Ajahn Brahm

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Ajahn Brahm, 2008

Ajahn Brahmavamso Mahathera (born August 7, 1951 in London as Peter Betts ) is a Buddhist monk and mostly known as Ajahn Brahm .

biography

Early years

After reading books about Buddhism in school, he considered himself a Buddhist at the age of 17 . Raised in a humble background, he received a scholarship in theoretical physics at Cambridge University and studied there in the early 1970s. A Cambridge graduate, he taught at a high school for a year before traveling to Thailand to become a bhikkhu (a theravada - Buddhist monk ). Ajahn Brahm was ordained at Wat Saket Monastery in Thailand at the age of 23 and then studied for nine years with a legendary meditation master, Ajahn Chah Bodhinyana Mahathera.

In his time as a junior monk, he was asked to take over the compilation of an English-speaking guide through the Buddhist monastery rules, the Vinaya . His book later became the basis for monastic discipline in many Theravada monasteries in the western world.

Arrival in Australia

In 1983 Ajahn Brahm was invited by the Buddhist Society of Western Australia to come to Perth , Western Australia, to assist Ajahn Jagaro in teaching. Initially they both lived in an old house in the suburbs of northern Perth, but in 1983 they were given 97  acres of agricultural and forested land in the hills of Serpentine, south of Perth. The land became the Bodhinyana Monastery, named after their teacher, Ajahn Chah , whose religious name was Bodhinyana. Bodhinyana became the first consecrated Buddhist monastery in the southern hemisphere and is now the largest Buddhist monastic community in Australia.

Initially there were no buildings on the property, and since there were only a few Buddhists in Perth at that time and therefore little financial support, the monks began to build them themselves. So it came about that Ajahn Brahm learned plumbing and bricklaying and built many of the buildings that exist today himself.

Take over the management

In 1994, Ajahn Jagaro left Western Australia on pause. A year later he left the order and left Ajahn Brahm in sole responsibility. Despite initial reservations, Ajahn Brahm took on this role with enthusiasm. Soon he was invited to give his humorous and uplifting speeches in other parts of Australia and Southeast Asia. He was a speaker at the International Buddhist Summit in Phnom Penh in 2002 and at three global Buddhist conferences. Furthermore, he devotes his time and attention to the sick and dying, as well as the people in prison, the cancer patients and the people who want to learn to meditate. He also looks after his own sangha of bhikkhus in Bodhinyana .

Ajahn Brahm influenced the establishment of the Dhammasara nunnery in Gidgegannup in the hills to the northeast of Perth . It is a completely independent monastery in which Sri Lankan trained Bhikkhuni Ajahn Sr. Vayama is the abbess .

Offices

Ajahn Brahm is currently Abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine, Western Australia, Spiritual Director of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia, Spiritual Advisor to the Buddhist Society of Victoria, Spiritual Advisor to the Buddhist Society of South Australia, Spiritual Patron of the Buddhist Fellowship in Singapore , Spiritual patron of the Bodhikusuma Center in Sydney and works with monks and nuns from all Buddhist traditions to establish the Australian Sangha Association.

In October 2004 Ajahn Brahm received the John Curtin Medal for his vision, guidance and service to the Australian Society through Curtin University.

Bhikkhuni Controversy and Sangha Exclusion

On October 22, 2009, Ajahn Brahm recognized four women in the Australian branch of the Thai forest tradition as bhikkhunis. This act led to an international conflict in the Sangha and Ajahn Brahm was expelled from the Thai community following a Vinaya trial. Since then, the topic has been simmering as a rift in the Sangha.

Ajahn Brahm For Sale

With the marketing campaign “Ajahn Brahm for Sale”, Brahm collected donations for the Dhammasara nunnery from April to mid-June 2013. He auctioned it for seven days of his time.

The Buddhist teachings and special accents from Ajahn Brahm

In addition to his lectures (Dhamma Talks), which Brahm regularly broadcasts on YouTube , he is primarily dedicated to spreading the original meditation technique taught by Buddha 2500 years ago, Samatha and Vipassana . Brahm places particular emphasis on the practice of Samatha and the achievement of the " Jhana " states. In his work "In the Still Sea of ​​Happiness", a manual of advanced meditation, he describes in great detail the development of deep meditation states ("Nimitta" and finally "Jhana") and leads the meditator step by step into the deepening of the "Jhana" - Experience.

Books

  • The cow that was crying. Buddhist stories about the path to happiness. Lotos, Munich 2006, ISBN 978-3-7787-8183-8 . (Original English title: Opening the door of your heart )
  • In the calm sea of ​​happiness. Handbook of Buddhist Meditation. Lotos, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-7787-8192-0 . (Original English title: Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond )
  • Just this moment. Instructions for Buddhist Practice. Lotos, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-7787-8214-9 . (Original English title: Simply This Moment )
  • Meditation. Strength and clarity for the mind. Lotus, Munich 2012 ISBN 978-3-7787-8233-0 . (Original English title: The art of disappearing )
  • The elephant who forgot happiness. Buddhist stories to find joy in every moment. Lotos, Munich 2015, ISBN 978-3-7787-8251-4 . (Original English title: Don't worry, be grumpy )
  • All you need is benevolence and mindfulness. Quotes from Ajahn Brahm. Jhana Verlag, Uttenbühl 2015, ISBN 978-3-931274-57-3 . (Original English title: All you need is kindfulness )
  • Open the door to your heart. The little school of loving mindfulness. Lotos, Munich 2016, ISBN 978-3-7787-8268-2 . (Original English title: Kindfulness )
  • How does the bear help you be happy? Questions and answers for the Buddhist path to a mindful and fulfilling life. Lotos, Munich 2018, ISBN 978-3-6412-2400-4 . (Original English title: Bear awareness )
  • You can only fly if you let go: Buddhist wisdom to calmly master difficulties Lotos, Munich 2019, ISBN 978-3-7787-8288-0 .

Web links

Commons : Ajahn Brahm  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The Bhikkhuni Controversy. Bhikkhu's blog, December 4, 2009, accessed January 31, 2019 .
  2. ^ Ajahn Brahm on why he was excommunicated. Sujato's blog, November 7, 2009, accessed January 31, 2019 .
  3. ^ Buddhist Society of Western Australia, Dhammaloka Center: Ajahn Brahm is for sale! ( Memento from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ^ Buddhist Society of Western Australia. Retrieved October 17, 2017 .
  5. ^ Ajahn Brahm - Interview with a Buddhist monk - Horizonworld - live and think consciously. Retrieved October 17, 2017 .
  6. ↑ Ajahn Brahm: In the quiet sea of ​​happiness . 1st edition. Lotos, 2007, ISBN 978-3-7787-8192-0 .
personal data
SURNAME Brahm, Ajahn
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ajahn Brahmavamso Mahathera
BRIEF DESCRIPTION buddhist monk
DATE OF BIRTH August 7, 1951
PLACE OF BIRTH London