Heading to the International Dhamma Heritage at Wat Suan Mokkh

The International Dhamma Heritage at Wat Suan Mokkh is probably the most well-known meditation retreat center I will be including in my research, is the oldest center of its kind in Thailand. This is a beginner’s retreat based on the mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati) taught by the founder of Wat Suan Mokkh, Buddhadasa Bhikkhu. This is the second group retreat I will be attending. I will be looking at the ways Buddhadasa Bhikkhu’s teachings are implemented, and as always, how meditation and the tradition of Buddhism are presented to English-speakers. This is also my last 10-day retreat and my last major site. Wat Suan Mokkh and the other five retreats I have attended represent the most well-known, most accommodating, and longest running centers for English-speakers in Thailand. After this I will be revisiting some of these sites and also attending less significant retreats for shorter periods of time.

Meditation Techniques of the Masters: Steve and Rosemary Weissman

Steve and Rosemary Weissman are in a unique position teaching in an international meditation center connected with a Buddhist monastery as a lay married couple. They have meditated with many teachers, both Thai and Western, and have developed their own emphases and methods of meditation throughout their many years teaching 10-day retreats at Wat Kow Tahm. This information about their techniques is taken from my experience in their new students retreat, and my reading of their book . . .with Compassionate Understanding as well as Steve’s publication with the Buddhist Publication Society Wise Reflection: The Importance of Yoniso Manasikara in Meditation.

. . . with Compassionate Understanding contains the standardized version of all of the retreat talks for the 10 days of the beginners retreat. Thus one can read before a retreat to know what the teachings are like or afterwards to review. The basic purpose and teachings of the retreat are summed up thus: “These retreats have been designed as a basic introduction to many of the methods found within Theravadin Buddhist teachings for training the mind in order to find deep Inner Peace and Wisdom. The emphasis of the retreats is the development of beneficial qualities… and the lessening of unbeneficial qualities . . . ” (xi). Talk topics include meditation instructions, teachings on the 5 hindrances, 4 foundations of mindfulness, how to deal with meditation pain, right effort, mindfulness activities, and guided reflection meditations on loving-kindness, sympathetic joy and other topics.

The three components of the skills developed on the retreat are concentration, mindfulness, and wisdom and compassionate understanding. Rosemary and Steve stress that the wisdom and compassion are the most important of these three. They write: “We have never stated that the object of this overall practice is to stay concentrated on something like the breathing. Nor have we ever stated that we can judge our Meditation/Mental Development abilities on how long we stay concentrated on the breath. Developing strong concentration has its benefits, but what we have been stressing throughout this retreat is the developing of Compassionate Understanding and Wisdom. Then using this Compassionate Understanding and Wisdom to lessen unbeneficial qualities and to strengthen beneficial qualities, in order to lessen our difficulties and problems, and to increase our Peace and Happiness” (262).

Thus Rosemary and Steve focus on not just teaching formal sitting meditation but emphasize bringing meditation into daily life so that all of life is meditation. Walking and standing meditation are taught to help integrate into life outside of retreat conditions, as one uses a broader awareness than sitting meditation. Mindfulness activities like washing dishes, going in and out of doorways, putting on and taking off one’s shoes, tasting food, and others also emphasize mindfulness in everyday life.

The teachers also bring up an important topic of staying open and letting go of resistance. Meditators in these retreats are encouraged to leave their views and opinions behind at the start of the retreat and be willing to practice all of the methods Steve and Rosemary teach. They have found that those who have a lot of book knowledge about Buddhism or meditation are often not open to the techniques but instead question their teachings and possibly think that the way they have learned to practice from books is better. Another type of meditator Steve and Rosemary have encountered develops an aversion to the retreat schedule and teachings and thinks he could change it for the better. In the talk on this topic it is reminded that one is here not to change Wat Kow Tahm but to be changed by one’s experiences here. So the advice is to submit to Steve and Rosemary’s methods for the 10 days, and afterwards reflect on what is beneficial and what is not. Rosemary and Steve see their teachings as a whole so that one should try to practice each one of the techniques in order for one to see an increase in peace and contentment. They consider each technique to be a tool for one’s life

. . . with Compassionate Understanding introduces the retreatant to this reflective kind of meditation which may be new for many meditators. But Steve fleshes this out further in his small book called Yoniso Manasikara, published by the Buddhist Publication Society. Here he argues that many suttas actually emphasize reflecting wisely. Throughout the book he dispels myths such as ‘thinking is not meditating’ and ‘concentration meditation will automatically lead to wisdom.’ These myths, Steve believes, are widespread and he has written this book in order to show that wise reflection can be an important part of one’s meditation practice. He finds that reflecting wisely is not only recommended by the Buddha but that it leads to making wiser choices in one’s life, and that this is the way to wisdom. He writes that wise reflection helps to “integrate the concentration and mindfulness developed during formal meditation into everyday life, and develop right view and right intention” (23). This helps meditators who can develop these skills in retreat but have difficulty applying them to normal life (23). Recommended topics for reflection are food reflection, reflecting on how fortunate one is, death and impermanence, the suffering of life, the consequences of one’s choices (kamma), and the relationship between compassion and equanimity.

These teachings are directed to a particular audience of Western meditators, since the majority of their participants come from the West. They discuss the ‘conditioning’ of people in the West and tailor their instructions to try to balance some of this. The most significant teaching on this topic is the perceived Western world’s focus on achievement. Rosemary and Steve write: “In the Western world, great value is placed on achievement. From when we were small children, we often were conditioned to believe that if we achieve this or that, are successful and show this in material acquisition, name, fame, status according to the values of our society, then we are valuable, useful, worthy human beings” (160). Thus Westerners often feel they are unworthy or lacking if they do not achieve the goals they’ve set. Steve and Rosemary teach to let go of these ideals and develop compassionate understanding for oneself. They also find another common occurrence in the West is “the feeling of futility, of working and wondering what is the purpose of it all” (170). Steve and Rosemary remind the meditators that if we are mindful then we are working to purify our minds, and this is never futile.

Thus Steve and Rosemary have developed a number of unique meditation methods and instructions for an English-speaking audience. They have continually refined their presentation and development of their techniques over the many years of teaching in this 10-day retreat format. Their students progress by adding new techniques and learning new ways of reflecting wisely, unlike other meditation centers where one continues by sitting or walking for longer periods of time or adding more aspects of the breath to concentrate on. They focus on integration of each of their techniques into daily life so that one can benefit from the meditation even outside of retreat conditions.

Meditation Retreat Rundown: Wat Kow Tahm

I recently did a meditation retreat at Wat Kow Tahm meditation center on Koh Phangan island. It’s very interesting how this haven of peace exists on such a tourist island. About twenty years ago the first bungalows were built on the island in order to welcome the foreign tourists. Since that time some of the islanders have adjusted their lifestyles to grow with the industry. Koh Phagnan has also grown into a backpackers’ destination, being known as the ‘budget’ island. With all these young backpackers the island also developed a reputation for partying. It began with full-moon parties once a month and now has grown to half-moon parties and even Shiva moon parties so that the partying seems almost continuous. But some of these travelers are not as interested in partying as they are in mental development.

In these early years many tourists would take the hike from Baan Thai Beach up the hill to the temple called Wat Kow Tahm and ask the head nun there, Mae Chii Ahmon, how they could learn meditation. She discovered a way to share the practice of meditation in the forms of two experienced meditators who happened to find their way to this monastery also. Steve and Rosemary Weissman arrived in 1987 where they were soon asked to lead retreats and they have continued to do so for over twenty years.

The implications of tourism on Koh Phagnan are thus present at Wat Kow Tahm. It has provided the impetus to create this center by supplying the participants, but this is a particular group of meditators. They are used to bungalows, partying, and traveling, but not necessarily living in a wat. But after over 20 years of running these retreats, the teachers at Wat Kow Tahm know their audience well and have many words of advice in the forms of notices that must be read before attending the retreat. “This is not a bungalow” and “You must be willing to work hard” are signs seen on the notice boards. The teachers have seen many situations and thus offer precautions; it seems every possible scenario has been thought of beforehand. Steve Weissman likens the creation of the many rules for this center to the creation of the monastic rules by the Buddha: as situations arose, more rules were added. The center is not mostly supported by Thai Buddhists as is the case with many meditation centers that have both Thai and foreign participants. Meditators here thus have to pay for their food in advance and donations cover the other expenses.

Thus here the center was established based on location rather than teachers within a particular Thai lineage. This is a very unique situation for Buddhism in Thailand. Most of the Westerners teaching meditation in Thailand that I have come in contact with are affiliated with a Thai meditation master and lineage. Although Rosemary and Steve have studied with many Thai teachers as well as Westerners, they do not connect their teachings with any one lineage. Other Western meditation teachers thus carry on a Thai lineage but adapt it for English-speakers and bring this particular lineage to other countries. Steve and Rosemary thus represent a possible future for the transmission of the Dhamma; one which has no lineage but that begins anew with Westerners, with methods developed and adapted from their many years of teaching retreats.

When one arrives at Wat Kow Tahm on registration day, the day before the retreat begins, one already knows that this will be a very well-organized retreat. Assistants are on hand to offer applications and answer questions, retreatants are all diligently reading the many notices, rules, and regulations required before going to formally register with either Steve or Rosemary. After paying the 5000 baht fee that covers food and maintenance related expenses, the retreatant goes to pick up her pillow, blanket, sitting/sleeping mat, and mosquito net from another assistant. This assistant orients each retreatant to find her room and bathroom and answers any questions.

On the first day of the retreat there is an afternoon talk about living conditions of the wat. This talk reiterates many of the rules and notices on the boards in the registration area. After this one is given time to purchase any items forgotten, make any last phone calls before going into silence that night, and lock away any valuables. One also learns about his or her chore for the retreat. Each morning there is a mindful activity time that is used for helping to clean the center. The high-level of organization continues as one receives a paper describing the chore they chose in detail so there is no confusion. As the light dinner of fruit salad approaches, retreatants notice that their names are posted next to sets of dishes in front of the dining hall so that each person uses the same ones each day. Silence begins after dinner as one steps into the meditation hall for the first meditation instructions. Because there is no talking, the teachers and assistants make use of notes to communicate with retreatants. There is a notes board inside the meditation hall supplied with pen, paper, and clips to post one’s questions about meditation or their living conditions. Throughout the retreat there are new notices posted daily on the information boards reviewing teachings already given, informing of the interview schedule, and any changes in the schedule.

Since Steve and Rosemary had done a variety of 10-day retreats and Mae Chii Ahmon encouraged them to conduct retreats for the foreign visitors, the Weissmans began using the same model. They started with a standard model they had learned from other centers. Over time Rosemary and Steve adapted this standard format with particular teachings and techniques that they developed. They found what worked for their students and through the many interviews and Q & A sessions over the years have come to know the appropriate time to introduce each topic over the course of the 10 days.

Each day of the retreat is filled with sitting, walking, and standing meditation periods, meditation exercises, mindful chores, mindfulness activities, teachings and talks by Steve and/or Rosemary, three vegetarian meals and post-meal breaks. There are also three interviews each retreatant experiences, which is the only opportunity to speak during the retreat. As well the retreat is interspersed with guided meditations in order to learn how to practice loving-kindness meditation, as well as meditation on sympathetic joy and wise-reflection meditation.

The description above pertains to the basic new students 10-day retreat, which I attended. However, Steve and Rosemary have also developed retreats with different topics for a group they call “old” students. These focus more on Buddhist teachings such as wise reflection broadly and the 10 paramis (perfections) specifically. These retreats not only differ in content but also in the attitude towards Buddhism. In the beginner retreats, Buddhist teachings related to meditation such as the 5 Hindrances, and the 4 Foundations of Mindfulness are explained. But as one becomes a student of Rosemary and Steve for longer periods of time there are opportunities to learn more about the suttas as well as devotional aspects of the tradition. Within the new students retreat there were also old students who were staying on for another 9 days after the beginners left. Before and after each meditation period, new students could identify these older ones by their slow, concentrated bowing toward the Buddha statue in the meditation hall. And those who become assistants, helping out with the physical maintenance and running of the retreat, go even deeper in learning about the tradition of Buddhism. They are encouraged to memorize the entirety of twenty suttas Steve has identified as most significant. The assistants also learn to chant in Pali and English and students can learn this as well from tapes recordings available for sale.

There is a minimal amount of information about devotional aspects of Thai Buddhism for new students because the teachers don’t want to confuse those beginning meditation. From the outset, Rosemary and Steve did not want students to wear white or keep the 8 precepts because they didn’t want to push religion. If students feel that religion is being pushed down their throats, this can turn people off to the whole practice and harm people’s interest in Buddhism. This is why if one attends a second retreat, they show that they are willing and able to understand and learn more about Buddhism. Steve and Rosemary emphasize teaching what they feel is appropriate and beneficial; thus they teach topics at the appropriate times during the retreat in order for the students to receive the most benefit. And they feel the most beneficial ideas for new students are the practice of meditation, as well as the most significant teachings related to this. Rosemary and Steve focus on easing new meditators into the world of Buddhism because they have seen that many Thai monks don’t know how to treat Westerners interested in meditation and end up treating them like Thais.

Thus Steve and Rosemary have, over the years, created a unique meditation center in Thailand. This is not only because they are a Western married couple teaching in a Thai monastery with no connection to a Thai lineage; it is also because they have seen so well into the meditators’ experiences that they have timed and organized each retreat so that meditators receive the appropriate teachings. After the retreat some of my fellow meditators discussed their experiences with me. Many said they were ready to leave after the first few days but it was always the evening talk that kept them there. Each night the topic seemed to address the problems they were facing that day and the techniques and teachings offered the solutions as well as the knowledge that what each meditator was experiencing was normal. Over twenty years of teaching in this 10-day format, Rosemary and Steve have built their program in such a way that a large majority of participants complete the retreats, many return multiple times, and many more take the practice into their daily lives.

Forest Life Stories: Moments of Teaching

In contrast with daily interviews and interactionsof some student-teacher relationships, in the forest tradition the teachings come in crucial moments. The student needs one significant piece of advice at the right moment and the rest they are able to do on their own. The biographies and dhamma talks of the forest lineage (see previous post for links and list of examples) of Ajahn Mun offer ample examples of these teaching moments. These show this interesting feature of the forest tradition. The teacher is necessary to steer one in the right direction and give crucial advice, but it is still maintained that one needs to do the work themselves. The forest tradition emphasizes both this independence and individuality as well as strong and significant relationships with the teacher.

Ajahn Chah

Ajahn Chah discusses his philosophy on the role of the teacher in Food for the Heart. “In the beginning you must rely on a teacher to instruct and advise you. When you understand, then practice. When the teacher has instructed you follow the instructions. If you understand the practice its no longer necessary for the teacher to teach you, just do the work yourselves. Whenever heedlessness or unwholesome qualities arise know for yourself, teach yourself. Do the practice yourself” (147). This shows the main idea of the role of the teacher in the forest tradition. One needs a teacher to rely on but once one is on the path– it is up to the individual to follow the instructions and progress on their own.

Ajahn Chah was able to find this teacher in Ajahn Mun. When they met Ajahn Chah was having difficulty implementing all of the rules he had been reading in the Visuddhimagga. Ajahn Mun gave him the advice he needed to proceed in his practice. In Food for the Heart, Ajahn Chah relates Ajahn Mun’s words to him: “Trying to practice every single training rule would indeed be burdensome, but we should examine whether we are prepared to admit our faults or not … This teaching is very important. Its not so much that we must know every single training rule, if we know how to train our own minds.”(41-42) Ajahn Chah concludes that “Studying the Vinaya with Venerable Ajahn Mun I learned many things. As I sat and listened, understanding arose (43).” Ajahn Mun’s advice came at the right time and his words were important for Ajahn Chah’s practice. He listened well and followed the advice to get him out of his worrying about practicing every rule perfectly.

In Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away, Paul Breiter discusses the relationship between Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Mun. “Ajahn Chah spent only a few days with him but afterward always spoke of himself as a disciple of Ajahn Mun, saying, ‘If a person with good eyes stands close to something, he sees it. If his eyes are bad, it doesn’t matter how long he’s there.’ Among the things Ajahn Mun clarified for him was the nature of mind, pointing out the difference between the mind itself and its changeable states and activities” (xix). Thus this student-teacher relationship shows the nature of this connection for the forest tradition. The teachings were not extensive but just what the student needed to be able to do the work on their own.

Mae Chii Kaew

In 1951 Mae Chee Kaew finally met her teacher, Ajahn Mahabua, after this had been predicted by Ajahn Mun since her childhood. When Mae Chii Kaew and Ajahn Mahabua met, Mae Chee Kaew had been addicted to having spiritual adventures and meetings with beings from other realms during her mediation practice. Ajahn Mahabua advised her to look inside instead of directing her mental energy outward. She stubbornly refused and this is how the author of her narrative biography, Ajahn Dick, describes Mahabua’s teaching moment to get her out of this pattern:

“Late one afternoon, as Mae Chee Kaew stubbornly continued to arguer her case, Ajaan Maha Boowa abruptly broke the conversation off, and curtly dismissed her from his presence. He told her point-blank to leave the cave immediately, and to never return. Uttering harsh and fiery words, he chased her off in front of the other nuns. Mae Chee Kaew was taken aback by the intensity of his verbal attack and the seriousness of his tone … She had been convinced from the first moment she saw Ajaan Mahabua that she could depend on him as the right teacher to guide her meditation. Now that he had unceremoniously chased her away, who could she depend on for expert guidance? After so many years searching for such a teacher, Mae Chee Kaew now felt hopelessly lost” (159-160).

Upon reflecting on this moment though, and after the shock wore off, Mae Chii Kaew recognized that her teacher was right. She decided to follow Ajahn Mahabua’s advice, realizing how his teaching was skillful means to get her out of her habits. It was this teaching moment that gave Mae Chee Kaew the realization to change her practice. She needed this stern reprimand to shake herself free from her pattern of looking outward instead of investigating inside. It was this moment that set Mae Chii Kaew on the path to nibbana. This encounter again shows the focus on meeting the teacher at the right time to receive the needed words of wisdom and then the rest can be done on one’s own.

Ajahn Mahabua

In a collection of Ajahn Mahabua’s dhamma talks called Kammatthana, Ajahn Mahabua recounts his meeting with his teacher Ajahn Man. Ajahn Mahabua describes his feeling of inspiration to practice just from being in the presence of Ajahn Man, before even meeting him. During their first meeting, Ajahn Man perceived that Ajahn Mahabua had much knowledge from the Buddhist scriptures. He advised Ajahn Mahabua to stop studying for now and work on calming the ‘citta.’ Ajahn Man realized that it was time for Ajahn Mahabua to do the practice, the theoretical knowledge he had gained was not as helpful. Ajahn Mahabua listens and begins his practice of calming the citta through the practice of Samadhi. Ajahn Mahabua describes this first meeting thus:

“He greeted me cordially; and out of his kindness and metta for a fool who went to see him instructed me with a lesson Dhamma. It was such a profound lesson that I can still feel its impression right to this day” (149). From this perception of Ajahn Mun that Ajahn Mahabua needed to practice, and not be addicted to study, there arose faith in Ajahn Mun. Ajahn Mahabua writes: “I felt my trust and admiration for the Venerable Acariya arise within me immediately upon seeing him clearly that night” (150). In the forest tradition one can have a close relationship with one’s teacher, and have faith. Ajahn Mahabua had enough faith in Ajahn Mun’s advice to practice in the way he said, but he did this meditation on his own, working with the words Ajahn Mun gave to him.

Ajahn Khao

In his biography written by Ajahn Mahabua titled Ajahn Khao Analayo, Ajahn Mahabua describes the student-teacher relationship between Ajahn Khao and Ajahn Mun. These two had such a close relationship that Ajahn Mun appeared as a vision during Ajahn Khao’s meditation. Ajahn Mahabua writes of Ajahn Khao:

“ Sometimes sitting in meditation in the middle of the day when it was very quiet, he also saw Ajaan Mun come to visit him in the same way as he did at night. He said that it was very pleasurable for him to be able to ask Ajaan Mun all sorts of questions to make his understanding quite clear. Ajaan Mun was very proficient at answering questions with great skill and dexterity. He made the answer so clear as to remove all doubt and uncertainty every time. With some questions, Ajaan Khao had only a feeling of uncertainty, but he did not actually think of asking about it. Nonetheless, at night when he did his meditation practice, Ajaan Mun would come and bring up that question for discussion, as though he had just asked him about it” (114).

These answers made an impression on Ajahn Khao. “Ajaan Khao always vividly remembered the words that Venerable Ajaan Mun spoke when they stayed together, for they had penetrated deep into his heart. His unshakeable faith in Ajaan Mun grew deeper and deeper until it became one with his heart (42).” But Ajahn Khao also remembered being admonished by his teacher. Ajaan Khao explained the affect that Venerable Ajaan Mun’s forceful admonitions had on him: “Venerable Ajaan Mun used to scold me quite fiercely for asking questions which had no practical solution, although I didn’t ask such questions very often. But when Venerable Ajaan Mun responded to these questions by treating them as if they were thorns and splinters obstructing the Sãsana, I felt that it forced me to see my own faults. I would feel uneasy about it for many days, even though I actually had no doubt that people nowadays could practise Dhamma. But Ajaan Mun would still scold me, ‘shredding’ me with his fierce language, which I reckon was right and suitable for someone like me who was always talking and so couldn’t be quiet and contented. On the other hand, it was also quite beneficial because I was able to hear a Dhamma teaching that went straight to my heart” (54-55).

Thus the teaching Ajahn Khao experienced inspired faith in the teacher and the Dhamma, and was rememberable because of his ability to answer questions and to see through Ajahn Khao’s faults and help him to correct it, even through harsh words. Ajahn Khao is the model student because the words of the teacher made a deep impression on him. These words helped him to eventually reach the final goal of liberation.

Ajahn Mun

Ajahn Mun’s primary teacher was Ajahn Sao. They traveled on tudong together, wandering through the dense forests of northern Southeast Asia. Ajahn Sao advised Ajahn Mun to practice on his own however, because he perceived that Ajahn Mun’s citta was too uncontrollable. Ajahn Sao taught him the ways of a wandering monk but said it was up to Ajahn Mun to tame his citta and figure out his own way of practice.

“In his early years of practice, Ãcariya Mun often wandered dhutanga in the company of Ãcariya Sao, comforted in the knowledge that he had a good, experienced teacher to lend him support. But when he asked his teacher to advise him on specific problems arising in his meditation, Ãcariya Sao invariably replied: ‘My experiences in meditation are quite different from yours. Your citta is so adventurous, tending always toward extremes. One moment it soars into the sky, only to plunge deep into the earth the next. Then, after diving to the ocean floor, it again soars up to walk meditation high in the sky. Who could possibly keep up with your citta long enough to find a solution? I advise you to investigate these matters for yourself and find your own solutions.; Ãcariya Sao never gave him enough concrete advice to really help him, so Ãcariya Mun was forced to solve his own problems” (16).

Here Ajahn Sao did not give the crucial advice to solve a problem with the practice. But he told Ajahn Mun about the character of his citta and let him know he would have a tough time practicing, but that he would have to do it on his own. Ajahn Sao also was there as a wandering partner and a support to talk to about the practice. But as with the other student-teacher relationships, the real work must be done on one’s own.

This student-teacher relationship is an interest dynamic within the forest tradition. It is important in this lineage to learn from one’s teacher, have faith in them, go to them for advice and to follow this advice. But at the same time that the teacher is there for support, they also want the student to practice on one’s own and do the work by themselves. It takes just these crucial moments of teaching during moments of doubt and confusion to clear up the problem and move along in one’s progress along the path.

Forest Life Stories: Moments of Realization

Life stories, both autobiographical and biographical, are an important part of the forest lineage of Ajahn Mun. This began with the popularity of Luangda Mahabua’s biography of his teacher, Ajahn Mun, and later his biography of another student of Ajahn Mun, Ajahn Kao. Recently, Ajahn Dick Silaratano has written a creative, narrative biography of a student of Luangda Mahabua, Mae Chee Kaew. I will use these three biographies as well as Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Mahabua’s dhamma talks that recount their meditation practice to understand how the forest tradition describes moments of realization. It is difficult to put into words the experiences of one who has achieved the final goal of liberation, so it is interesting to see how this is recounted in life stories. Through these illustrations, forest master life stories inspire faith in the Buddhist path and relate that even in the modern period, through much effort, one can reach this goal of the Buddhist tradition.

These biographies and autobiographies also reenact a crucial scene from the life story of the Buddha. As is related in many of the accounts of the Buddha’s life, after his Enlightenment, he found it difficult to see the point in teaching his findings to others. Until he saw some of his former colleagues in meditation practice who were close to the same achievement did he feel that his experiences could be taught. The same is true with many of these forest masters after they achieve liberation. They wonder how they can possibly convey these amazing experiences and how they got there to others, but quickly realize that some people are able to learn and through their compassion decide in the end to teach others.

Mae Chii Kaew

Toward the end of Mae Chee Kaew’s biography, Ajahn Dick relates how, after much diligent practice following the advice of Luangda Mahabua, Mae Chee Kaew, was left with one lingering attachment to the self through the experience of her ‘radiant mind.’ This state of luminosity she experienced seemed like nibbana but when discussing this with Ajahn Mahabua he informed her this was not nibbana but one final clinging to let go of. After this meeting, Mae Chii Kaew worked ceaselessly to rid herself of this final view of self. She found that the radiant mind actually had a dull quality and was filled with dissatisfaction and uncertainty. After this Ajahn Dick describes her moment of realization:

“Then, aware but knowing nothing in particular, suspended in emptiness, the crystal-clear radiance of mind she had treasured for so long suddenly turned and dissolved—revealing a pure, all-knowing presence that filled the heart and pervaded the entire universe. The knower was everywhere, but nothing was known. Without characteristics and without source, emanating from no point in particular, knowing was simply a spontaneous happening of cosmic expanse. The radiant awareness had dissolved in an instant, leaving only purity of mind and the essential freedom of pure Dhamma—an absolutely unconditioned knowing that entirely transcended all forms of human conception.” (200).

Mae Chii Kaew’s moment of realization is thus couched within the defeating of this last inkling of self, this ‘radiant mind’ that she had cultivated. When this dissolved she was left with the pure mind or ‘citta,’ that is much emphasized in the forest tradition. Therefore this description of realization is also placed within this context of the forest lineage of Ajahn Man. It is illustrated as a stripping away of the defilements that cloud the mind and Mae Chii Kaew is left with the pure mind, and an empty knowingness.

After this moment of awakening, and even though she had always been a compassionate person she wondered: “How could she possibly explain the true nature of that Dhamma to others? Even if she tried, ordinary people, steeped in delusion, could never hope to comprehend such extraordinary purity of mind. She was unlikely to find enough receptive ears to make teaching worthwhile” (205).

But then the change of mind occurs after further reflection on the Lord Buddha and his abilities as a teacher. “Reconsidering the transcendent Dhamma and the path she took to uncover it, she finally recognized herself in everyone else: she too was a person like them. Certainly others with strong spiritual tendencies were equally as capable as she was. Reverently reviewing all aspects of the Buddha’s teaching, she saw its relevance for people the world over, and its potential rewards for those who were willing to practice correctly. Those insights gave her a renewed desire to help every living being that was willing to listen” (206). Thus like the Buddha, Mae Chii Kaew realized that she was not so different from others and that there were some who were close to the same achievement and just needed more guidance. This gave her the impetus to teach.

Luangda Mahabua

Luangda Mahabua recounts his own moment of realization in one of the dhamma talks in his book Arahattamagga Arahattaphala. In the talk titled “Shedding Tears in Amazement with Dhamma,” Mahabua recounts his final achievement during one meditation practice.

“No one sat in judgment at that decisive moment. That natural principle arose on its own and passed its own judgement. The universe then collapsed on its own. Originating from a neutral state of the citta, the happening took place all so suddenly: in an instant the entire cosmos seemed to flip over and disappear. It was so brilliant! Oh my! Really and truly magnificent! Too extraordinary to be captured in words. Such the amazing nature of the Dhamma that I now teach. Tears flowed when I experienced it” (74).

Here again the purified citta is emphasized as the result of the experience. But with Ajahn Mahabua there is more of a description of the metaphysical experiences such as the cosmos collapsing and later he describes the world as completely vanishing. He relates the emotion of the experience, such that it is difficult to convey it in this dhamma talk.

Like Mae Chii Kaew he has reservations about teaching this supreme dhamma to others. He writes “How will I ever be able to teach people this Dhamma? What is the point of teaching? Since true Dhamma is like this, how can it possibly be presented so that others will be able to know and understand it?” (78). But then he ponders further about his own realization and how it was the same path of the Lord Buddha, and admitted that the same path could help others we well. He writes of his change of mind: “Maybe there were only a few, but there definitely were some who could make it. I could not deny that. The awareness that it would benefit at least some people encouraged me to begin teaching those who were worthy to be taught” (80). So again like the Buddha, Ajahn Mahabua, immediately after his achievement felt that no one else could understand the teacher. But then upon further reflection, he realized that there were some people who would be able to learn and so decided in the end, to teach.

Ajahn Chah

A similar story of Ajahn Chah’s moment of realization is recounted in dhamma talks within A Still Forest Pool and An Unshakeable Peace. In these talks, Ajahn Chah describes himself during walking meditation one day when something different happened. He was able to see the separation of mind and its object, and with this connection broken, there was peace. When he stopped formal meditation on this day, only the sitting stopped but mindful tranquility remained. Because of this he felt his mind turn inward with extreme awareness. He observed this awareness and then turned to his normal state of mind again. After this, his mind turned inward a second time and he could feel his body break into fine pieces and then his mind once again returned to normal. The third and final time his mind turned inward, the whole world broke apart with nothing left. The mind stayed inward and abided as long as it could. When the mind finally emerged. In the next section Chah illustrates the after effects of this moment as he describes that after this moment, one’s whole world has turned upside down, one’s understanding of reality is different, people appear different, everything changes, thoughts are transmuted so one thinks and speak differently than others, and one is no longer the same as other human beings.

This moment of realization does not use the citta as much to describe the experience. Instead he illustrates three moments of awareness where he systematically released himself from his body and then the world. After this he feels different from other human beings and not able to relate to them in the same way anymore. The removing of the defiled mind here could be described as these moments of the body being broken apart- leaving him with the pure state of mind, similarly to the description of Mae Chii Kaew and Ajahn Mahabua. Because this moment comes from an excerpt of a translated dhamma talk, and not a full biography, there is no mention of Ajahn Chah’s feelings of teaching after liberation. Thus we do not know if he had similar reservations as the others but he certainly did end up teaching many disciples.

Ajahn Mun

Ajahn Mahabua recounts what he remembers of Ajahn Mun’s account of the moment of his realization.

“Seated in meditation late that night, the crucial moment had arrived. The battle lines were drawn: supreme-mindfulness and supreme-wisdom – the razor sharp weapons – against avijjã [ignorance], an enemy especially adroit at repulsing their advances then counterattacking, leaving its opponents in total disarray. Since time immemorial no one has dared to challenge its might, allowing avijjã to reign supreme and unopposed over the ‘kingdom of birth and death’ inside the hearts of all living beings. But at three a.m. that night when Ãcariya Mun launched his final, all out assault, the result was the total destruction of the king’s mighty throne and the complete overthrow of his reign in the kingdom of birth and death. Suddenly impotent and deprived of room to maneuver, the king could not maintain his sovereignty. At that moment avijjã perished, victim to a lightning strike of magnificent brilliance. Ãcariya Mun described how that fateful moment was accompanied by a tremor that appeared to shake the entire universe. Celestial beings throughout this vast expanse immediately paid tribute to his supreme accomplishment, roaring an exclamation of approval that reverberated across the sentient universe, and proclaimed the appearance of another disciple of the Tathãgata in the world” (156).

Here as in Ajahn Mahabua’s account there is a resonance with the outside world at the moment of realization so that the universe shakes and reverberates as celestial beings pay respect to this achievement. The actual realization is described as a battle against ignorance which Ajahn Mun wins, crushing the opponent and reigning as the king of his body and mind.

He too has reservations about being able to teach people what he had learned and has thoughts of living in solitude for the rest of his years. But then he realizes the potential of human beings that the Buddha saw. “Eventually, his thoughts gathered on the Lord Buddha’s guiding role in revealing the correct path of practice. Reviewing his attainment of Dhamma and the path he took, he saw that he, too, was a human being in the world just like everyone else, and undistinguished from others by any special characteristic that would make him the only person capable of understanding this Dhamma. Certainly, others with strong spiritual tendencies were capable of this understanding. By failing to broaden his perspective, his initial outlook had tended to disparage the spiritual tendencies of his fellow human beings – which was unfair” (158).

Ajahn Khao

Ajahn Mahabua recounts what he remembers from another account of realization, this time from another disciple of Ajahn Mun, Ajahn Kao. While walking on almsround Ajahn Kao describes how he was overcome with metta for the villagers in the forest where he was wandering. While eating his food he recalls: “Since the day I was born this was the first time that I had ever experienced the body and mind in perfect harmony with the citta, which is something quite impossible to explain. All I can say is that it was a most wonderful and unique experience that became the most outstanding event of my life, leaving a deep and lasting impression on my heart. After this world-shaking event occurred, when the sky and ground collapsed and the ‘wheel of samsãra’ . . . broke up and disappeared, all the elements and khandhas as well as every part and aspect of the citta were all free to conform to their own natural state. They were no longer enslaved or forced into service by anything. . . The disputes within the citta, which are far more numerous and disturbing than those externally in the world, all stopped at the moment the ‘court of justice’ was finally established within the heart” (90-91).

For Ajahn Kao the impetus before this moment of realization was feelings of metta rather than formal sitting or walking practice. It is described in terms of the citta as well, but not as removing defilements from the pure citta but instead having the citta in harmony with body and mind. The citta thus resides in a natural state, no longer enslaved by avijja like Ajahn Man recounted. Again this moment brings about external resonance as he feels the sky collapse.

The similarities of some of these accounts shows the consistency of the forest tradition as well as how life stories of the arahants are modeled after the life story of the Buddha and yet also localized and personalized for the individual and their context. The forest masters talk about their citta being in a purified and natural state as this is a central concept for the forest tradition. And like the Buddha many recount a reaction from the earth at this moment of realization so that the sky collapses or the world seems to shatter. These are ways of recounting that signal to the audience that this person has achieved liberation and give faith in this possibility in modern times.

The Role of Samadhi in Meditation Centers and the Forest Tradition

The debate over the relationship of Samadhi and vipassana and their roles in achieving liberation has been debated since the time of the Buddha. This debate continues today in the form of those associated with the forest tradition versus those who run meditation centers. Especially the meditation centers that teach methods based on the popular Mahasi Sayadaw technique are in contrast to the ideas of the forest tradition. This technique holds that the direct path to nibbana is found in vipassana meditation and only the minimal moment-to-moment concentration is needed. Thus concentration meditation (samatha) is seen as necessary only in its momentary form, thus longer term Samadhi and those states of absorption called the jhanas are not cultivated.

In contrast to this, the forest tradition holds that the separation of Samadhi and vipassana is a false distinction. The monks of this tradition argue that both develop each other and both are necessary for achievement of liberation. Ajahn Chandako relates this view in his publication A Honed and Heavy Ax: Samatha and Vipassana in Harmony. In this book he uses ancient texts and popular contemporary approaches to show how samatha and insight support each other. The simile of the title is explained as the weight of the ax is like concentration and the sharpness can be compared to wisdom (1). Like the ax, both weight and sharpness are needed to produce the desired results. He argues that the two were not intended to be two different styles of meditation with two different goals but one complete path (2), and that the Buddha taught many meditation themes but all incorporated both concentration and vipassana.

Ajahn Chandako questions the validity of the Mahasi Sayadaw method that focuses most exclusively on vipassana. He ponders whether the development of momentary concentration fulfills the eightfold path factor of right Samadhi (meditative absorption) (4). He states that vipassana only schools are counterfeit dhamma as the suttas say different meditators have different inclinations but they always need a balance of vipassana and samatha (24). If these vipassana techniques work, he feels this is because the retreatants develop Samadhi as they are practicing the vipassana (25), as retreats rely in special conditions that generate samadhi such as no speaking, reading, or external distractions.

Ajahn Chandako finds that with samatha one gains insight also, as it shows attachments. One needs deep states of concentration in order to see subtle attachments that block Enlightenment. Samadhi also makes the mind more energized as it removes the five hindrances and makes the mind ready for investigation.

In contrast the vipassana only schools argue that in modern times people are more prone to investigation. Only a minimum of concentration is needed as vipassana is the path that leads to directly to nibbana. This is taken from the Visuddhimagga, a commentary on the Pali Cannon, which has become very authoritative in the Theravada tradition. The forest tradition relies more on the suttas of the Pali Canon arguing that these are closer to the source of the Buddha himself.

Reinterpretations of Ajahn Chah by his English-Speaking Disciples

As the first generation of the Ajahn Chah Western Sangha lineage turns into the second generation- what changes are evident in the movement of Ajahn Chah‘s teachings to this new audience? Senior Western monks knew and lived with Chah for many years. But as the most senior Western Sangha monastic, Ajahn Sumedho, approaches 80 and second senior monastic, Ajahn Khemmadammo, is nearing 70, more authority will be placed in the hands of the second generation of teachers.

During my stay at Wat Pah Nanachat, I was able to travel to Wat Pah Pong and Wat Pu Jawm Gawm with Ajahn Khemmadhammo. He told me and the junior monks present many stories of his early years as a monk living with Ajahn Chah. Ajahn Khemmadhammo makes a point to relive these memories because anyone under 30 years as a monk would not have known Ajahn Chah. He wants to pass on something of Ajahn Chah’s personality and teaching method to this younger generation.

Each of the Western sangha monastics currently teaching take their foundation from Ajahn Chah but emphasize different aspects. Ajahn Sumedho teaches a method of listening to the sound of silence and recognizing intuitive awareness. Ajahn Brahmavamso (although now no longer a part of the Ajahn Chah lineage is still included here as a student of Ajahn Chah) has a method of teaching meditation based on achieving the jhana state in a step-by-step progression. Ajahn Pasanno emphasizes mindfulness of breath, while Ajahn Amaro stresses the inner sound of silence similarly to Ajahn Sumedho. Both Pasanno and Amaro teach at Abhayagiri Monastery so even at the same temple students can receive a range of teachings but still have a broad base to work from. This reflects Ajahn Chah’s teaching style as he did not teach only one idea or method. His Western students have followed this by creating this range of teachings, but at the same time they have found what works for them from experience. They all fit within the umbrella of Ajahn Chah’s teachings but the Western students are developing their own styles and ideas that are resonating with their English-speaking audience.

These teachings to a new audience can be seen in the work of the most senior Western disciple, Ajahn Sumedho. He was the first abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat and the one who led the others in establishing a monastery in England and began teaching the new Western disciples. An illustration of how the teachings needed to be adapted to this audience can be seen in the Ajahn Amaro‘s “Preface,” of the new book he co-authored with Ajahn Pasanno titled The Island. One of the reasons Ajahn Amaro decided to write this book, which is an anthology of quotes from the Pali Cannon about nibbana, was because of something Ajahn Sumedho told him. Ajahn Sumedho noticed that there was a lack of understanding in the Western mind about nibbana since he first began teaching in the West.

Quoting Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Amaro writes: “After teaching in the West for a very short period of time, I began to see that many people were disappointed both in materialism and theistic religions. To them Buddhism had great appeal but, lacking any fundamental sense of, or faith in the transcendent, the practice of Buddhism became almost a dry, technical procedure—intellectually satisfying but strangely sterile as well. They had largely rejected the idea of an Ultimate Reality from their thoughts as being intrinsically theistic nonsense so I realized that people needed to be aware that there was also such a principle in the Buddha’s teachings, without there being any hint of a creator God in the picture. In Thailand, because there is already such a broad and strong basis of faith in these transcendent qualities, there is no need to talk about Ultimate Reality, the Unconditioned and so forth—for them it can be a distraction. Here, I saw people needed something to look up to—that’s why I talk about it all the time. It goes a long way to cultivating faith and it gives a much more living and expansive quality to their spiritual life; there is a natural joy when the heart opens to its true nature.” (x).

Thus because of the background of Westerners coming from cultures embedded in Christian faiths, they need a different sort of teaching than people coming from Buddhist countries, such as Thailand. Ideas about ultimate reality and nibbana are just one manifestation of the adaptations that need to be implemented for this convert audience.

Ajahn Sumedho, in a collection of his dhamma talks titled Intuitive Awareness, discusses another aspect of difference between Asian and Western Buddhists. This is the idea of faith, that again is difficult for Westerners to understand because of their background in Christian cultures. Ajahn Sumedho addresses this: “In the Western world we get very complicated because we don’t have a lot of saddha (faith) usually. The asian Buddhists tend to be more culturally attuned to this. They have a lot of faith in Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, a teacher or something. Most of us came to Buddhism or became samanas (monastics) when were adults- and we’re skeptical.” (46).

The issue of faith and nibbana are just two of the topics that need to be changed for this new Buddhist audience. The Western lineage of Ajahn Chah is a well-known community taking on these issues. They teach meditation and adhere to the forest tradition ways that they learned from Ajahn Chah. But the teachings need to be adapted to the different cultural context. And as the second generation begins to teach, those who learned from Ajahn Sumedho and others and who have not spent much time in Thailand and were not able to meet Ajahn Chah, the teachings will need to be adapted further still.

Island Life: Heading to Wat Kow Tahm

I will soon be beginning a new phase of my research– looking at group meditation retreats. First I will be going to Wat Kow Tahm on the island of Koh Phangan. Here the retreat begins and ends at a scheduled time, there are scheduled group meditations, and interviews with the teacher. This meditation retreat is for newcomers to the method of Steve and Rosemary Weissman which emphasizes compassion. Experienced meditators in this style can then stay on for the advanced retreat.

This type of retreat is different from the two previous types I have been participating in. The individual retreats of the Ajahn Tong tradition in Chiangmai are just that, individual. One comes and goes with one’s own schedule and meditates according to one’s own preferences. There are no group meditation times. Similarly with the forest tradition retreats one is on one’s own. At forest retreats there are occasional dhamma talks, question and answer sessions, and the ability to meet with a teacher if one desires.

Thus the group meditation retreats I will be going to focus much more on beginners and all meditators being at similar stages at the same time. The other aspect is that with the large group in attendance all at once for a full ten days, there is a charge. Both group meditation retreats I will be going to have a fee unlike the donation only retreats of Ajahn Tong and the forest tradition.

After four of these more individualized retreats I am looking forward to more of a community/sangha feeling and more of a structured schedule.

Comparing Forest Masters’ Techniques and Implications for International Meditators

Ajahn Chah and Luangda Mahabua are two of the most well-known teachers of the forest tradition for Thais and English-speakers alike. They both come from the lineage of Ajahn Man and yet their styles and teachings differ enough to affect lay international meditators who come to their monasteries.

In a recording of a Dhamma Talk on 27/9/09, Ajahn Martin of Wat Pa Baan That says that Mahabua focuses on formal practice. At this wat it is recommended that one does the small tasks needed to keep the monastery functioning quickly and quietly. After this is done one returns to formal practice. This formal practice consists of much walking meditation on one’s individual jongrom path, practicing sitting meditation, and being mindful when doing everything else. Because of this stress on formal meditation practice, Luangda Mahabua’s monastery does not have communal activities such as daily chanting. The only community activity is for the monks to recite the Patimokkha once every fortnight. Mahabua spent many years living with and attending to the founder of the forest tradition, Ajahn Man, and thus his practices come directly from the first generation of forest practice. Many of these masters were hermits, wandering individually or in very small groups. The style of Mahabua and the setup of his monastery shows how he carries this tradition forward, even though he is settled in an established monastery.

Ajahn Chah, in contrast, wanted to develop community in his monasteries and found this was especially important for his Western disciples. Ajahn Pasanno (Co-Abbot of Abhayagiri Monastery), who I spoke with at Wat Pah Nanachat, has also stated that Ajahn Chah felt that face to face communication was very important. The Western sangha continues this through their World Abbots Meeting held every two years. Also in contrast, Ajahn Chah only spent about seven days with Ajahn Man. Although gaining much insight into his teachings and being able to implement them into his own practice, he was not as close to the teachings and personality of Ajahn Man as was Luangda Mahabua. Thus Ajahn Chah does not follow in Man’s footsteps as closely as Mahabua.

Ajahn Chah also stresses meditation and mindfulness in daily life, rather than formal practice, in contrast to Mahabua. My previous post about the ‘style’ of Ajahn Chah describes his chiding of those who think that meditation can only happen on a cushion or on the walking path. For Chah every aspect of monastic life was to be a part of one’s practice.

As alluded to in my post about the meditation techniques of Luangda Mahabua, when practicing in this way one enters a world where the meditator is in battle against the kilesas (anger, hatred, delusion), and where one attempts to get back to the original mind or pure ’citta.’ and move away from the defiled citta that is part of one’s normal experience. For Ajahn Chah discussions of this ’citta’ and getting back to its undefiled state are not predominant but there are some allusions to this in some of his translated dhamma talks. These references are not spelled out and not even labeled as ’citta’ and thus do not constitute a major part of Ajahn Chah’s worldview of meditation as they do with Mahabua.

This can be seen from a quote from Paul Breiter’s Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away. He quotes Ajahn Chah as saying, “We are practicing to reach the mind—the ‘old’ mind. This original mind is unconditioned. In it there is not good or bad, long or short, black or white … The mind in its natural state, the true mind, is something that is stable and undefiled. It is bright and clean. It becomes obscured and defiled because it meets with sense objects and comes under their influence through liking and disliking. It’s not that the mind is inherently defiled, but that it is not yet established in Dharma, so phenomena can stain it” (4-5). Here the mind is being described similarly to how Luangda Mahabua, in his dhamma talks, discusses the pure and defiled citta.

These emphases in each master’s teachings and the way each has established their monasteries affects the experiences of international meditators. Because of Mahabua’s focus on formal practice, a retreat for foreigners at  Wat Pah Baan That consists of much solitary meditation in one’s kuti. There are no group activities to attend and no chores assigned except to clean inside and the surrounding areas of one’s kuti. Because Mahabua’s teaching style includes this battle against the kilesas and the defiled citta, the dhamma talks in English by Ajahn Martin contain these same ideas. Meditators are taught about these concepts and how they relate to one’s daily practice.

For Ajahn Chah’s monasteries, however, this tradition of communal activities and mindfulness in daily life, certainly continue at Wat Pah Nanachat. Foreign meditators participate in group chanting, before-meal ceremonies, meditation, question and answer sessions, as well as assist with assigned chores. These organized chores and other activities are part of the meditation practice, as Chah intended. As well, since Chah did not have a meditation ‘method’ but more of a ‘style,’ this is not a formal meditation retreat as one would receive at Wat Pa Baan That. There is no monk assigned to teach the foreigners and there isn’t a predominance of the goal to reach the pure citta that is so prevalent in Mahabua’s and Ajahn Martin’s teachings.

Thus the personalities, backgrounds, and styles of each forest meditation master affect how meditation instruction is presented to lay foreign meditators. The styles of Mahabua and Chah affect the setup of each monastery, the amount of instruction received, the hours available for formal practice and other activities, and one’s integration into daily life at the monastery.

Features of Forest Practice

While interviewing Ajahn Kevali, the current abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat, he offered that the forest tradition is unique in the amount of time spent in walking meditation, the focus on the loathesomeness of the body, and the emphasis on solitary meditation and privacy.

It is a common saying in the forest tradition that when a teacher goes to visit a monastery he first wants to investigate the walking paths of the monks to see if they are well-worn or not. Ajahn Kevali stated that at Wat Pah Nanachat, most of the monks do a lot of walking meditation and only practice sitting meditation when their mind ‘gels’ (reaches a good point of concentration) and wants to settle down. At this wat, most English-speaking lay people who stay there or come to ask about meditation are given a copy of Ajahn Nyanadhammo’s Walking Meditation. This short book is published by Wat Pah Nanachat and is taken from talks at Dhammalok Buddhist Center in 1992 and Bodhinyana Forest Monastery in 2002.

Here Nyanadhammo stresses the importance of walking meditation as many of Buddha’s early disciples attained Enlightenment while practicing in this way. He states that in the forest meditation tradition of Northeast Thailand, great emphasis is placed on walking meditation. There are stories of Ajahns who live on their path and walk over 15 hours a day. He finds that in the West there is not as much emphasis on this practice so he gives talks on walking in order to describe it to English-speakers and recommends it as a complement to sitting practice.

The basic practice is to notice the feeling arising and passing away of the feet while moving. One should walk naturally, either fast or slow depending on the individual, with eyes cast down a meter and a half in front. Before beginning to walk one should compose the body and continue until one develops Samadhi while walking. Walking meditation can help to cultivate tranquility and concentration in everyday life. Nyanadhammo wants to make clear that meditation is not just for when one is seated on cushions but can be used in every aspect of life.

The second feature is a focus on the loathsomeness of the body, or asubha contemplation, and contemplation of death. This can be seen at Wat Pah Nanachat where there are pictures of skeletons in the main sala and at Wat Pah Pu Jawm Gawm, a branch temple of Wat Pah Nanachat, where the monks there recently managed to procure an actual skeleton. This tradition of housing skeletons was also alive during Ajahn Chah’s time at his monastery called Wat Nong Pah Pong.

In Living Dhamma, Ajahn Chah is recorded as saying that “At Wat Nong Pah Pong we have a body which is neither male or female … Some go to Wat Nong Pah Pong, into the main hall, see the skeletons . . . and then come running right out again! They can’t bear to look. They’re afraid, afraid of the skeletons. I figure these people have never seen themselves before. Afraid of the skeletons … they don’t reflect on the great value of a skeleton … They’ve never seen such a thing before. They’re born with it and yet they’ve never seen it. It’s very fortunate that they have a chance to see it now … Maybe they go home and can’t sleep for three or four days … and yet they’re sleeping with a skeleton!” (39-40).

Ajahn Kevali finds that this topic is also not as well-developed in the West and that the laity often do not understand why monks meditate on the body so frequently. Contemplation of skeletons and meditating at cremation grounds are themes far away from lay meditative Buddhism. Ajahn Kevali asserts that in the West if a retreat is offered on this topic then it is a special retreat where only people interested in this sort of meditation would attend. But for the forest tradition this is a core teaching.

At Wat Pah Nanachat they regularly chant “The Reflection on the 32 Parts of the Body” and lay Western people can sometimes find this offensive. Lay people need explanations as to why this practice is so predominant. At Wat Pah Nanachat monks explain that it is because they are trying to resist indulging in sensual desires. Lay people never thought this was part of the meditation tradition but usually they find that this kind of contemplation makes sense for the monks because they are celibate. Thus for forest monks this is a major teaching of the Buddha– it is not just watching the breath or engaging in present-moment awareness but also contemplation of death and the undesirable, ‘true’ nature of the body.

Ajahn Chah discusses this practice in detail in Living Dhamma: “Hair, nails, teeth, skin . . . people are really hooked on these things … They are transient, imperfect and ownerless; they are not ‘me or ‘them’. We are born with and deluded by these things, but really they are foul. Suppose we didn’t bathe for a week, could we bear to be close to each other? We’d really smell bad. When people sweat a lot, such as when a lot of people are working hard together, the smell is awful. We go back home and rub ourselves down with soap and water and the smell abates somewhat, the fragrance of the soap replaces it. . . . but when the smell of the soap is gone the smell of the body comes back again” (41-42).

The third focus of the forest tradition is that this asubha contemplation and walking meditation are done primarily in the privacy of one’s own kuti and walking meditation path. In the forest tradition the emphasis is on individual meditation rather than on group practice. At Wat Pah Nanachat there are some group activities such as chanting followed by periods of walking and sitting meditation. This is designed to bring the community together. But these are not the only times one should be engaged in formal meditation. At Ajahn Chah’s monasteries, for monks meditation is one’s life, one is not on retreat. Ajahn Kevali finds that Westerners are not used to having this private space for their meditation.

These three main features of forest practice can also be seen in the autobiographies of the first and second generation forest masters such as Ajahn Man and Ajahn Kao, and translations of anecdotes about forest tradition lives in Kamala Tiyanavich‘s Forest Recollections. One can read about the early forest masters who wandered alone without group support and found their own secluded caves or cremation grounds to meditate in, their progress in defeating lust through contemplating the loathsomeness of the human body, and their stories of long hours spent on the walking path cultivating Samadhi. That Wat Pah Nanachat and other forest wats continue to focus on these features shows a sense of continuity of this tradition.