Resident Community
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Ajahn Pasanno (Abbot)
Ajahn Pasanno took ordination in Thailand in 1974 with Venerable Phra Khru Ñāṇasirivatana as preceptor. During his first year as a monk he was taken by his teacher to meet Ajahn Chah, with whom he asked to be allowed to stay and train. One of the early residents of Wat Pah Nanachat, Ajahn Pasanno became its abbot in his ninth year. During his incumbency Wat Pah Nanachat developed considerably, both in physical size and in reputation. Ajahn Pasanno became a well-known and highly respected monk and Dhamma teacher in Thailand. Ajahn Pasanno moved to California on New Year's Eve of 1997 to share the abbotship of Abhayagiri with Ajahn Amaro. In 2010, Ajahn Amaro accepted an invitation to serve as abbot of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in England. Ajahn Pasanno is now sole abbot of Abhayagiri. _____________________________________________________ |
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Ajahn Yatiko
Ajahn Yatiko was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1968. He had a strong interest in religion from childhood and after a few years at university decided he needed to find a spiritual teacher, as opposed to an academic one. He was on his way to Tibet for ordination, but the plane stopped off in Bangkok on route. While having lunch in a Bangkok restaurant, a few Thai laymen sat down to join him and recommended he go to Wat Pah Nanachat, in Ubon. Owing to their high praise of Ajahn Chah, he decided to investigate. Shortly thereafter Ajahn Sumedho was visiting and Ajahn Yatiko was inspired to pursue monastic training at Wat Nanachat. He has been part of that community since 1992. He arrived at Abhayagiri in January, 2008. _____________________________________________________ |
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Ajahn Sudanto
Born in Portland, Oregon in 1968, Ajahn Sudanto became interested in Buddhism and Indian spiritual traditions while completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Oregon. After graduation he set off for a open-ended period of travel and spiritual seeking in India and Southeast Asia. After a year of traveling, he proceeded to Thailand to begin a period of intensive study and meditation, which drew him to Wat Pah Nanachat in the Northeast of Thailand. There he met Ajahn Pasanno (then the abbot) and requested to ordain and train with the resident community, taking full ordination as a bhikkhu in 1994. After training for five years at Wat Pah Nanachat and various branch monasteries in the Ajahn Chah tradition, he came to Abhayagiri to live and train with the emerging sangha in America. Ajahn spent the summer of 2007 together with Ajahn Karunadhammo in the Columbia River Gorge on retreat in an impromptu forest hermitage supported by the Portland Friends of the Dhamma and other generous people from around the Northwest. He spent Vassa 2009 (July-October) in Canada at Birken Forest Monastery. As of July 11th, 2010 Ajahn Sudanto is living with two other monks at Abhayagiri's first branch monastery the Pacific Hermitage in the Columbia River Gorge. _____________________________________________________ |
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Ajahn Karuṇadhammo
Ajahn Karuṇadhammo was born in North Carolina in 1955. He was trained as a nurse and moved to Seattle in his early twenties where he came in contact with the Theravada tradition. In 1992 he helped out with a monastic visit to the Bay Area and spent another two months helping on a winter retreat at Amarāvati. He decided to "Go Forth" while in Thailand in December 1995 and asked if he could be part of the prospective California monastery. He arrived in San Francisco in May of 1996, took the Eight Precepts on the thirty-first of that month (Vesākha Puja Day) and was part of the original group arriving at Abhayagiri on June 1, 1996. After a little over a year in white, Anagārika Tom became Sāmaṇera Karuṇadhammo on the Full Moon Day of July 1997 under the preceptorship of Ajahn Pasanno. In May 1998 Sāmaṇera Karuṇadhammo took full bhikkhu ordination, and became the first American-born bhikkhu at the first American branch monastery of the Thai lineage of Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Sumedho. _____________________________________________________ |
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Ajahn Saññamo
Ajahn Saññamo was born in 1976 in Vancouver, Canada. After high school he participated in an exchange program to Thailand where he encountered the teachings of the Buddha. A year after the exchange program ended he returned to Asia with the intention to learn more about the practice and teachings in the various Buddhist traditions. He traveled to Wat Pah Nanachat and subsequently ordained there in 1998. Since his ordination he has lived in various Ajahn Chah branch monasteries. In 2011 he was given permission to join the Abhayagiri community and arrived in April. _____________________________________________________ |
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Ajahn Jotipālo
Ajahn Jotipālo was born in 1965 in Indiana. He received a B.A. from Wabash College and worked for six years in technical sales. He became interested in Theravada Buddhism after sitting several Goenka retreats. While on staff at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, he met Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Punnadhammo. After leaving IMS, he spent three months with Ajahn Punnadhammo at the Arrow River Forest Hermitage in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. He requested the "Going Forth," taking anagārika ordination on July 8, 1998 and ordained as a bhikkhu with Ajahn Pasanno as preceptor on Ajahn Chah's birthday, June 17, 2000. He is presently living at the Pacific Hermitage, a branch of Abhayagiri in the Pacific Northwest. _____________________________________________________ |
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Tan Cāganando
Tan Cāganando was born in New York in 1954. After receiving a physics degree he worked in solar and wind energy research. Interest in sustainable communities, solar architecture, and meditation resulted in some practical hands on building work. Asia was calling, and a period of world travel led to practice in several Buddhist monasteries in India and Thailand. Interested in supporting meditation, he was on staff at IMS for 5 years where he first met western monks from the Ajahn Chah lineage. Exploring monastic life, he went to Wat Pah Nanachat in Thailand in 2002, and took bhikkhu ordination in 2004 with Luang Por Liem as his preceptor. Meeting Ajahn Pasanno in Thailand and benefiting from his guidance, he came to Abhayagiri Monastery in 2007. He is presently living at the Pacific Hermitage, a branch of Abhayagiri in the Pacific Northwest. _____________________________________________________ |
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Tan Thitābho
Tan Ṭhitābho was born in Tucson, Arizona on April 17, 1985. Although interested in spirituality, he did not have faith in or respect for religion until encountering the teachings of the Buddha. After spending a year at the University of Arizona working on a Bachelor of Fine Arts, he decided that dedicating his time and energy to monastic life and the practice of Buddhism would be more beneficial and fulfilling. Tan Ṭhitābho left the home life and came to Abhayagiri in August of 2004. He ordained as a Sāmaṇera on December 19, 2005, and then received the higher ordination becoming a fully ordained Bhikkhu on April 22, 2007. Tan Ṭhitābho has spent one year training in Thailand from 2009-2010 and then 6 months at the Pacific Hermitage. He now resides at Abhayagiri. _____________________________________________________ |
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Tan Kassapo
Tan Kassapo was born in Vietnam and raised in Guangdong, China. Since 1998 he has lived in the Los Angeles area, where he became interested in Buddhism. After visits to various monasteries, he decided to explore monastic life. He was a member of the lay support team during Abhayagiri's 2005 Winter Retreat, during which time he decided to request to undertake the anagārika training. He returned to Abhayagiri in late May, 2005 and received the anagārika "Going Forth" on June 29, 2005 and ordination as a novice (Sāmaṇera) on July 16, 2006. Tan Kassapo received the higher ordination becoming a fully ordained Bhikkhu on July 14, 2007, with Ajahn Pasanno as his preceptor (Upajjhāya). He recently returned to Abhayagiri after spending a year training in Thailand. _____________________________________________________ |
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Tan Cunda
Tan Cunda was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, and moved to California in 1996. After graduating from college, working and living abroad, he began practicing Buddhist meditation. Seeking a quieter, peaceful life, he arrived at Abhayagiri in the Fall of 2005. Tan Cunda was ordained as a Bhikkhu on May 22nd, 2008, with Ajahn Pasanno as preceptor. _____________________________________________________ |
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Tan Kaccāna
Tan Kaccāna was born in 1976 in Cincinnati, Ohio. While he was in high school, his parents introduced him to the practice of meditation as taught by Śri Ecknath Easwaran. After graduating from Harvey Mudd College, he moved to Berkeley to pursue graduate study in physics. In Berkeley, he continued daily meditation practice, went on retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, and participated in the Abhayagiri Upāsika program. Realizing that monastic practice might be of great benefit to himself and others, Tan Kaccāna came to Abhayagiri a month after completing his PhD. After two years in training as an anagārika and sāmaṇera,Tan Kaccāna received the higher ordination on October 26, 2008, with Ajahn Pasanno as his preceptor (Upajjhāya). _____________________________________________________ |
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Tan Suvaco
Tan Suvaco was born in 1979 and grew up near Biloxi on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. At the age of 27 he decided to investigate monastic training and visited Abhayagiri as a layman. In 2007, he began formal monastic training under Ajahn Sona at Sītavana Forest Monastery in British Columba, Canada. In late October of 2008, he and two other trainees from Sītavana Forest Monastery received the higher ordination as Bhikkhus from Ajahn Pasanno, with Ajahn Sona as their teacher. Tan Suvaco has been training at Abhayagiri since May, 2011. _____________________________________________________ |
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Tan Thitapañño
Ṭhitapañño Bhikkhu was born in 1983 in Washington, DC and spent much of his childhood in the surrounding suburbs. While in college he developed an interest in spirituality and began to meditate daily and attend retreats. After graduating, he decided to pursue his spiritual aspirations by becoming a lay resident at the Bhāvanā Society Forest Monastery and Meditation Center in West Virginia. After living at the Bhāvanā Society for a little more than a year, Ṭhitapañño Bhikkhu decided to explore his interest in monastic life by visiting different monasteries. Upon arriving at Abhayagiri he felt he had found the right place. He went forth as an anagārika on June 14, 2007 and had his novice going forth (pabbajjā) on July 8, 2008. Ajahn Pasanno and the Abhayagiri Sangha gave Ven. Ṭhitapañño bhikkhu ordination on June 13, 2009. _____________________________________________________ |
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Tan Kovilo
Tan Kovilo grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and developed an interest in meditation after graduating from high school. He has had many good friends and teachers, and is happy to have the opportunity to now live at Abhayagiri. His anagārika going forth took place on July 8th, 2008, and he took the brown robes of novice on July 22, 2009. He took bhikkhu ordination on July 18, 2010 with Ajahn Pasanno as his preceptor. _____________________________________________________ |
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Tan Pamutto
Tan Pamutto was born in New Jersey, USA, in 1983 and grew up in the Midwest. After high school he held several jobs. He spent four years in the military as a linguist until his discharge in September 2007. Following this he toured Asia for eight months, where he encountered Theravāda Buddhism in Thailand. Returning to the U.S., he discovered Abhayagiri Monastery and came for a visit in May 2008. He quickly requested Anagārika precepts, receiving the going-forth on August 7, 2008. He received the sāmaṇera ordination on July 22, 2009 and took bhikkhu ordination on July 18, 2010. _____________________________________________________ |
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Tan Suddhāso
Suddhāso Bhikkhu began practicing Zen meditation in early 2004, during his first year of university education. He left university after his second year to experience household life as a lay practitioner. During that time his spiritual aspirations continued to grow, leading him to begin a two-year residency at a Zen monastery in April 2007. A deep love of monastic discipline and an affinity for Theravāda doctrines and techniques led him to Abhayagiri in April 2009. He became an Anagārika on September 4, 2009, a Sāmaṇera on August 18, 2010, and a fully ordained Bhikkhu on August 13, 2011. _____________________________________________________ |
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Sāmaṇera Khemako
Sāmaṇera Khemako was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1959 into a large Catholic family and received his primary education from priests and nuns at the local Church-run school. His long-standing interest in the core questions of philosophy and religion led him to begin lay Buddhist practice in 1997. As his practice and faith in the Dhamma increased, his interest and involvement in lay life waned. He arrived at Abhayagiri in December 2009 and went forth as and an Anagārika on April 26, 2010, and became a Sāmaṇera on April 26, 2011. _____________________________________________________ |
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Sāmaṇera Pesalo
Sāmaṇera Pesalo was born in 1978 in Tokyo and grew up in South Pasadena, California. While studying theater at UCLA, he found a book about Buddhism on a friend’s shelf and immediately resonated with the teachings. Upon graduating, Pesalo accepted an invitation to travel in Thailand. After enjoying a ten-day meditation retreat, he spent time at monasteries in Thailand and Southern California. Before coming to Abhayagiri, Pesalo lived in Berkeley and served as director of an afterschool program. He went forth as an Anagārika on August 18, 2010, and became a Sāmaṇera on August 13, 2011. _____________________________________________________ |
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Anagārika Jordan
Anagārika Jordan was born in Seattle on September 18, 1987. An interest in the workings of the mind led him to study psychology at Oregon State University. During this time he was introduced to Buddhism through a philosophy course comparing the lives and teachings of Jesus and the Buddha. A growing fascination with the teachings of the Buddha led Jordan to begin studying and practicing. Shortly after graduating he visited Abhayagiri and was deeply moved by the teachings and community. On June 19, 2011 he went forth as an Anagārika. _____________________________________________________ |
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Anagārika Wade
Anagarika Wade was born in Phoenix, AZ, in 1971. During his youngest years, Wade's parents raised him and his brothers without religious affiliation. Things changed when his father made a seemingly miraculous recovery from a terrible auto accident. His parents sought a spiritual answer for this, which led them and the family to Protestant Christianity. This opened Wade's heart to religious ideas, but it wasn't until he encountered Buddhism in college that he felt he had found answers to fundamental questions of life. Wade formally left the home life and went forth as an anagārika at Abhayagiri in August of 2011. _____________________________________________________ |
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Debbie Stamp
Bio coming soon... |
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Robert Coyner
Bio coming soon... |