Theravada and Early Buddhist Practice Centers
The Thai Forest tradition, established by the late venerable Ajahn Mun, and the Pa Auk tradition, founded by venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw of Myanmar, are two traditions that place great emphasis on following the Vinaya which can greatly enhance ones practice. While the Thai tradition emphasizes the Pali Suttas and the Vinaya, the Pa Auk tradition also incorporates the Theravada commentaries and devotes more time to traditional ritual practices and ceremonies. Additionally, the SBS Monk Training Centre is a non-sectarian Theravada center with a unique focus on Early Buddhist Texts.
Many of the practice centers mentioned below except one are freely offered, and you have the option to donate to them before, during, or after your stay. Cultivating dana, or generosity, is a wonderful way to support these centers and benefit your own spiritual growth.
Abhayagiri Forest Monastery in Ukiah, California :
General: This monastery is just north of Ukiah, California. It is in the Thai Forest tradition of Thai Buddhist master Ajahn Chah. It is in a forest of small trees, and the climate is generally quite mild and favorable year round. This monastery is best for folks who are inspired by the Pali Suttas and Vinaya and especially for those who have an affinity for Ajahn Chah’s teachings. A benefit of ordaining here is you can receive traditional Thai monastic training but in a Western context where you don’t have to deal with the challenges that present themselves to Westerners in Asia (climate, food, visas, language-barrier, etc.). The Vinaya is taken seriously here.
Visiting: Lay men and women can visit short-term or long-term periods of up to a year.
Ordination: There is a clear path to ordination for men that takes between 6 months to 12 months of postulancy as an Anagarika (non-househoulder following 8 precepts). You then spend 1 year as a Samanera (novice monk following 10 precepts) until finally becoming a full Bhikkhu (full monastic following 227 Patimokkha rules).
Typical Timetable:
4:30 AM: Wake Up
5:00 AM: Group Meditation & Chanting
6:00 AM: Work Practice
6:40 AM; Breakfast
7:30 AM: Work Meeting
8:00am: Work or Prepare Lunch
11:00am: Lunch
12:15pm: Clean Up
1:00pm: Free (for Anagarikas, sometimes additional work commitments)
7:00pm: Group Meditation & Chanting
Western Practice Centers
Wat Metta Forest Monastery in San Diego, California :
General: This is a traditional Thai Forest monastery in the tradition of Ajahn Lee Dhammadaro, who was a disciple of Ajahn Mun and contemporary of Ajahn Chah. This monastery is led by the famous scholar monastic Ajahn Geoff (Tan Thanissaro Bhikkhu), who trained for 15+ years in Thailand with Ajahn Suwat. This monastery is a serious place of practice, where the monastics are on retreat all year long. The primary practice here is Anapanasati and the Vinaya is taken quite seriously.
Visiting: The monastery is closed to overnight visitors due to COVID-19, people may visit during the day.
Ordination: The last we have heard about Wat Metta is that they are full for monastic residents, but are open for long-term male and female lay-residents. The practice is similar to other Thai monasteries in terms of Anagarika -> Samanera -> Bhikkhu. When open, you can typically call the monastery to book your stay, plan to do so months in advance as the monastery is incredibly popular.
Typical Timetable:
5:30 ‒ 6:35AM: Morning meditation
6:45 ‒ 8:30AM: Morning chores
8:30AM: Alms round
8:45AM: The monks’ meal
9:00AM: Morning chanting
9:30AM: The laypeople’s meal
10:00 ‒ 11:00AM: Cleanup
11:00am ‒ 4:00pm: The afternoon
4:00 ‒ 4:30PM: Q & A
4:30 ‒ 6:00PM: Afternoon chores
7:00 ‒ 8:20PM: Evening meditation
8:20PM: Bed or further practice
Insight Retreat Center in Santa Cruz, CA
General: This practice center is founded by Gil Fronsdal. There is typically a week-long retreat that Gil Fronsdal teaches every month at the center, and as a resident you can attend every month. There are typically one or two other retreats each month led by different teachers. As a retreat center resident you will be given a small responsibility to take care of, which will take anywhere between 5 and 20 hours per week, depending on how much time you have to offer. You also receive a stipend while living here (you get paid to live and practice here!). This option is great if you are not looking for ordination, but looking to commit to a year of practice. Great teachers come through this center through the years, such as Ajahn Sucitto, Paul Haller, and of course, Gil himself.
Visiting: The best way to visit is to do a week-long retreat with Gil Fronsdal, or to join for one of the volunteer days at the center.
Becoming a Resident: Prerequisite for becoming a resident is doing a week-long retreat, or multiple retreats with Gil Fronsdal at the center, and then getting to know the community from there. After this you can apply to live at the center for a minimum one year commitment. This is a great place to practice for a year.
Schedule: This retreat center has quite an open schedule if you are not participating in one of the retreats that are being hosted by the center. If you are participating in a retreat, the schedule typically entails 12 hours of mediation (6 hours sitting, 6 hours walking) per day.
Retreat Time Table:
6:00 AM: Sitting Meditation
7:00 AM: Breakfast
8:30 AM: Guided Meditation and Sitting Meditation
9:30 AM: Walking Meditation
10:15 AM: Sitting Meditation
11:00 AM: Walking Meditation
11:45 AM: Sitting Meditation
12:30PM: Lunch
2:00PM: Sitting Meditation
2:45PM: Walking Meditation
3:30PM: Sitting Meditation
4:00PM: Dharma Talk
5:00PM: Walking Meditation
5:30PM: Dinner
7:00PM: Walking Meditation
7:45PM: Sitting Meditation
8:30PM: Bed
Chithurst Forest Monastery in Chithurst, England
General: This practice center is founded by Ajahn Sumedho but has mainly been led by Ajahn Sucitto for the last 3+ decades. Ajahn Sucitto is known for his gentle and loving style of practice. The new Abbott is an American, Ajahn Ahimsako, who has a different style than Ajahn Sucitto, it is recommended to listen to talks by him to see if you resonate before flying to the UK, as is the case with any monastery.
Visiting: Visiting as a lay person should be no problem, email the monastery and also check up on the current visa situation.
Ordination: There is plenty of space for ordination at this monastery, you can visit and then undergo the same ordination process detailed for Abhayagiri. There is a process for ordaining as a nun here as well. Visas can be arranged for foreigners ordaining here.
Time Table:
4:30 AM: Wake Up
5:00 AM: Group Meditation & Chanting
6:00 AM: Work Practice
6:40 AM; Breakfast
7:30 AM: Work Meeting
8:00am: Work or Prepare Lunch
11:00am: Lunch
12:15pm: Clean Up
1:00pm: Free (for Anagarikas, sometimes additional work commitments)
7:00pm: Group Meditation & Chanting
Tisarana Forest Monastery in Perth, Ontario, Canada
General: This practice center is founded by Ajahn Viradhammo who is highly regarded in the Thai Forest tradition. Generally speaking the monastery is similar to Abhayagiri and other Western Thai Forest monasteries. The benefits of Tisarana is it’s remote, quiet and natural location and the excellent reputation of the abbot.
Visiting: Contact the monastery for visiting information. Typically one is allowed to stay for long periods as a lay aspirant.
Ordination: The process is most likely similar to Abhayagiri, because they are both similar traditions.
Timetable:
4:30 AM: Wake Up
5:00 AM: Group Meditation & Chanting
6:00 AM: Work Practice
6:40 AM; Breakfast
7:30 AM: Work Meeting
8:00am: Work or Prepare Lunch
11:00am: Lunch
12:15pm: Clean Up
1:00pm: Free (for Anagarikas, sometimes additional work commitments)
7:00pm: Group Meditation & Chanting
The Buddhist Society of Western Australia in Western Australia, Australia
General: This organization was founded by Ajahn Brahm, a leading disciple of Ajahn Chah. Known for both his charisma and humor, Ajahn Brahm emphasizes deep jhana meditations as a path to liberating insight. He established a Bhikkhuni monastery and Sangha in Australia and has been a leader in the revival of the Theravada Bhikkhuni order. Ajahn Brahm also emphasizes the Early Buddhist Texts.
Visiting: One can visit for a meditation retreat at Jhana Grove, or stay as a lay practitioner at Bodhinyana Forest Monastery , peruse the library or for one of Ajahn Brahm’s Friday Night talks at the Dhammaloka City Centre in downtown Perth.
Ordination: From the website: “After spending some time getting acquainted with us, typically we ask the applicant to leave the monastery and go back to lay life. Having let us know that they wish to pursue ordination we will add them to the ordination waiting list. The list is often very long as there is only so much space available for community members. In addition to the long list, we are required by law to give preference to Australian citizens and permanent residents. Thus if you are from overseas it may take a very long time before an opportunity arises. In any case, patience and persistence is a good quality to develop.
Sooner or later as applicants move up the waiting list, the monastery will get in contact and offer a space. After returning to the monastery, and after an initial trial month the Anagarika candidates can ask Ajahn Brahm and the Bodhinyana Sangha for approval to be ordained as an eight precept Postulant.”
Time Table:
4:30 AM: Wake Up
5:00 AM: Group Meditation & Chanting
6:00 AM: Work Practice
6:40 AM; Breakfast
7:30 AM: Work Meeting
8:00am: Work or Prepare Lunch
11:00am: Lunch
12:15pm: Clean Up
1:00pm: Free (for Anagarikas, sometimes additional work commitments)
7:00pm: Group Meditation & Chanting
Practicing Buddhism in Buddhist countries is a unique and precious opportunity, where the support provided to monasteries and monastics is unparalleled. Moreover, these countries offer numerous opportunities for practice, which are mostly freely available on a donation-basis. The rich influence of Buddhism on the culture, architecture, and history of these countries creates a truly inspiring environment for spiritual growth. Although, there can be challenges for Westerners practicing meditation in Asia long-term, such as cultural fatigue, home-sickness, and loneliness, it is important to note that there are practice centers in Asia with a strong presence of Western practitioners, which can help alleviate some of these difficulties. While being in an all-Asian environment may be challenging for extended periods, short-term retreats of one-month or less can be deeply beneficial. If you have an Asian cultural background or fluently speak one of the local languages, such as Thai, Burmese, Sinhala, Mandarin, or Japanese, these cultural barriers may be less of a challenge. It is to note that very rarely can a Westerner last over a year practicing in Asia, typically one can not handle the extreme heat, humidity & insects, the inadequate food hygiene leading to frequent bouts of food poisoning and GI problems, and the long-term cultural fatigue / cultural mismatch.
Practicing in Asia
Wat Marp Jan in Klaeng, Thailand:
General: This monastery, belonging to the Thai Forest tradition of Ajahn Chah, was founded by the highly regarded Thai disciple of Luang Por Chah, Ajahn Anan. If you're seeking to fully immerse yourself in a Buddhist monastery, within a Buddhist country, and in a revered tradition, then this is the perfect place for you. The Vinaya is held in high esteem here, so you can be sure of a serious and dedicated approach to practice. Although learning Thai is essential to communicate directly with Ajahn Anan, you'll find a translator available most of the time. Additionally, translations of all his talks are available online, and in-person translations are given daily after his talk. The monastery is located in the heart of the jungle in central Thailand, offering a unique environment for those seeking a true forest experience. It’s a relatively new monastery and consists mostly of a steep paved road into the jungle up a mountain, there are few forest walking paths, and the grounds are not so expansive. While the heat, humidity, and the presence of snakes and mosquitoes can be a challenge, the serene atmosphere and inspiring monks make it all worthwhile.
Western Presence: There are around 12 Western monks and around 5 Western lay practitioners at the monastery at any given time. This monastery has a strong Western presence, but one is expected to adapt to Thai culture and Ajahn Anan does not speak English (translation is provided).
Visiting: One can inquire via email to visit for 7 days to start, with the option of extending your stay at the discretion of the monastery.
Ordination: 1 to 3 months Anagarika, stage 3 to 8 months Samanera stage, and then full Bhikkhu. Spaces seem available for full ordination. The speed with which one progresses from Anagarika through to Bhikkhu depends on the student and what Ajahn Anan thinks is best for the student.
Typical Timetable:
4:30 AM : Wake Up
5:00 AM : Morning Chanting, Group Meditation
6:00 AM : Work Practice / Prepare for Alms Round
7:00 AM : Alms Round
8:00 AM : Eat the Meal
9:00 AM : Clean Up After Meal (For Lay Guests)
10:00 AM: Free Time for Meditation or Rest (5 Hour Block)
3:00 PM: 1 hour Work Practice
4:00 PM: Optional Pana (Cocoa, Tea, Coffee, Juice and sometimes dried fruit available in the afternoon)
8:00 PM: Chanting, Dharma Talk, Group Meditation
9:30 PM: Optional Meditation or Rest
Updated Mar 2023
Khao Chi-On Forest Monastery / Wat Yan near Pattaya, Thailand
General: Wat Yan is a monastery in the Dhammayut sect of the Thai forest tradition, led by the esteemed Ajahn Suchart, a Thai disciple of the famous Ajahn Maha Boowa. Ajahn Suchart, who has fluency in English, is a valuable teacher for Western monastics. Despite growing up in Thailand, he studied at Fresno State, so his English is quite good! The monastery is known for its austere environment, with a maximum of one meal per day, and monastics often go several days without alms, a practice encouraged by Ajahn Maha Boowa. Wat Yan has approximately 100 monks, with 70-80 of them residing at the large temple, officially called Wat Yan, and studying with a different teacher. Ajahn Suchart's "monastery" is located in a small local nature preserve about 1.5 miles from Wat Yan. The meditation monks who study with Ajahn Suchart live on Khao Chi-on, a forested mountain, on simple platforms without electricity or running water. There seemed to be around 15 to 25 monks residing at the mountain section. To obtain food, they walk two miles at 4:30 am to the main temple closer to town and take a 15-minute bus ride to go on an alms round in the local city. Afterward, they return to the temple, have breakfast, and walk the two miles back to the monastery, usually arriving between 9-10 am, leaving the rest of the day for meditation. The one optional break for the meditating monks at Wat Yan is called “pana” which is a snack/tonic break at about 4 in the afternoon. At this time monks can have juice, drinking cocoa, chocolate bars, honey, and some dried nuts/fruit.
Western Presence: There are 2 or 3 Western monastics and 3 to 5 lay Western practitioners staying at the monastery at any given time. The intense conditions of sleeping in the jungle don’t necessarily lend to an easy time for Western practitioners. There is a Western presence at this monastery, albeit limited. The benefit for Westerners is Ajahn Suchart speaks fluent English and went to college in the US.
Visiting: One can visit by emailing the center and stay for up to 2 weeks to start. At that point, one must apply to stay longer from Ajahn Suchart.
Ordination: Ajahn Suchart, along with other Kru-ba Ajahns (forest masters), does not personally ordain individuals as they avoid formalities and ceremonies. To join him at the monastery, one must obtain permission from both him and the current abbot of Wat Yan. The specific schedule of some monks is due to their unique ordination circumstances. For instance, one of the newer monks attends chanting at 2:30am every day unless fasting. Different requirements apply to those who ordained earlier. The feasibility of repeating this ordination method is uncertain. The current monks residing at Wat Yan may be willing to offer assistance to anyone interested in ordaining there.
Typical Timetable:
3:45 AM: Wake up
4:15 AM: Walk to Wat Yan for alms bus
5:15 AM: Arrive to Wat Yan
5:45 AM: Depart on Alms Bus, collect alms, take alms bus back to Wat Yan, meal preparations, eat the meal
9:00 AM: Walk back to Khao Chi-On to start the days meditation, shower
10:15 AM: Begin days meditation
4:00 PM: Optional snack and drink break - ‘pana’ in Thai
Bedtime: Go to sleep when you want
More Photos and Website
Updated December 2022
Other opportunities in Thailand with highly skilled and accomplished teachers are: Wat Boonyawad with Ajahn Dtun, Wat Anandagiri with Ajahn Achalo and Wat Pah Nanachat.
Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary in Taiping, Malaysia:
General: This monastery is internationally well regarded for foreign meditators. The language spoken here is English, and the leader of the Sangha here is an Austrian monk, Ajahn Ariyadhammika, who trained in many traditions; he is most inspired by Early Buddhism which seeks to follow the Suttas that date back earliest to the Buddha. They do not put as much emphasis on the Theravada commentaries as other monasteries. Many meditation techniques are taught here and the schedule includes ample time for meditation.
Western Presence: There is a large presence of Western practitioners here, including people from US and Europe. The leader of the Sangha is an Austrian monk.
Visiting: One can visit as a lay person to try out a monk’s life, or one can visit and stay at the attached lay retreat center, if they do not have intention to ordain. The visa from the US is 3 months at a time, then one must do a visa run.
Ordination: There are a limited number of spots left for ordination at this monastery. Typically one practices as a lay person for 3 to 6 months as a lay postulant, before eventually taking full ordination, with no samenera phase. In Malaysia you can stay 3 months at a time, at which point you will have to do a visa run, which is a downside of ordaining in a non-Buddhist country. The visa situation seems to be improving here over time, allowing monks to train more continuously.
For 2 weeks a month the monastery observes a schedule, and for 2 weeks it does not.
Typical Timetable - Scheduled Period:
5:00 – 6:00AM: Sitting meditation
6:00 – 6:45AM: Dhamma recitation
7:30 – 8:45AM: Alms round
9:00 – 9:30AM: Shower/free time
9:30 – 10:30AM: Sutta/Vinaya class
10:30 – 11:15AM: Lunch
11:30 – 12:15PM: Community service
3:00 – 5:30PM: Sitting/Walking meditation
5:30 – 6:00PM: Afternoon drink
6:00 – 7:00PM: Dhamma studies/practice
7:00 – 7:30PM: Shower/free time
7:30 – 8:30PM: Sitting meditation
8:30PM Further sitting/walking meditation or individual DhammaVinaya study
Typical Timetable - Unscheduled Period:
7:30 – 8:45AM: Alms round
Anytime: During the weekdays, 1 hour of service work.
Updated December 2022
Dhamma Earth Dhamma Propagation Ecosystem
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Kuching, East Malaysia and Dhampus, Nepal
General: The monastery offers short-term retreats in the Pa Auk Method with trained monastics. There are centers in Kuching, West Malaysia, outside Kuala Lumpur, and retreats available at Dhamma Earth Nepal. Sayalay Uttara and Sayalay Upasama are recommended for those seeking meditation guidance in Malaysia, and it's wise to inquire about availability before committing.
Western Presence: The center is primarily composed of Chinese-Malaysian monastics and supporters, with minimal Western presence. This may be challenging for Western practitioners staying for an extended period. Dhamma Earth centers are only recommended for long-term stays of more than two weeks only for those with a Chinese cultural background and fluency in Mandarin, because of the limited Western presence.
Visiting: Visitors may volunteer as a yogi, participating in work, rituals, and meditation. Note that volunteers may be required to work with short notice, and most other lay residents are not engaging with retreat practice, but rather with work practice for most of the day.
Ordination: Ordination of foreigners is rare, and cultural differences may pose a large challenge.
Time Table:
5:30 AM: Wake
6:00 AM: Chanting
7:00 AM: Breakfast and Cleaning
8:15 AM: Meditation
11:20 AM: Chanting, Lunch, Clean Up
1:45 PM: Meditation
5:00PM: Dharma Talk Tuesday and Friday
6:30PM: Meditation
Bedtime: Go to sleep when you want
Na Uyana Forest Monastery in northern Sri Lanka:
General: Generally speaking, this is regarded as a great monastery outside of Myanmar to practice the Pa Auk method, which is a specific meditation training course created by Pa Auk Sayadaw of Myanmar, inspired by the Visuddhimagga, an ancient Buddhist text. This monastery is highly regarded as a place of practice for westerners. English is widely spoken here and English language instruction is available. The cuisine of Sri Lanka is vegan and quite agreeable for many Westerners.
Visiting: The visa situation here is quite lovely for most foreigners. You can essentially stay as long as you want if you are living in a Buddhist monastery. The monastery has ample opportunity for long-term retreat either as a lay-yogi or temporary ordained person.
Ordination: You can ordain as a novice monk on arrival, and then after 9 months to 1 year you can take your higher ordination as a full monk. There is also an ordination process for women to become Sayalays here.
The Political-economic Situation in Sri Lanka: Despite the fact that Sri Lanka is experiencing its worst economic crisis in the country’s history, we do know personally of many foreigners who have recently gone here to practice meditation during the economic crisis. The monastery remains well-supported, stocked with medicines and relatively unaffected for now, though this could change of course, and Sri Lanka has a tumultuous history.
Time Table: Stay tuned…
Updated December 2022
Pa-Auk Hey-Ho in Hey Ho, Myanmar:
General: This monastery is run by long-time student of Pa Auk Sayadaw, Sayadaw U Revata. This monastery is one of the best places to train in the Pa Auk method for westerners in the world. The teacher is highly esteemed and reputable, and teaches in English. U Revata was the teacher for foreigners at Pa Auk Tawya, the main monastery, for many years until he started his own monastery, in Hey Ho.
Visiting: The visa situation here is quite lovely for most foreigners. You can essentially stay as long as you want if you are living in a Buddhist monastery. The monastery has ample opportunity for long-term retreat either as a lay-yogi or temporary ordained person.
Ordination: You can ordain as a novice monk on arrival, and then take full ordination between 3 and 12 months later. Myanmar is experiencing a violent military junta at the moment, and travel is generally not recommended. Though Myanmar is issuing visas now, and we know of people who have traveled to Myanmar.
Time Table:
4:00 am - Wake up bell
4:30 am - Morning chanting and meditation
6:30 am - Breakfast
7:30 am - Work period (meditative chores such as cleaning, gardening, or food preparation)
9:30 am - Meditation instruction or Dhamma talk
11:00 am - Lunch
12:00 pm - Rest period
1:00 pm - Meditation practice
3:00 pm - Tea break
3:30 pm - Meditation practice
5:30 pm - Interview with the teacher (optional)
6:00 pm - Evening chanting and meditation
8:00 pm - Bedtime
Website
Additional Options in Thailand & Malaysia:
10-Day Goenka Vipassana Retreats in Thailand - All over Thailand
10-Day Retreat Wat Suan Mokkh - Southern Thailand
Other options in Thailand and Malaysia:
Wat Pa Tam Wua (between Pai and Mae Hong Son)
Wat Ram Poeng (in Chiang Mai)
Wat Doi Suthep (just outside Chiang Mai)
Nandaka Vihara near Penang, Malaysia
A kuti at Khao Chi-on / Wat Yan
Dana being offered to Ajahn Suchart at Wat Yan