The East meets the West

by Chandra KARUNADASA

“East is east and West is west; the two shall never meet” is an off quoted saying. However the East has not only met the West at Wat Bah Pong monastery in Ubon in North East Thailand but also has influenced the West by spreading the serene glow of the buddha-Dhamma. ‘Wat’ in Thai language means ‘Buddhist temple’ and this particular temple of late venerable Ajahn Chah has trained a number of highly respected Western monks who follow the Thai forest tradition of Buddhist monkhood and illumined the lives of thousands of westerners in England, USA, Australia and other western countries.

There have been a large number of renowned monks in Thai forest tradition like Ajahn Mun who the - Thai Buddhists believe - attained Arahantship in this birth itself. However the most famous teacher who trained a large number of western monks was Ajahn Chah, the abbot of Wat Bah Pong. He is the most renowned teacher of Thai forest tradition in recent years. The Westerners who have given up luxuries and have taken to the Thai forest tradition; do not repent their decision. Some of the important rules in this tradition are, dwelling in a ‘kuti’ or under the shade of a tree in the forest, going for ‘Pindapatha’ (alms round), eating from the bowl, eating only once a day, and not accepting any food given after the Pindapatha. A ‘Kuti’ in the forest is a small wood structure with a small porch raised on pillars. The forests in North East Thailand are said to be infected with deadly snakes, ferocious tigers and Malarial mosquitoes. So the Western monks who have left behind their comfortable homes put their lives at stake, sitting alone after dark with a only a kerosene lamp in their ‘kutis’. They eat what is collected from the alms-round and some times it is some sticky rice which the villagers of that part of Thailand are able to offer.

These monks are determined to train and discipline themselves by methods of reducing the food intake and believe their mind training (bhavana) gets better when the body becomes light. Chanting of Suttas (discourses) begins very early in the morning - sometimes as early as 3 a.m. and they assemble in the hall and sit on the bare floor. Even in the night talks and admonition by the great teacher go on for hours.

There are also arduous tasks like carrying water in huge buckets suspended on either side of a long pole, on their shoulder. The water is to the kitchen of the monastery and to the latrines which are poor substitutes to the plush bathrooms with hot and cold water - which they have left behind. They have to sweep long stretches of forest paths which they use for walking meditation (chankama bhavana). Later in the evening there is teaching by Venerable Ajahn Chah. Sometimes talks go on till late in the night and the only luxury the monks can have is coffee - and a bit of candy - a rare luxury.

These rigorous ways of discipline make us feel sympathy and glad too that they have come so far across the ocean to become ordained and follow the noble path to seek deliverance from human bondage and lead thousands of others to follow the same path. They have taken food which is unfamiliar and have been separated from their home, parents and relatives for many years. They do not complain of being home-sick, or long for luxuries at home, but put all their efforts to the work of demolishing becoming (bhava) and destruction of Avijja (ignorance). They have carried the light of the noble doctrine to illumine the lives of tens of thousands of people in the West.The most senior of the Western monks trained by Venerable Ajahn Chah is Ajahn Sumedho of Chithurst Monastery (Cittaviveka) in Hampshire in England. Valuable Dhamma books are published by these monks and these can be obtained free from Amaravati Buddhist monastery in Hertfordshire in UK. At Chittaviveka (Chithurst Buddhist Monastery) there are two houses occupied by Buddhist monks and nuns (Siladharas). At Cittaviveka training and meditation are considered more important than holding retreats and teaching the general public.

Another well-known pupil of Venerable Ajahn Chah is Ajahn Brahmavamso of Bodhinyana monastery in Perth in Western Australia. There is also Warberton Forest Monastery in the outskirts of Melbourne. The chief abbot there is venerable Ajahn Falyano who has been ordained by Ajahn Chah and trained by Ajahn Anan.There are also a number of Western born Bhikkunis who have taken the vows of celibacy for their own deliverance as well as to help others to follow the Path expounded by Lord Buddha. Although some of these nuns have been ordained in Sri Lanka, they too follow the tradition of eating from the bowl, having only the bare requisites and emphasizing mental training. German born late Ayya (venerable nun) Khema - who lived for sometime in a nunnery in South Sri Lanka is well-known. She has established a forest monastery in Germany. At present there are quite a number of Western Buddhist nuns-living and following the noble doctrine - in England, USA, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa too.

“Sangamittarama” established recently in Melbourne is an abode for Buddhist nuns. Ayya Suchintha - another German born nun is the chief resident nun at Sangamittarama. She contributes her best to teach Buddha dhamma to those living in and around Melbourne. She gives regular Dhamma talks at ‘Buddhaloka - Victoria Buddhist centre and conducts meditation sessions.

Other Buddhist nuns living in Sydney and several major cities assembled this year at Sangamittarama to recite Patimokkha - the rules of discipline.

Intelligent young Westerners take an interest in Buddha - Dhamma mainly due to its analytical quality (“ehipassiko”). A young student of Melbourne University told this writer “At the moment I don’t follow any religion; if at all I follow a religion it would be Buddhism”. Thus the East has not only met the West, but shard the greatest thresure trove of the East - the Buddha-Dhamma.