Monastery History
The Old & New
Twenty five years ago the Evening Post did a full page photo essay on the monastery. A recent visit from the same photographer resulted in a new version.
view here
History
Bodhinyanarama is associated with the many branch monasteries of Venerable Ajahn Chah (1918-1992). In his home province in north-eastern Thailand, Ajahn Chah inspired many westerners by the simplicity of the traditional monastic lifestyle and by his clarity, wisdom, and compassionate humour. In 1977 he was invited to England by the English Sangha Trust to investigate the possibility of establishing a monastic presence in Britain. Finding the reception favorable he left his most senior western disciple, Ajahn Sumedho, and three other monks to establish a monastic community, first in London and later at Chithurst Monastery in West Sussex.
In 1982 Ajahn Sumedho visited New Zealand and was encouraged to send monks to establish a monastery near Wellington. A group of devoted Buddhists formed a charitable association and in 1985 invited two monks from the United Kingdom to live in New Zealand. A superb location, a thickly-wooded, easily accessible valley near Wellington was soon purchased. Since then, much energy and commitment by many people have created the beautiful buildings, gardens, and forest walks that comprise the monastery today.
Those who do not taste mindfulness of the body do not taste the Deathless. Those who taste mindfulness of the body taste the Deathless. AN 1.616Those who are heedless of mindfulness of the body are heedless of the Deathless. AN 1.626
Those who comprehend mindfulness of the body comprehend the Deathless. AN 1.627
Bodhinyanarama belongs to the network of Ajahn Chah’s monasteries in the United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, United States, France and Malaysia. The monastic community of monks (sangha) is structured according to the vinaya code of conduct, which was established by the Buddha. The sangha depends entirely on the generosity of the laity for its basic needs of food, robes, shelter, and medicines. The sangha lives simply and has few worldly obligations. Monks do not possess independent means of support. They do not handle money, own property, or store food. In return the sangha offers spiritual guidance and reflection to the lay community through verbal teachings and by its living presence. The monks train themselves to be worthy of respect and of the generosity on which they depend. The sangha and the laity thus support, balance, and nourish one another in a way that benefits the whole community.
Moving On
History has a way of sliding into the past, and that is what makes it history. However, change too often involves a loss of memory of what has gone. We have tried to preserve as much as is reasonable and two areas on the site give some feel for the past: photos and news updates. Also the AGM minutes (below) give historical perspective, if requiring a bit more reading.
AGM’s
The monastery annual general meeting is a significant point of reflection for the year past. It reviews the year considering the life of the monastery from several different perspectives; the sangha, the stewarding committee, the treasurer and all those present. It is open to the public. Those present for the 2016 meeting agreed that the minutes for these meeting might be of interest to you. You can read those minutes here