Ajahn Achalo short Surprise Visit Sun 11/08

On Sunday 11th of August 2024, Ajahn Achalo visited Dhammagiri for just a few hours. He had been in Australia during the vassa (rains retreat) period to support his older sister Jane, who passed away from cancer just 3 days earlier.

Although Ajahn had very little time, he kindly agreed to have a short Q&A session with our community after the meal.

Ajahn Achalo was born in Brisbane Australia in 1972. He developed a keen interest in meditation at the age of twenty and a year later left for Thailand to study Buddhism more intently. After a two year period practising in various centres and monasteries, in 1996 Ajahn Achalo ordained as a Theravada Bhikkhu (monk) under Ajahn Liem at Wat Nong Pah Pong, the monastery founded by venerable Ajahn Chah. Although most of his training has taken place in Thailand, Ajahn Achalo has also lived in several international Forest Monasteries in the Ajahn Chah lineage.

​Ajahn Achalo is deeply grateful for his many opportunities to study with well-practiced monks as well as for having been able to train in several traditional contexts, including meditation monasteries, remote forests, and periods on pilgrimage. During his years of training, he has received personal guidance from many remarkable teachers, among them, Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Jayasaro and Ajahn Kalyano.

For most of his Bhikkhu life, he has considered Tan Ajahn Anan, abbot of Wat Marp Jan, to be his principal mentor.

Since about 2014, he is the founding abbot of Anandagiri Forest Monastery, Phetchabun, Thailand.

Let us share all the merits of his teachings at Dhammagiri with his late sister Jane!