Ajahn Chah 20th Anniversary Rememberance Day
Date: 17 & 18 December 2011
Venue: SJK (C) Yuk Chai, Jalan SS24/1, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Event Organisers:
Bandar Utama Buddhist Society: 03-77106010
Nalanda Buddhist Society: 03-89381501
Subang Jaya Buddhist Association: 03-56315299
Ti-Ratana Penchala Community Centre: 03-77849002
Ajahn Chah once said:
“The purpose of the practice, then, is to seek inwardly, searching and investigating until you reach the original mind. The original mind is also known as the pure mind.”
- ‘The Path to Peace' by Ajahn Chah
Born on 17 June 1918 near Ubon Ratchathani, northeast Thailand, Ajahn Chah was instrumental in establishing the Thai Forest tradition in Buddhism in the West and was an influential teacher of the Buddhadhamma.
He became a wandering ascetic after the death of his father, walking across Thailand while taking teachings at various monasteries. By also spending time in jungles infested with tigers and cobras, caves and cremation grounds, he developed a unique style of meditation by reflecting on death to comprehend the true meaning of life.
The Thai forest meditation is one branch of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. Commonly practiced in Thailand, Burma and Sri Lanka, one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Theravada Buddhist tradition is its strict adherence to the original teachings and rule of monastic discipline laid down by the Buddha.
The Forest tradition emphasizes very strongly on meditative practice and the realization of enlightenment as the focus of monastic life. A day in the life of a Forest monk involves constant practice of the Buddha’s path of contemplative insight, which includes living a life of discipline, renunciation and meditation. It is through this process that the Forest monks can understand the inner truth and peace as taught by the Buddha. The extensive 227 rules of conduct, or precepts, must be strictly adhered to, such as consuming food between dawn and noon, not handling money, practice of celibacy. The Forest monks commonly engage in the practice of “Thudong” which is wandering on foot in search of solitary places, sleeping wherever is available and eating only whatever is offered by laypeople along the way.
Laypeople wonder why Forest monks undergo such a strict and disciplined regime that entails living a life of absolute austerity. The Buddha believed that living in this manner allows Forest monks to simplify and refine the mind. Refinement allows them to explore and understand the fundamental causes of suffering within the human psyche and ultimately cultivate a path that leads toward freedom from suffering and supreme happiness.
The Ajahn Chah Remembrance Day seeks to provide the public with guidance by the visiting Monks from UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Malaysia on how this can possibly be achieved through the teachings of the Buddha and Ajahn Chah. It is especially relevant since we live in a day in age where our lives are full of stress, pressure and fear of uncertainties.
Saturday, 17th December 2011
7.00am Door Open & Receiving food offering for Dana
8.00am Arrival of Devotees
8.30am Arrival of Sangha members
8.40am Sangha members enter hall
9.00am Pindapata
9.45am 3 refuges & 5 precepts
10.00am Parittas chanting
10.20am Anumodana and meal
11.10am Dhamma talk
12.10pm Dhamma talk
1.00pm Break - End of Morning Session/Exhibition
2.40pm Devotees to be back in the Hall
2.45pm Documentary - "Our Life is Like Our Breath"
4.00pm Dhamma talk
5.00pm Evening Chanting
5.30pm Meditation
6.20pm Light refreshment
7.00pm Dhamma talk
8.00pm Dhamma talk
9.00pm Sangha Members take leave
Sunday, 18 December 2011
7.00am Door Open & Receiving food offering for Dana
8.30am Arrival of Sangha members
8.40am Sangha members enter hall
9.00am Pindapata
9.45am 3 refuges & 5 precepts
10.00am Anumodana and meal
11.00am Dhamma talk
12.00pm Dhamma talk
1.00pm Break - End of Morning Session
2.30pm Devotees to be back in the Hall
2.45pm Dhamma talk
4.00pm Evening Chanting
4.30pm Forgiveness ceremony
5.00pm Sangha Members take leave
* Accurate at time of printing. Program may subject to change.
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