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Muttodaya
Forest Monastery
The forest
monastery is a place
where people can learn and practise a selfless way of life which leads
to the complete cessation of greed, hatred and delusion. It is a place
for developing the Noble Eighfold Path, so that the mind can reach
liberation and realize the Deathless (Nibbana). Both monastics and
laypeople can stay here in order to meditate, study and discuss the
Dhamma together. It is not a retreat centre, a seminar centre or a
temple serving a particular cultural purpose.
The name “Muttodaya”
means Liberated Heart (or: The Place Where Freedom Arises) in Pali, the language of early Buddhism. It is a
poetic expression of our goal that we are trying to reach. The monks
follow the standards of the forest tradition as we can still find it in
the Theravada countries (Sri
Lanka,
Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia). It is not fixed on a specific lineage
or a particular master. It should give an opportunity for all those who
are seriously interested to study and practise together on the basis of the
Dhamma-Vinaya.
The
monastic community:
Ajahn
Cattamalo is the senior monk. Born in Germany, he was ordained in the Wat Nong Pa
Pong tradition of Venerable Ajahn Chah, N.E. Thailand in the year 1988. He
spent 7 years in various monasteries throughout Thailand practising and
studying with different meditation teachers of the forest tradition. For 13
years he lived at Bodhinyana Monastery in Perth, Australia. The last 5 years he
was the vice-abbot there, helping Ajahn Brahmavamso.
Tan Gavesako is of Czech nationality.
He was ordained at Amaravati Monastery, England in the year 2000, and spent 5 years in the
monasteries of the Ajahn Chah tradition in England. After that he lived
in monasteries of that lineage in Thailand, Italy, Switzerland and New
Zealand. He also has thudong experience in Thailand and Europe.
Tan Mettiko
is German. He was ordained in Wat Pa Nam Rin, Chiang Mai in Thailand in
the year 2004 and spent four years with Luang Phor Thong Daeng
Varapañño at Wat Phra Jao Ton Luang, Chiang Mai, at Wat Pa Nanachat and
on thudong in Thailand and Germany. After that he spent some time in
New Zealand at Vimutti monastery and on thudong. (He is currently staying in Thailand from November until the end of February.)
All three monks speak English, German and Thai fluently.
Anagarika Jochen Sum has been living with the community since the summer and took the eight precepts in October.
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