I wasn't ready to make such a commitment. I stayed for about a month and then took leave to go to another monastery, Wat Sai Ngam, where I had an opportunity to do a lot of formal practice. I continued to have many good experiences in meditation. What kept coming up was: "If I am really going to do this, then I have to go back and give myself to Ajahn Chah. Five years is five years. Don't think about it."

I wrote, and Ajahn Sumedho responded and said I was welcome to come for the Rains Retreat. However, my teacher invited me to spend the Rains Retreat with him instead, and then he took me to Ajahn Chah himself after the Rains. That delay was quite good. I had been all fired up to go back to Ajahn Chah, and then there was an obstacle. I used it to let go of preferences. I also settled in to a lot of formal practice and learned the Thai language, which came in handy up in understanding the Laotian dialect they speak up in Ubon.

FM: What happened then?

AP: When you have been ordained somewhere else, you are taken on as a guest monk. Then you observe the practices and decide if you want to make a commitment to stay. The senior monks keep an eye on you, too. After two to three months of waiting, I was accepted. If any of your monastic requisites were not properly acquired, say if you bought something with money, then it had to be relinquished.

This happens because most monks use money. Even if you had a robe offered but you had been washing or dying it with detergent or dye that you bought yourself, then Ajahn Chah would require you to change it.

There is an excitement to get these new requisites. The robes have been sewn at the monastery. The dye is monastery dye. The robes are real forest monk robes. The bowls are usually bigger because in the forest you carry requisites in them when you are traveling. If it's raining, you can at least keep some of your robes dry. Also, because forest monks eat from their bowls, the bowl tends to be bigger. These bowls are special, and one looks forward to receiving them.

FM: It sounds deeply traditional.

AP: Yes, that was the feeling of going to Wat Pah Pong: It feels as if the tradition has been passed on since the Buddha's time. There is an antiquity, integrity and simplicity that was so palpable. What struck me was the peace. Things were well taken care of.

The diligence of the monks and novices and the commitment of the laypeople were obvious. In such a poor area as Northeast Thailand, the laypeople were out every morning sharing their offerings with the Sangha. On the observance days there were lots and lots of laypeople listening to Dhamma, meditating and chanting. You felt the sense of a living tradition.

FM: I've heard that the laypeople stay up all night meditating.

AP: Yes, they stay up the whole night, once a week on observance nights. For myself, just arriving, it was difficult to sit still for even an hour. You were not sitting still on a zabuton and zafu with a few foam props. You had a one-layer sitting cloth on a concrete floor. Some of the people would sit for two to three hours and then do some walking meditation, and then sit for a few more hours till dawn. Close to dawn you would do chanting. It was awe-inspiring. It also felt so healthy, the interaction between the monastic community and the lay community. There would be people coming to make offerings, ask questions or pay respects to Ajahn Chah. Laypeople would also help out at the monastery. They had a real sense of the monastery being a focus for community.

FM: When did you become abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat?

AP: It was in my ninth year as a monk. I hadn't really planned on it. I had been at a branch monastery that had about a thousand acres of beautiful forest, surrounded on three sides by a reservoir, and I hoped to stay on for a long time. But one of the monks came with a message from Ajahn Chah asking me to return to Wat Pah Nanachat to start to learn the ropes of being an abbot. Because Ajahn Chah asked me to do it, I did it.

FM: He saw some qualities in you that you had perhaps not seen in yourself?

AP: I found I had to rely on what he saw in me rather than what I saw in myself. It was pretty miserable to have to be in that position, to be perfectly honest. There was obviously a sense of excitement and willingness to take it on because I had been asked to, but it certainly wasn't easy. It was difficult being in a position of leadership and having more responsibilities, mostly just dealing with people much more. Among the great sufferings in the universe, dealing with people is at the top of the list! From my perspective, I didn't have a choice. I had to make it work somehow. I had to learn from it.

FM: Has your practice changed much over the years?

AP: One of the meditation practices I have done from day one, and still do, is mindfulness of breathing. I have experimented with a variety of methods, but mindfulness of breathing is my home base. Of course, it has been refined and become a lot clearer in how to use it skillfully. The Buddha's teachings have a certain simplicity, and the profundity begins to shine out of that.

Other ways it's really changed is that there is a whole lot more ease than when I started. At the start there were a lot of good intentions and effort, but it was not so easeful. I enjoy the practice more now than when I began. It has so much more clarity and contentment.

FM: How is it to be co-abbot here?

AP: It's helpful to share responsibilities and to have somebody to consult with. Furthermore, there is not just one person at the top of the line who is the single role model. Ajahn Amaro and I have different temperaments and provide different models of how to be as a person. It's also helpful to see that there are different ways to practice. It gives people the opportunity to breathe a bit easier and figure out for themselves what is going to work for them rather than just emulating the ajahn.

I've tried to keep my focus at Abhayagiri on spending most of my time at the monastery. I want to be available for the training of the monastics, for people who want to take on monastic training, and for people who want to come to the monastery to practice here.

FM: Is the monastic training here different than in Thailand?

AP: There are definitely differences.

In Thailand, it is a more autocratic model. That's just how it works. In America there is an expectation of being involved and consulted in decision making.

Also, the tendency of American society is toward so much busyness.

We have to be very conscious not to let the monastery get swamped with that same kind of hyper-organization, where everything has to be scheduled and there is very little free time. It's easy for that attitude to drift over into the monastery.

FM: I have heard that in Asia people like themselves more and don't seem to have as much self-hatred as Americans do. Would you say this is true?

AP: I don't think it's that people like themselves more. They are just not so confused about themselves, and there is a higher degree of acceptance of themselves. There is not the same kind of complicated analyzing, proliferating and assessing that goes on in Western minds, particularly Americans!

FM: How is the emphasis of practice different in the West?

AP: I tend to steer people in the direction of what is conducive to harmony. I ask them to be really clear on their virtue, precepts and generosity. People are so wrapped up in themselves, so up in their heads that they don't recognize the value of fundamental qualities like generosity and kindness. Generosity is not just material but includes generosity of time and service and giving of themselves. It gives a lot more confidence.

There is a mystique that says: if I figure myself out, then I will be all right. But there is no end to that. People are so distant from themselves. This is why I also emphasize mindfulness of the body. It's not immediately apparent how important it is to be centered and focused in the body. However, it cuts through the mind's obsession with itself, its comparing and evaluating. The constant asking of what is the most advantageous thing for me. It goes on and on, this spinning out. Just coming back and being attentive to the body is the antidote. It might be the breath or the sensations in the body, the posture or the elements. The important thing is to be anchored in the body.

*** *** ***

July 26, 1949 - Born Reed Perry.

1949 to 1968 - Grew up and went to school in The Pas, Manitoba, Canada.

1968 to 1972 - Studied at University of Winnepeg, Canada, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (History).

1973 - Travelled to Asia.

January 4, 1974 - Ordained as a Buddhist Monk at Wat Pleng Vipassana in Bangkok, Thailand, at the age of 24.

1974 to 1978 - Trained under Venerable Ajahn Chah at Wat Pah Pong Monastery, Ubolrachatani Province, Thailand, and at Wat Pah Nanachat.

1979 - Spent a year on retreat and pilgrimage in Thailand.

1981 - Returned to Wat Pah Pong to continue training with Ajahn Chah.

1982 - Appointed abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat, taking on responsibility for teaching, leading ceremonies, building, and administration.

1987 - Initiated development projects in the villiage of Bung Wai, the nearest village to the monastery. The village won first prize in the region for their efforts.

1989 - Established Poo Jom Gom Monastery in Ubolrachatani Province as a forest retreat facility for Wat Pah Nanachat.

1990 - Established Dtao Dum Monastery in Kanchanaburi Province as a forest retreat facility for Wat Pah Nanachat.

1992 - Assisted in organizing the state funeral of Ajahn Chah. The preparations took one year and the event was attended by the King and Queen of Thailand, the Prime Minister, and various dignitaries, with close to 10,000 monastics and 400,000 laypeople.

1994 - Established Nature Care Foundation in Ubolrachatani to assist in the protection of the forest near the Poo Jom Gom Monastery.

1996 - Linked the Nature Care Foundation to Dtao Dum Monastery to protect the forest in that region as well.

1997 - Arrived at Abhayagiri Monastery on January 1 to take up duties as co-abbot.

1998 - Appointed as an upajjhaya and ordained the first "home-grown" bhikkhu at Abhayagiri, the Venerable Karunadhammo.

Ông hy vọng thực tập đời sống trong đức tin, sự sinh tồn trên giảm thiểu và thể hiện sự hoà thuận trong mỗi cá nhân.

Jotipalo, người đã là Phật tử 12 năm và trở thành tu sĩ 5 năm, đã coi Tu Viện abhayagiri Buđdhist Monastery tại thung lũng Redwơod, California như là Tu Viện nhà của ông ta. Tu Viện là chi nhánh với phái Lâm Tăng Thái Lan và truyền thống Theravada. Trong truyền thống, nó bình thường cho những vị Tăng và Ni đi hành hương. Ông ta nói như thế.

Vị Tu sĩ nói rằng : "Đi bộ là tiếp tục một sự thực tập với tầm quan trọng trong cuộc sống dễ dàng, thiền định và tùy thuộc trên sự tử tế và sự rộng lượng của những người mong muốn trông thấy chúng tôi thành công."

Jotipal, 39 tuổi, năm 1984 ông tốt nghiệp trung học Crawfordsville và năm 1988 ông tốt nghiệp đại học Wabash College, là nơi ông học về hội hoạ và khoa cổ điển. Ông dọn tới New York làm việc như một người hoạ sĩ, nhưng bắt đầu làm việc lại là người bán hàng cho Norcote Interational.

Cuộc hành hương của vị tu sĩ này bắt đầu sau một lần súyt chết trong một lần tại núi Hi Mã Lạp Sơn tại

Nepal

. Trong ba ngày ông đã bịnh rất nặng và đã trải qua không biết thân thể ông ra sao, đó là ly' do làm cho ông nhận ra rằng sự hiện hữu của thân tứ đại thật sự không quan trọng.

Ông bắt đầu tập yoga và thiền định, dần dần ông tìm hiểu thêm về đạo Phật. Ông cũng đọc về một người đàn bà đi hành hương cho hoà bình, người từ năm 1953 tới năm 1981 đi bộ trên 25,000 miles, đã chia sẻ nội tâm và thế giới hoà bình.

"Nó thật sự đã thổi tôi đi thật xa" Ty` Khưu Jotipalo nói "Nó đã là một sự thức tỉnh tinh thần của cá nhân an lạc có thể ảnh hưởng tới cộng đồng và lan rộng tới thế giới hoà bình."

Tỳ Khưu Jotipalo thì không chắc chắn cái gì sẽ xảy ra trong lộ trình 1,800 dọc theo quốc lộ 61.

Mặc dù ông có một vài vật thuộc quyền sở hữu, ông sẽ mang theo ba bộ casa, một túi trong đó có một cái dù có và một tấm bạt dài rộng 10 square . Ông ta không được giữ tiền, Stewart sẽ mua thực phẩm trong suốt thời gian hành trình. Họ hy vọng sẽ đi qua những con đường tại các thị trấn nhỏ dọc theo bờ sông, làm sao cho có thăng bằng trong sự tiếp xúc với công chúng và sự cô đọng trong thiền định

Hai người dự trù đi bộ khoảng 20 miles một ngày, bắt đầu từ New Orleans đi xuyên qua Mimphis, Tennessee, St. Louis, Missouri, Dubuque, Iowa, Minneapolis, Minnesota, và cuối cùng tại Arrow River Forest Hermitage tại Thunder BAy, Ontario vào ngày 20 tháng 8.