Jetavana Temple Forest Monastery New England

Jetavana Temple Forest Monastery New England

Welcome

Here you’ll find news and other resources for anyone interested in Temple Forest Monastery, a Buddhist monastery in the Thai forest tradition of Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Sumedho located in the small town of Temple, New Hampshire. A pleasant one-and-a-half-hour drive from Boston, the monastery benefits from a balance of wilderness, seclusion and accessibility historically typical of a Buddhist forest monastery.

A forest monastery in New England
The Buddhist ‘forest monasteries’ of Southeast Asia tend to be simple dwelling places for the monastic community (the ‘Sangha’), located in peaceful natural settings – usually forests. Their main purpose is to facilitate the practice of meditation and the living of the Buddhist monastic way of life.

In Thailand, the forest monasteries have played a role in helping to protect threatened forests and the many forms of life they host, and to provide sanctuaries where people can come to join the monastic community for shorter or longer periods, practicing meditation while living in nature in a similarly simple manner.

Since the monastic communities of Theravada Buddhism depend entirely upon the lay community for their material support – as they have for over 2,500 years since the time of the Buddha – the existence of a monastery depends upon the interest and generosity of people who find it to be of value.

The primary purpose of Temple Forest Monastery is to serve as a place where Buddhist forest monks are able to live, and where those interested can become monks and receive a traditional training. In addition the monastery acts as a religious center, or ‘church’, for local and regional Buddhists, and also as a resource for those of any faith or none interested in learning from traditional Buddhist monastic life, teachings, and practice, where one can receive guidance and find opportunities for meditation and quiet reflection. The monastery aims to provide an accessible contemplative sanctuary for anyone interested in this way of life.

It is therefore a place where cultures mix, and on any given day there may be local American as well as Thai or other Asian visitors, and occasionally guests from other countries. The monastery is part of an international monastic community based in Thailand, with branches in various Western countries. The monks at Temple are mainly Westerners who have taken ordination in Thailand or Western branch monasteries.

Who’s involved?
Since the early 1990s interested people in New England have been inviting the monastic community of Ajahn Sumedho to start a branch monastery in the region. In recent years Ajahn Jayanto, who is from Boston and was living at Amaravati Monastery in England, expressed a willingness to explore this possibility and now serves as abbot of Temple Forest Monastery.

A non-profit organization – Jeta Grove – was formed in order to act as a ‘steward’ for the monastic community, since the monks’ rules prevent them from directly receiving or having legal control over money. Jeta Grove receives donations and handles the financial affairs of the monastery on behalf of those wishing to support the monks, working closely with Ajahn Jayanto and the monastic community in providing for the Sangha’s needs.
Monastery Address:
Temple Forest Monastery
32 Derbyshire Ln
Temple, NH, 03084
USA
Tel.: (603) 654-2292
:- https://forestmonastery.org/

 

Ordination Ceremony, Saturday August 12, 2017

 

Upasampada and Pabbajja – monk and novice ordinations – Sunday, August 12
August 02, 2018

Please join the community for a special day on August 12, when two men will take further steps in to the training. Samanera Santi will be taking full ordination (upasampada) as a monk (bhikkhu); and Anagarika Jeff will be taking the "Going Forth" (pabbajja) as a novice (samanera).

The event will begin at 1pm. Many people may wish to join in the meal offering at 11am and stay through to witness the event, and make offerings afterwards to the newly minted samanas. As always, you are welcome to arrive at any time during the morning or day.

Luang Por Viradhammo will be coming down from Tisarana, his monastery in Ontario, for the occassion in order to act as Preceptor (upajaya). He will likely also offer the Dhamma Talk on the preceding Saturday evening at 7pm.

All are welcome.

Jayanto Bhikkhu/


Respected Senior Thai Monks to Visit – July 3–11
June 30, 2018
From July 3–11 Temple Forest Monastery will be honored to host a visit by the abbot of Ajahn Chah’s main monastery in Thailand, Wat Pah Pong: Ajahn (or “Luang Por”) Liem. He will be accompanied by Ajahn Jundee, who was a young monk with Ajahn Chah and is now abbot of a well known monastery called Wat Pah Ampawan.

Many of you may remember that Luang Por Liem and Luang Por Jundee were here for the monastery’s opening ceremony in June, 2015. They will be visiting Temple with a number of other monks after being part of the inauguration of the Reception Hall at Abhayagiri Monastery in California.

Left to right: Luang Por Jundee, Ajahn Jayanto, Luang Por Liem, Ajahn Seksan – at Temple in 2015

Left to right: Luang Por Jundee, Ajahn Jayanto, Luang Por Liem, Ajahn Seksan – at Temple in 2015

TFM/


Buddha Consecration & Offering Ceremony – July 8
June 30, 2018
Please join us to celebrate the visit of Ajahn Liem and Ajahn Jundee to Jetavana, Temple Forest Monastery, a Buddhist monastery in the town of Temple, NH. Ajahn Liem is the abbot of Wat Pah Pong, Ajahn Chah’s monastery in Thailand, Ajahn Jundee of Wat Ampawan. Ajahn Kevali, abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat, as well as other senior monks will be visiting as well. In honor of the occassion people will also be offering support to the monastery in a traditional offering ceremony called a “Pa Bah”.

Everyone is most welcome to join in for any part of the day: an alms-round and shared meal, the consecration of the new Buddha-rupa (statue), a translated Dhamma Talk offered by Luang Por Liem, and a chance to meet the sangha.

Schedule:
10:15 a.m. Introductory Remarks
10:30 a.m. Prepare Food Offering
10:45 a.m. Alms-round
11 a.m. Shared Meal
12:45 p.m. Buddha Consecration Ceremony
1:00 p.m. Dhamma Talk by Ajahn Liem (translated by Ajahn Kevali)
2:30 p.m. Close; chance to meet Sangha
3:00 p.m. End
Download Flyer in: • English •   |   • Thai •    |   • English/Thai •


Download Flyer in: • English • | • Thai • | • English/Thai •

TFM/


Bhikkhu Bodhi visit postponed
June 30, 2018
Bhikkhu Bodhi had been scheduled tostay at Temple from July 10–13, however due to a sudden death in the sangha affiliated with the monastery where he lives, has had to postpone his visit.

TFM/


Ajahn Sucitto to spend the Vassa at Temple
June 30, 2018

This summer Ajahn Sucitto will be spending the Vassa with us, from July 27–November 4.

TFM/


Kathina Ceremony – Sunday, November 4, 2018
June 30, 2018


Kathina – Nov. 4

2018/2561

This year’s Kathina will take place on Sunday, November 4. As always, everyone is welcome to attend and take part in the occasion. Ajahn Sucitto will be offering a Dhamma Talk at around 1 p.m.




The Sangha at TFM for Vassa 2559/2016. From left: Anagarika Barnes, Ven. Sunyo, Ajahn Kancano, Samanera Candapanyo, Ajahn Anando, Ajahn Jayanto, Ajahn Caganando, Samanera Mejjho, Ven. Nyanasaro, and Anagarika Michael.

Everyone at the monastery sends you warm greetings from Temple.

It’s been another eventful year as we continue the gradual process of laying down roots so that Jetavana, Temple Forest Monastery may provide a place of training and spiritual sanctuary for many, long into the future. That’s the vision anyway, and the signs so far have been excellent.

I hope you’ll forgive us for not posting or sending out much news on the website or to the mailing list these past two years. We are aware of and very grateful for the interest and support so many have shown to the sangha, including those of you unable to come physically to the monastery on a regular basis and thereby catch up with what’s going on. Here is a little summary of some of the recent, current, and future goings on.


Kutis
And, now that it has started snowing, we have embarked on the building of two more kutis (meditation cabins for the monks). Late last year, with a generous donation we were able to build one. Further generosity received over the last year or two from supporters in the UK provided for the construction of another kuti this year, but the contractors involved could not start until a couple of weeks ago. And as a result of the offerings received at this year’s Pa Bah (held here at Temple on Sep. 18) we are able to build a third kuti: the monks are helping a carpenter friend currently working on it with another friend, Bob Berube, who is volunteering his valuable help on most days.


TFM/





Luang Por Liem instructs Anagarika Zack – now Samanera Suñño – during his novice ordination

Dear Everyone,

Warm greetings from Temple. It’s been an active summer at the monastery, with new community members and the assumption of responsibility for the whole property, and as we get closer to this year’s Pa Bah gathering this week it is high time for an update.