Ajahn Khemadhammo
Encyclopedia
Venerable Ajahn Khemadhammo, OBE
(alternatively Chao Khun Bhavanavitayt or Achaan Khemadhammo, occasionally with honorific titles Luang Por and Phra) is a Theravada
Buddhist monk.
He was born in England in 1944. In 1971, after training at the Central School of Speech and Drama and Drama Centre, London and practising as a professional actor, working for several years at the Royal National Theatre
in London with Sir Laurence Olivier, he travelled to Thailand
via the Buddhist holy places in India. In December 1971 in Bangkok
he became a novice monk and about a month later moved to Ubon to stay with Ajahn Chah
at Wat Nong Pah Pong
. On the day before Vesakha Puja of that year, 1972, he received upasampada as a bhikkhu
, a fully ordained Buddhist monk.
In 1977, Venerable Khemadhammo returned to the U.K.
and, after staying in London
and Birmingham
, set up a small monastery on the Isle of Wight
. In 1984, at the invitation of a group of Buddhist meditators that he had been visiting monthly for some years, he moved to Banner Hill near Kenilworth
and formed the Buddha-Dhamma Fellowship. In 1985, he moved to his current residence, the Forest Hermitage, a property in Warwickshire
; in 1987, with considerable help from devotees in Thailand, this land was purchased by the Buddha-Dhamma Fellowship. A stupa
was built there in 1988, known as the 'English Shwe Dagon'.
Ajahn Khemadhammo began Buddhist prison chaplaincy work in 1977. In 1985, with the help of others, Angulimala, the Buddhist Prison Chaplaincy, was launched with him as its Spiritual Director.
Currently, Ajahn Khemadhammo lives with two other monks, continuing to visit prison
s and teaching meditation
both at his monastery and Warwick University.
Ajahn Khemadhammo was appointed an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in the Queen's Birthday Honours, June 2003 for 'services to prisoners'. In December 2004, on the birthday of the King of Thailand, he was made a Chao Khun with the ecclesiastical title of Phra Bhavanavitayt; he was only the second foreign-born monk to receive such an honour.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(alternatively Chao Khun Bhavanavitayt or Achaan Khemadhammo, occasionally with honorific titles Luang Por and Phra) is a Theravada
Theravada
Theravada ; literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching", is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India...
Buddhist monk.
He was born in England in 1944. In 1971, after training at the Central School of Speech and Drama and Drama Centre, London and practising as a professional actor, working for several years at the Royal National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
in London with Sir Laurence Olivier, he travelled to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
via the Buddhist holy places in India. In December 1971 in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
he became a novice monk and about a month later moved to Ubon to stay with Ajahn Chah
Ajahn Chah
Venerable Ajahn Chah Subhaddo was an influential teacher of the Buddhadhamma and a founder of two major monasteries in the Thai Forest Tradition....
at Wat Nong Pah Pong
Wat Nong Pah Pong
Wat Nong Pah Pong is the main monastery of the late Thai Forest Tradition meditation master, the Venerable Ajahn Chah...
. On the day before Vesakha Puja of that year, 1972, he received upasampada as a bhikkhu
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
, a fully ordained Buddhist monk.
In 1977, Venerable Khemadhammo returned to the U.K.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and, after staying in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, set up a small monastery on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. In 1984, at the invitation of a group of Buddhist meditators that he had been visiting monthly for some years, he moved to Banner Hill near Kenilworth
Kenilworth
Kenilworth is a town in central Warwickshire, England. In 2001 the town had a population of 22,582 . It is situated south of Coventry, north of Warwick and northwest of London....
and formed the Buddha-Dhamma Fellowship. In 1985, he moved to his current residence, the Forest Hermitage, a property in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
; in 1987, with considerable help from devotees in Thailand, this land was purchased by the Buddha-Dhamma Fellowship. A stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
was built there in 1988, known as the 'English Shwe Dagon'.
Ajahn Khemadhammo began Buddhist prison chaplaincy work in 1977. In 1985, with the help of others, Angulimala, the Buddhist Prison Chaplaincy, was launched with him as its Spiritual Director.
Currently, Ajahn Khemadhammo lives with two other monks, continuing to visit prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
s and teaching meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
both at his monastery and Warwick University.
Ajahn Khemadhammo was appointed an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in the Queen's Birthday Honours, June 2003 for 'services to prisoners'. In December 2004, on the birthday of the King of Thailand, he was made a Chao Khun with the ecclesiastical title of Phra Bhavanavitayt; he was only the second foreign-born monk to receive such an honour.