Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery | Resident Community

Resident Community

		Ven. Ajahn Pasanno Ven. Pasanno Bhikkhu took ordination in Thailand in 1974 with Ven. Phra Khru Nanasirivatana 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, Ven. 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.
		Ven. Ajahn Amaro Born in England in 1956, Ven. Amaro Bhikkhu received his BSc. in Psychology and Physiology from the University of London. Spiritual searching led him to Thailand, where he went to Wat Pah Nanachat, a Forest Tradition monastery established for Western disciples of Thai meditation master Ajahn Chah, who ordained him as a bhikkhu in 1979. He returned to England and joined Ajahn Sumedho at the newly established Chithurst Monastery. He resided for many years at the Amaravati Buddhist Centre north of London, making trips to California every year during the 1990s. Since June of 1996 he has lived at Abhayagiri Monastery. He has written an account of his 830-mile trek from Chithurst to Harnham Vihara called Tudong - the Long Road North, republished in the expanded book Silent Rain, now available for free distribution and he published another book, Small Boat, Great Mountain, in 2003 that is also available for free distribution. On June 16th, 2005 Ajahn Amaro returned to Abhayagiri after spending one year on sabbatical visiting Buddhist holy places in India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
		Ven. 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.
		Ven. 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.
		Ven. Ajahn Dto Ven. Ajahn Dto (Pesalo Bhikkhu) was born in Ubonratchathani, Thailand in 1973. He attended the College of Fine Art at Chiang Mai University. After his junior year, he took a year off to explore a growing interest in Buddhist-related conceptual art. In 1995, he ordained as an anagārika at the International Forest Monastery (Wat Pah Nanachat) where Ajahn Pasanno was serving as abbot. He took bhikkhu ordination at Wat Nong Pah Pong in 1996 and spent his first vassa there. He chose to continue as a monk after the vassa ended. In 1997 he moved to Wat Pah Ampavan in Chonburi, the 42nd Ajahn Chah branch monastery, where he has spent most of his time as a monk. He travelled to Abhayagiri Monastery in 2010 to learn about Buddhism in America and continue his own practice.
		Ven. Ajahn Karunadhammo Ven. Ajahn Karunadhammo 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 Amaravati. 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 (Vesakha Puja Day) and was part of the original group arriving at Abhayagiri on June 1, 1996. After a little over a year in white, Anagarika Tom became Samanera Karunadhammo on the Full Moon Day of July 1997 under the preceptorship of Ajahn Pasanno. In May 1998 Samanera Karunadhammo 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. Ajahn Karunadhammo spent Vassa 2009 (July-October) in Canada at Birken Forest Monastery.
		Ven. Ajahn Gunavuddho Ajahn Gunavuddho was born in a small farming town outside of Chicago in 1974. In 1987 he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. He finished his B.A. degree in Boston in 1996, and first came to Abhayagiri in 1998 where he was introduced to the Ajahn Chah Tradition. Inspired by Ajahn Pasanno's path of practice, he went to ordain in Thailand at Wat Pah Nanachat later in 1998 and received Bhikkhu ordination in 2000 at Wat Nong Pah Pong, Ajahn Chah's monastery, with Luang Por Liem as his preceptor. Since then he has lived with many of the senior disciples of Ajahn Chah, such as Ajahn Anan at Wat Marp Jan. After 10 years of living in Thailand, he returned to Abhayagiri in May 2009 with the aspiration to support the Ajahn Chah Thai Forest Tradition in America.
		Caganando Bhikkhu Ven. Caganando 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. Current plans are to participate in establishing the Pacific Hermitage, a branch of Abhayagiri in the Pacific Northwest.
		Thitabho Bhikkhu Ven. Thitabho was born in Tucson, Arizona on April 17, 1985. Although he has been interested in spirituality for the majority of his life, he never had faith or interest in any religion until encountering the teachings of the Buddha on the Internet. 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 the practice of Buddhism would be more beneficial and fulfilling to him. Ven. Thitabho took Samanera ordination on December 19, 2005, received the higher ordination becoming a fully ordained Bhikkhu on April 22, 2007. He recently returned to Abhayagiri after spending a year training in Thailand.
		Kassapo Bhikkhu Kassapo Bhikkhu 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 anagarika training. He returned to Abhayagiri in late May, 2005 and received the anagarika "Going Forth" on June 29, 2005 and ordination as a novice (Samanera) on July 16, 2006. Ven. Kassapo received the higher ordination becoming a fully ordained Bhikkhu on July 14, 2007, with Ajahn Pasanno as his preceptor (Upajjhaya). He recently returned to Abhayagiri after spending a year training in Thailand.
		Cunda Bhikkhu Ven. Cunda was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, and moved to California in 1996. After graduating from college, and after working and living abroad, he began practicing Buddhist meditation. Seeking a quieter, peaceful life, he arrived at Abhayagiri in the Fall of 2005. Ven. Cunda went forth as an anagārika in 2006 and received novice ordination in 2007. His Bhikkhu ordination took place on May 22nd, 2008, with Ajahn Pasanno as preceptor.
		Kaccāna Bhikkhu Kaccāna Bhikkhu 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 Sri 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 Upasika program. Realizing that monastic practice might be of great benefit to himself and others, Ven. Kaccāna came to Abhayagiri a month after completing his PhD. He went forth as an anagārika on October 7th, 2006, and his sāmanera ordination, or pabbajja, was held in October 2007. On October 26th, 2008 Ven. Kaccāna received the higher ordination, becoming a fully ordained Bhikkhu, with Ajahn Pasanno as his preceptor (Upajjhaya).
		Thitapañño Bhikkhu Thitapañño 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 Bhavana Society Forest Monastery and Meditation Center in West Virginia. After living at the Bhavana Society for a little more than a year, Thitapañño 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 (pabbajja) on July 8, 2008. Ajahn Pasanno and the Abhayagiri Sangha gave Ven. Thitapañño bhikkhu ordination on June 13, 2009.
		Sāmanera Kovilo Sāmanera 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.
		Sāmanera Pamutto Sāmanera 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 Theravada 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 Sāmanera ordination on July 22, 2009.
		Anagārika Nate A search for direct knowledge of universal truth and an end to personal suffering led Anagarika Nate to begin practicing Zen meditation in early 2004, during his first year of university education. As his practice developed, he became increasingly dissatisfied by the inability of academic philosophy to resolve either issue. In April 2007 he left college to began residency at a Zen monastery and devote himself to meditation. Studying the Theravada scriptures and teachings, he felt a strong affinity for the monastic discipline and lineage of Ajahn Chah. He moved to Abhayagiri in April 2009 and went forth as an anagārika on September 4, 2009.
		Anagārika Brian Brian 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.
		Anagārika Kevin Born in 1989, Anagārika Kevin was raised in Madison, Wisconsin. His father taught him equanimity and gentleness. His mother taught him devotional love. Kevin first practiced Buddhism with the Snowflower Sangha in the Thich Nhat Hahn tradition. Inspired by the goodness of his family, friends, and spiritual teachers, he decided to pursue the holy life. He went forth as an an anagārika on April 26, 2010.