LUANG POR SUMEDHO
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Luang Por Sumedho is the senior Western representative of the
Thai forest tradition of Theravada Buddhism. He was abbot of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, UK, from its consecration in 1984 until his retirement in 2010. A bhikkhu since 1967, Luang Por is considered a seminal figure in the transmission of the Buddha's teachings to the West. He spent ten years at Wat Nong Pah Pong, studying under Ajahn Chah. In 1975 he helped to establish and became the first abbot of the International Monastery, Wat Pah Nanachat in northeast Thailand founded by Ajahn Chah for training non-Thai students. In 1977, Ajahn Sumedho accompanied Ajahn Chah on a visit to England. Encouraged by Ajahn Chah to remain in England for the purpose of establishing a branch monastery in the UK, he sub- sequently established Cittaviveka Forest Monastery in southern England, and then Amaravati. He was thus the leader in establishing the Forest Sangha tradition in the UK. Luang Por Sumedho was made an upajjhāya (ordination preceptor) in 1981. Since then he has given upasampadā (bhikkhu ordination) to more than a hundred aspirants of many nationalities. He remained as senior incumbent at Amaravati until November 2010, when he handed over the duties of Abbot to Ajahn Amaro. Luang Por is now based in Thailand where his monastic life began in 1966. We feel deeply grateful to Luang Por for including Dhammagiri in his travels in April/May 2016 |