Ajahn Munindo
Encyclopedia
Thai Forest Tradition
The Thai Forest Tradition is a tradition of Buddhist monasticism within Thai Theravada Buddhism. Practitioners inhabit remote wilderness and forest dwellings as spiritual practice training grounds. Maha Nikaya and Dhammayuttika Nikaya are the two major monastic orders in Thailand that have forest...
of 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....
. He is the abbot of Aruna Ratanagiri
Aruna Ratanagiri
Aruna Ratanagiri Buddhist Monastery is a Theravadin Buddhist monastery of the Thai Forest Tradition in Northumberland, England...
. Ajahn Munindo has been a monk
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...
since 1974.
Biography
Ajahn Munindo first encountered BuddhismBuddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
at the age of 19 years. It made a significant impact on him and while visiting Australia in 1972, he attended a meditation retreat in Nimbin led by Ajahn Khantipalo.
After a period living in an alternative community (Narada) at Mullumbimby he left Australia in 1973 with the intention of traveling to Japan. He taught English for a while in Bangkok and there met some Western monks from Wat Bovoronives, where he eventually requested initial ordination as a samanera
Samanera
A samanera ) may be translated as novice monk in a Buddhist context. The literal meaning is 'small samana', that is, small renunciate where 'small' has the meaning of boy or girl. In the Vinaya monastic discipline, a man under the age of 20 cannot ordain as a bhikkhu, but can ordain as a samanera...
in 1974. He later received upasampada there from Phra Somdet Ñānasamvara in May 1975, and spent his first Vassa with Ajahn Tate at Wat Hin Mark Peng, on the Laotian border.
After a period in a Bangkok hospital with serious health problems, he met Ajahn Sumedho
Ajahn Sumedho
Luang Por Ajahn Sumedho is the senior Western representative of the Thai forest tradition of Theravada Buddhism. He was abbot of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery just north of London from its consecration in 1984 until his retirement in 2010...
, and went to Wat Pah Nanachat
Wat Pah Nanachat
Wat Pah Nanachat is situated in a small forest in north-east Thailand about fifteen kilometres from the city of Ubon Rachathani. The late Ajahn Chah established the monastery in 1975 to serve as a training community for non-Thais along traditional monastic lines. Its monks, novices and postulants...
, which had begun a few months earlier. He was re-ordained at Wat Nong Pah Pong by 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....
in 1975, with the name Uppanno Bhikkhu.
Partly because of ill-health he returned to New Zealand for six months in 1979. During his time there, interest grew in having monks living locally on a more permanent basis.
In 1980 with Ajahn Chah’s blessing he traveled to England to join the fledgling community at Chithurst; three years later, he was given the responsibility of establishing a vihara in Devon, in the southwest of England. In 1987 he returned for another two years at Chithurst Monastery before moving in 1991 to Harnham - Aruna Ratanagiri
Aruna Ratanagiri
Aruna Ratanagiri Buddhist Monastery is a Theravadin Buddhist monastery of the Thai Forest Tradition in Northumberland, England...
Monastery in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
where he is presently abbot. During those two years, Ajahn Sumedho gave him the new name Munindo Bhikkhu.
Teaching
There is a book of collected talks by Ajahn Munindo: "Unexpected Freedom", as well as a new rendering of the Dhammapada, titled "A Dhammapada for Contemplation" along with "Dhammapada Reflections" which is Dhammapada verses plus comment. These books are available for free distribution from Aruna Publications.External links
- Aruna Ratanagiri Buddhist Monastery, where Ajahn Munindo is currently the abbot
- Teachings from Ratanagiri
- Dhamma talks by Ajahn Munindo
- Podcast of latest talks from Aruna Ratanagiri Buddhist Monastery