Meditating into the new year

New year’s eve 2025 the community of Wat Pah Nanachat spent as usual meditating in and around the uposatha hall, enjoying the quiet, cool evening — eventually greeting the new year with the recitation of the traditional protective verses (“parittas”) as an auspicious way to begin the year 2026 (2569).

We wish everyone a happy and peaceful new year with much opportunity to cultivate the Dhamma in their hearts, practice meditation, and offer kindness and friendship to others while fostering happiness and joy within themselves.

May the Triple Refuge of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha guard you well.

Upasampada Ceremony - Acceptance into the Sangha

On Saturday morning, 22nd of November 2025, the Sangha and layity of Wat Pah Nanachat were especially filled with joy to be part of the rare occasion where the Sangha is able to intoduce the father of one of its monks into the Sangha, becoming a fully fledged Bhikkhu at Wat Pah Nanachat. We wholeheartedly wish Venerable Pabhāto Bhikkhu from the US all the best for taking on the monastic training.
Guests of honour in the ceremony extending their blessings to the newly ordained monk were Luang Por Pasanno from Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in California, USA, and Luang Por Sucitto from Cittaviveka Buddhist Monastery in Sussex, in the UK.

Retreat with Luang Por Pasanno

This year again, Luang Por Pasanno kindly conducted a peiod of four days of quiet communal practice at Wat Pah Nanachat from November 13th to 17th, 2025, instructing over 150 people in meditation.

The opportunity to lay down one’s usual business, close off the common communications and apply the Dhamma continually together with many other likeminded practitioners felt highly benefitial for all participants. The retreat went very smoothly and peacefully due to the help of many volunteers offering this opportunity to people from Ubon Ratchathani, Bangkok and many places all over Thailand.

Our formost thanks go to Luang Por, who wholeheartedly dedicated himself to giving countless inspiring Dhamma-reflections in this period, after having travelled a long way from the UK to Wat Pah Nanachat, before passing on to Abhayagiri monastery in the US. His precious teachings which will surely guide all of us further through many different situations of life, where mindfulness and wisdom are indeed much needed.

Robe Offering Ceremony (Kathina) 2025

On the weekend of Oct 25-26, the lay community of Wat Pah Nanachat arranged a beautiful traditional Kathina-Ceremony (“Robes-Offering-Ceremony”) for the Sangha which had spent the rains-retreat 2025 in Wat Pah Nanachat.

As it is usually practiced in the forest monasteries of the Ajahn Chah Lineage, the night before the offering was marked by communal chanting, meditation and Dhamma-talks given by some of the visiting senior monks.

Before the meal on Sunday the 26th the cloth-offerings were made, and the Sangha determined who is to receive the finished robe after a day of cutting, sewing and dyeing the robe in a joint effort with all monks involved.

In the evening there is a final Sangha-gathering in which the finished robe is formally presented to the designated monk. This year the Ajahn Kevali had the honour to receive the robe in the midst of the Sangha.

Bung Wai Community Sanghadana

Today, in between heavy rainfalls, the villagers of Bahn Bung Wai (Wat Pah Nanachat’s main village) enjoyed to opportunity to communally offer food and requisites to the Sangha (Sanghadana), listen to the Dhamma, and be together on a Sunday morning with three or four generations of friends and relatives gathered in the monastery. The event was organized by the local community administration, and has, since several years, become a fixed item on the calendar during the rainy season. The Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat was again deeply touched by the qualities of faith, generosity, and adaptability towards each other under the communal aim of performing wholesome acts and helping out whenever possible.

Two New Samaneras and Three New Bhikkhus at Wat Pah Nanachat

In the middle of this years rains retreat the Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat welcomed two new Samaneras (novices) and three new Bhikkhus (monks) to monastic life within the Sangha. The two novices “Phaladassī” and “Varadhammo” are from Germany and Poland. “Tan Aggadhammo” of the three new bhikkhus comes from South-Africa, “Tan Cāgarato” from Germany, and “Tan Parakkamo” from India. All of the five have been living and practicing within the community for a long preparatory period and are already well established in the monastic routines and trainings.

The Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat wholeheartedly wishes them that they can happiply continue with following the Buddha’s path of peace for their own and many, many other beings’ happiness and welfare, in a wholly healthy and fruitful life within the Dhamma-Vinaya.

Joining the WPN Sangha as Samanera

The Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat conducted a ceremony of Going Forth (pabbajja) for Samanera Khemako from Bangladesh on July 31st, early in the morning. We wish him much peace and happiness within the monastic life in the Thai-Forest Tradition.

Paying Respects to Senior Monks for the Rains-Retreat

Traditionally the Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat pays respect to some of the senior monks in the area each year before starting the rains-retreat. Amongst senior monks of the Ubon Province Sangha-Administration the Sangha paid respects to some of the oldest disciples of Ajahn Chah, for example Luang Puh See Sirinyano, who is presently aged 101 years and still continues to quietly bless the sangha with his genuinely kind smiles and gentle gestures. The three days of taking the monks, novices and laypeople to the various monasteries concluded by visiting Luang Por Liem in Wat Pah Nong Wai, where he is retreating from the responsibilities at Wat Nong Pah Pong, Luang Por Cha’s monastery, for the three months of the vassa.

Going Forth as Novices

On the beautiful morning of July 7th in the Uposatha Hall (Bot) of Wat Pah Nanachat two new novices joined the Wat Pah Nanachat Sangha in the “Ceremony of Going Forth”: Pakao Gad from Israel, who became Samanera Samattho, and Pakao Vincent from France, who became Samanera Adhisīlo. The Sangha and Lay-community of Wat Pah Nanachat wholeheartedly rejoice in their stepping into the alms-mendicant’s life, wearing the yellow robes, and taking on the training within the Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat. May their monastic lead them to long lasting peace, deep wisdom and compassion.

Chanting for Peace in the World

The evening chanting on June 14th, 2025, the Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat dedicated to world peace by reciting the traditional protective verses (“parittas”), which include essential teachings of the Buddha, for example on the highest blessings in life, the boundless quality of loving kindness (“metta”), and recollections of the Buddha conquering greed, hatred and delusion by means of a peaceful mind.

May our solemn recitation of the Buddhas teachings, accompanied by the ringing sounds of the cicadas joining in during dusk time in the forest of Wat Pah Nanachat, help to contribute to peace, wisdom and compassion in this world.

Visakha Puja Celebration: The Buddhas Birth, Awakening and Final Passing Away

The full moon day of May called “Visakha” (or “Vesak”) is a day of commemoration of the life of the Buddha. At Wat Pah Nanachat we usually celebrate it with late night readings from the Buddhist scriptures. This year was dedicated to the final passing away of the Buddha, the “Parinibbana”.
English translations of excerpts from the “Maha-Parinibbana-Sutta” (the “great discourse on the final entering Nibbana”) were read by various monks, novices and pakaos, and the Thai versions of the same texts by the local lay-disciples.
Contemplating the last stages and teachings of the Buddha’s life on this auspicious occasion left us feeling inspired, urged to put forth effort in our practice, and uplifted with a sense of peace.

ลูกศิษย์วัดป่านานาชาติอ่านจากพระสูตรแห่งปรินิพพาน ในวันวิสาขบูชา ๑๑ พ.ค. ๒๕๖๘

YouTube : พระสูตรแห่งปรินิพพาน อ่านที่วัดป่านานาชาติ วันวิสาขบูชา

Going Forth as a Novice

Early in the morning on May 9th, 2025, Samanera Sirimanto from Canada received “Pabbajja”, the Going Forth as a novice by Ajahn Kevali in the midst of the Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat. May his new life in the yellow robes bring him much inner happiness and fulfillment in the Dhamma.

Ven Thaniyo Bhikkhu passed away

On May 1st, 2025 the Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat held a memorial ceremony for Ven. Thaniyo Bhikkhu (Alex Oliver, July 6th, 1977 - April 24th, 2025), who sadly passed away on April 24th in Melbourne, Australia.
Venerable Thaniyo has spend over fifteen years in the yellow robes, much of this time in Wat Pah Nanachat and Wat Nong Pah Pong, where he originally joined the monastic community in 2005.
Fortunately, Ajahn Kevali and some of the monks of Buddha-Bodhivana Monastery in Melbourne were able to be with him at the time of his last breath and are deeply touched by the goodness and peace that he has been able to maintain despite an increasingly difficult struggle with cancer. We wish all who knew him and his family all the best in this time of loss, and wholeheartedly dedicate the merits of our practice to him. May his inspiring example and wonderful dedication to the Dhamma be a source of joy and uplift to all of us.

Upasampada: Acceptance of two new monks in the sangha

After a full year as novices at Wat Pah Nanachat the two brothers Saccadhammo and Khemadhammo from Indonesia have been accepted as Bhikkhus in the Sangha on February 3rd, 2025. Their relatives and friends came from Bali to give them full support for their lives in the yellow robes. The Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat wholeheartedly welcomes them in their midst and wishes them much peace and happiness in the Buddha’s system of training, the Dhamma-Vinaya.

Going forth of two new novices

On Jan 9th two new Samaneras (novices) started their training in the yellow robes in the Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat. Samanera Dhīro from India, who, as a layman had been looking after the monks in the new monastery associated to Wat Pah Nanachat in Haryana Province northern India, and Samanera Yuttiko from one of the neighboring villages around Wat Pah Nanachat. We wholeheartedly welcome the two in the Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat.

Meditation Retreat with Luang Por Pasanno

From Jan 3rd to 6th Luang Por Pasanno kindly offered to teach a mediation retreat at Wat Pah Nanachat in Thai language around the Bot area in the mornings and evenings, and during the day in the inner Sala, including walking mediation in the area of the cremation site. The monks and novices and many laypeople that took part in this period of focused and silent practice greatly appreciated the teachings and the unique opportunity to practice together.

Meditating and Chanting into the new year

With an evening of quiet meditation and chanting the Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat celebrated the beginning of 2025 (2568). Luang Por Pasanno - visiting from Abhayagiri Monastery in California - lead the ceremonies and gave some Dhamma-teachings as a blessing for the new year.

Going Forth

On Monday, November 11th, 2024 Wat Pah Nanachat conducted a ceremony of “Going Forth” (Pabbajja), accepting two new novices (samaneras) in the sangha. May they live a life of happiness and peace in the yellow robes — for their own benefit and for the benefit of many other beings.

Robe Offering Ceremony (Kathina) 2024

In the tradition of Ajahn Chah the yearly robe-offering ceremony called “Kathina” is usually marked by a large gathering of monastery-disciples for chanting, meditation and Dhamma-talks the night before the offering. Monks and laypeople from nearby forest monasteries join in. For laypeople there is free food-give-away offered by many volunteer-groups. In the morning, just before the actual Kathina ceremony, the sangha usually goes on a symbolic rice-almsround within the monastery. This year the seniormost Ajahn was Luang Por Liem from Wat Nong Pah Pong and Tan Ajahn Jayasaro, who came from his kuti in Korat.
The Kathina ceremony starts with a short, formal dedication in Pali. Then all laypeople who wish to contribute robe-material, place their offering in front of the sangha. The monks then determine who is to receive the robe that is to be made out of the offered cloth. This “Kathina”-robe needs to be finished before the next dawn. In Wat Pah Nanachat the sangha hand-sews the white cloth in a group effort, and then uses natural dye derived from Jackfruit-wood to give it the required ochre colour. The dye is been prepared ahead of time in a lengthy process of boiling down wood-chips for many hours. The wet robe is then dried, for example by the heat of small charcoal stoves. Eventually the finished robe is given in a formal sangha meeting to the designated recipient - usually the abbot.

Special Practice Period in auspicious times

From July 25-27th the Sangha and the lay community of Wat Pah Nanachat were engaged in a special practice period with long afternoon sessions in addition to the morning and evening meetings, in order to start the “Pansah”, the traditional rains-retreat together, and to mark the following three auspicious occasions:
The 75th birthday of Luang Por Pasanno, former abbot of the monastery on July 26th, and the 90th birthday of Luang Por Sumedho, Wat Pah Nanachat’s first abbot, on July 27th, and the 72nd Birthday of HM King Vajiralongkorn on July 28th, which was celebrated with special ceremonies and events not only in Wat Pah Nanachat, but all over the country. The Sangha and the lay community felt greatly inspired to be able to dedicate these days of silent meditation to these three most venerable beings, who we owe so much to, especially living in the midst of the rich Thai religious heritage as monks and laypeople from all over the world. May they keep healthy and well, allowing their great wisdom and compassion to continue to guard our community and from there spread the Dhamma throughout the Kingdom of Thailand and abroad.