Monks in Residence
About
AJAHN DHAMMASIHA
Born in West Germany in 1966, Ajahn Dhammasīha studied Business Administration in West Berlin during the fall of the Berlin Wall. After encountering the Dhamma during extensive travels in India, he ordained as a Theravada Buddhist monk in 1995 at Nissarana Vanaya, Meetirigala in Sri Lanka, with most Ven Pandita K. Jinavamsa as his preceptor. His approach to practice was guided by the Suttas of the Pāli Canon, which he studied extensively in their original Pali language, and by the examples of senior monks like Ven. Ñānavimala & Ven. Ñānadīpa.
From 1998 on he trained in monasteries of the Ajahn Chah tradition in Australia. During this period, he was fortunate to receive teachings from some of the foremost living teachers of the Thai Forest Tradition, like Tan Ajahn Tui, Tan Ajahn Plien, and Tan Ajahn Anan on their visits to Australia.
Since 2007 Ajahn Dhammasiha has served as the founding abbot of Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage, providing Dhamma teachings and overseeing the physical development of the first Monastery in Brisbane associated with the tradition of Ajahn Chah.
AJAHN MONEYYO
Ajahn Moneyyo was born in 1982 in Vienna, Austria, and started his monastic life in 2009 at Cittaviveka Monastery, UK with Ajahn Sucitto as Acariya. In 2010 he became Novice (Samanera) and in 2011 Monk (Bhikkhu) with Ajahn Amaro as Upajjhaya.
After residing at Dhammagiri for one year in 2015, he lived in Thailand for 3 years, mostly at Wat Pah Nanachat and Wat Boonyawad.
In March 2020, literally just 8 hours before Australia closed the borders, Ajahn Moneyyo returned to Dhammagiri with a long term perspective on a religious worker visa. He has been of most valuable support to Ajahn Dhammasiha and our whole community during the challenges of the pandemic, and has now spent at least six rains retreats at Dhammagiri.
