Going Forth as a Novice

In the quiet of the early morning on August 21, 2020, the Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat held a ceremony of Going Forth — becoming a Samanera (novice) — in the main meditation hall of the monastery. We wholeheartedly wish Samanera Gunaratano from Japan all the best for his life in the yellow robes within our community.

Opening up on Asalha Puja

Wat Pah Nanachat is gradually opening up for the public again. On the Buddhist holiday commemorating the Buddha’s first teaching, “Asalha Puja”, after registering and scanning the body-temperature, washing hands, equipped with face masks, many people joined the usual ceremonies on this auspicious occasion: determining to practice according to the Buddhist lay-precepts, offering food and requisites to the Sangha, and listening to Ajahn Kevali giving a talk about the Dhammacakkappavattana-Sutta. For keeping the required physical distance, the monastery could not yet allow people to eat the remaining food together in the kitchen, but the kitchen crew was able to provide some take-away snacks for all. In the evening people were welcome to come for mediation, reciting the Dhammacakkappavattana-Sutta and listening o the Dhamma again.

Acceptance of four new monks into the Sangha

Early in the morning on June 29th four Wat Pah Nanachat novices took Upasampada (Acceptance into the Bhikkhu-Sangha) at Wat Nong Pah Pong with Luang Por Liem (Phra Rachabhavanavikrom) as their preceptor, accompanied by two applicants from Wat Nong Pah Pong. The Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat feels great joy to welcome them coming from Laos, New Zealand, Israel, and the land of the Buddha himself, India, in order to further their practice in the yellow robes within the full system of the monastic training rules, that the Buddha established over 2500 years ago.

Opening up a little...

After being closed to the public for three months the Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat is very pleased to be able to welcome people back in the Sala in the mornings. After almsround, from 6:30, until the meal has been offered at 8:00, the gates are open again. Our lay community can hear some Dhamma, meditate and receive the Sangha’s blessing at this time. Understandably the arrangements regarding kitchen and food still need to be limited, so we ask our guests not to have their meal in the monastery. International guests will most likely be able to come again, once Thailand’s borders are open and quarantine isn’t necessary any more. We all hope for gradually facilitating a safe transition to more of our usual activities in the not so distant future, and express our great appreciation for all the support our Sangha has received over the past months.

Paying Respects at Ajahn Chah’s Birthplace

On the occasion of Ven Ajahn Chah’s 102nd birthday the Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat went to the stone-pillar in Bahn Gor village neat Wat Nong Pah Pong, which marks his birthplace. The Sangha quietly paid respects, spent time meditating, chanting, and listened to readings from his teachings.

Almsround at the Monastery Gate

For the first time since since March 19th, 2020, a part of the Wat Pah Nanachat Sangha was able to receive alms at the monastery gate again. The setup for a thorough hand-wash with soap for at least 20 seconds for people before putting food into the monks bowls, attentive helpers that separate food that needs to be reheated and raw-material to be processed by the in-house kitchen-crew, and of course face masks for everybody, are helping to cut bridges for possible infections, while a Sangha of about 40 monks and novices inside the monastery still remains in seclusion with no public ceremonies being held yet.

Visakha-Puja 2020 At Wat Pah Nanachat

Celebrating Visakha Puja - the day the Buddha was born, attained Enlightenment and passed away - by a silent procession around the main Sala at Wat Pah Nanachat with flowers, candles and incense, contemplating the life of the Buddha as depicted in the Poem "Postures - The Life of the Buddha in Standing , Sitting , Walking and Lying Down", which was written by on of the monks for this occasion, and read out in the Sala after the procession.

This year, the annual Visakha Puja celebration for the first time took place without the monastery's laypeople from the surrounding villages and towns being able to join. Thus the resident monastic community wholeheartedly would like to share the merit of their practice on this special day with all friends of the monastery outside in this way and wish them much peace and happiness.

Visakha Puja: Recollection of the Buddha

Just before the celebration of Visakha, the day commemorating the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and final passing away, Ajahn Kevali reminds the community of Wat Pah Nanachat (whether at the monastery or at home) to do their “homework” in recollecting the virtues of the Buddha - remembering him as a historical person, seeing the Buddha within the Dhamma, having faith in the transcendental aspects his realization of complete Nibbana, and practicing similarly to develop “Buddho”, awakening awareness.

New Years Blessings Thai New Year 2563

On the occasion of Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year, the Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat would like to extend their wholehearted well-wishing with this short Dhamma teaching and the recitation of the Ratana-Sutta, a protection-chant praising the virtues of Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha in times of famine, unwholesome spirits and epidemic.

วันสงกรานต์ ที่วัดป่านานาชาติ ๒๕๖๓

พระครูอุบลภาวนาวิเทศและคณะสงฆ์วัดป่านานาชาติ ให้พรช่วงงานสงกรานต์ และสวดรตนสูตร วันที่ ๑๓ เม.ย. ๒๕๖๓

ขอให้ญาติโยมมีความสุขและเจริญในธรรม วันสงกรานต์ ๒๕๖๓

Sangha in Wat Pah Nanachat well supported every day

Every day, despite the ongoing difficulties that many of us face during the Covid 19-pandemic - here in Thailand and all over the world - the Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat gratefully continues to receive much generous support while the monastery is closed down for the public. A support team from Bung Wai village and various monastery disciples from town bring fruits, vegetables and other raw material for cooking to the gate at 7:30 am. Ajahn Kevali usually comes out, well protected with face mask and a safe distance to all, and exchanges a few words with the outside world on the road.

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Then the supplies are taken into the monastery, and processed accordingly by four lay-women residing in the monastery.

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With a blessing chant the Sangha then silently takes their one meal a day, sitting well separated from each other.

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After bowl washing Ajahn Kevali gives the usual brief encouragement for everyone’s practice with the monks and novices listening spread out through the main hall.

Then, in the usual way of the forest tradition, the monks and novices disperse for a day of individual meditation at their huts in the forest.

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Fortunately the Sangha is all healthy and well and greatly appreciates the opportunity to practice in seclusion.

May we all share our merits with everyone painfully affected by this global crisis, and wish all people long life, a healthy body, happiness and strength.

Recollections in Seclusion

After Morning Chanting in a monastery closed down from the public due to the Corona-Virus Pandemic Ajahn Kevali gives the following recollections to the Sangha of Wat Pah Nanachat preceding the daily quiet meditation period before dawn.

Magha Puja Candle-Procession at Wat Pah Nanachat

Celebrating “Magha Puja Day”, the occasion where the Buddha gave a summary of his teachings to a spontaneous assembly of a large number of his disciples on the full moon day of the month of Magha (Febuary), the community of Wat Pah Nanachat held a traditional candle-procession around the main meditation hall and the old bot in the central area of the monastery.

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