Venerable FatherCosimo, Inc., 2004 M09 15 - 184 pages Available until now only in limited editions, "Venerable Father" has become an underground classic among Buddhists, especially those practicing the Thai tradition. It details the joys and struggles of Paul Breiter's years with Ajahn Chah, who was perhaps Thailand's best-known and most-loved Buddhist master. Breiter describes Ajahn Chah as a figure who is at once human yet extraordinary, an orthodox yet unconventional teacher whose remarkable skill, patience, and compassion in training disciples flowed naturally from his deep and joyous realization of the truth. Breiter also explains, quite vividly, the life of a Westerner in a Thai forest monastery and the unique spiritual lessons to be learned there. PAUL BREITER ordained in the Theravada Buddhist tradition in Thailand in 1970 and soon thereafter met Ajahn Chah. He became one of Ajahn Chah's favorite disciples and his translator, and stayed with him until disrobing in 1977. Since then, he has maintained close ties to Ajahn Chah's lineage while studying Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, and he has continued to translate Ajahn Chah's teachings, which appear in "Still Forest Pool: The Insight Meditation of Achaan Chaa" (with Jack Kornfield) and "Being Dharma: The Essence of the Buddha's Teachings." |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
abbot afternoon Ajahn Chah Ajahn Jun Ajahn Pabhakaro Ajahn Sinuan Ajahn Sumedho answered Aranyabho Arhat asked back to Wat Bangkok began bhikkhu Bodhisattva branch monasteries Buddha Buddhism ceremony Chah's chanting desana Dharma disciples doctor everything farang monks feel felt finally forest gave give gone heard kathina kilesa knew kuti later laughed layman leave living look Luang Por malaria meal meditation mind monastic months morning never night Nong Hy numbers once ordained Patimokkha pindapat practice pretty realized robes Saeng Pet sala Samita Sangha seemed senior monks Seung Sahn sleep someone sometimes spoke started stay teacher teaching tell temple Thai monks Thailand there's things thought told took train trip trying tudong Ubon Uposatha usually Varapanyo vassa village Vinaya vipassana wait walked want to disrobe Wat Bah Pong Wat Bung Western monks