Āyasmā Ariyadhammika

Ven. Ariyadhammika (born Björn Selic on May 8, 1976) is an Austrian Thera (Elder) Buddhist monk. As a layman, he studied economics and music at the University of Graz, Austria. His interest in Buddhism was sparked at the age of 14, when he first encountered the Buddha’s teachings in the local library. Ten years later at age 24, he started to attend meditation courses in the U Ba Khin tradition in Austria, followed by his own sutta studies. In 2005, at age 28, he decided to become a Buddhist monk, left Austria and went to Pa-Auk Forest Monastery in Myanmar.

Ordained on July 14, 2005 with Pa-Auk Sayadaw as his preceptor and meditation teacher, he spent five years practising in the forest of Pa-Auk, maintaining a very simple lifestyle and living most parts of the year out in the open, under trees. He dedicated himself to the practice of Ānāpānassati (mindfulness of breathing), and later on also to other meditation methods. After five years at Pa-Auk, he went to seek out other teachers in Myanmar and was initiated into the meditation techniques of Mogok, Mahasi, Shwe Oo Min/U Tejaniya and Sunlun.

A growing interest in the lifestyle of the Thai Forest Tradition brought him to Thailand in the year 2010, where he stayed for the next 3 years. He spent the initial period in the north-east of Thailand undergoing the traditional training of a Thai forest monk at the international branch monastery of the Ajahn Chah lineage, Wat Pah Nanachat. The last year of his three years in Thailand was spent wandering and journeying throughout the country, seeking out suitable places for meditation and Dhamma studies, staying either at Ajahn Chah’s branch monasteries or at forest monasteries belonging to the Dhammayuttika Nikāya.

After eight years as a monk, Ven. Ariyadhammika returned for the first time to Austria and spent his vassa (rains retreat) of 2013 in a caravan, in the vicinity of his parents’ home. When the rains retreat was over, he returned to Asia and stayed in Malaysia from 2013 to 2015, spending time at Sāsānarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary (SBS), also studying Pāli, Suttanta and the Vinaya under the guidance of Ven. Aggacitta Mahāthera at the Mahāthera’s hermitage, Mūla Vihāra. The Mahāthera has since then become one of Ven. Ariyadhammika’s most influential and respected teachers.

In 2015, Ven. Ariyadhammika went on to Sri Lanka to gain familiarity with the customs, practices and interpretations of the DhammaVinaya prevalent in the third of the three main Theravāda countries (the other two being Myanmar and Thailand). He spent a year at Nā Uyana Aranya Senāsanaya, where he had time for his own meditation practice, but also gave regular Dhamma lectures and meditation instructions to foreign monks and lay practitioners.

Ven. Ariyadhammika returned to SBS (Malaysia) in 2016 to fulfil an earlier request from Ven. Aggacitta to ordain two Western monks and become their preceptor (upajjhāya). After some initial hesitation, followed by a period of preparation, Ven. Ariyadhammika agreed to take up the responsibility and subsequently returned with them to Sri Lanka. They spent the vassa at Island Hermitage, an ancient monastery founded in 1911 by the German monk, Ven. Ñānatiloka. Thereafter, they went on thudong in the hillsides of Sri Lanka. Ven. Ariyadhammika spent the rains retreat of 2017 at a branch monastery of K. Gnanananda, where he gave the going forth to another two disciples who requested training under his guidance.

After five years in Burma, three years in Thailand, two years in Malaysia and three years in Sri Lanka, Ven. Ariyadhammika felt that his original intention to explore the three main Theravāda countries (for their respective meditation methods and monastic cultures) was accomplished. In 2018, for the first time after all his ventures since his 5th vassa in 2009, Ven. Ariyadhammika said he eventually felt ready to settle long term and would make himself available for taking up a formal position which is dedicated to offer support and guidance to fellow monastics. He kindly accepted our invitation to take over the role of Saṅghaṇāyaka at SBS Monk Training Centre.

According to Ven. Ariyadhammika, his main interests these days are:

• Meditation – from the perspective of “Early Buddhism” (Pāli scriptures and their parallels),

• Dhamma studies – from the perspective of “Early Buddhism”, and

• provision of guidance and training to like-minded monastics.

Ven. Kai Zhao

Ven. Khai Zhao was born in Ipoh, Perak. In 1987. He took ordination with most Ven. Book Kian at Penang Ang Hock Si Temple. After graduation from Malaysia Buddhist College in Penang, he started teaching Dhamma in local prisons, especially to death penalty inmates from 1998. Since 2006, he has been travelling locally and abroad teaching Dhamma in prisons, conducting retreats and giving counselling and guidance.

Āyasmā Saṅgāmaji

Born and raised in Vienna, Austria, Āyasmā Saṅgāmaji became a novice monk in Sri Lanka in 1998 at the age of 24 with Bhikkhu Katukurunde Ñānananda as his preceptor. He got higher ordination in 2000. He lived with Bhante K. Ñānananda and in a branch monastery until 2007, then left to live in solitary places in the forests of Sri Lanka until 2014. This period was interspersed with a stay of half a year in Bodhinyāna Monastery in Perth, Australia. He later spent about two years in Thailand, in Wat Pah Nanachat and branches, and about five months in a forest monastery in New Hampshire, US.

In 2018 he came to Malaysia and has been staying in Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary for about a year.

His main interests are the study and practice of Early Buddhism, the training of the mind, and a simple monk's life in the forest.

Ven. Sri Saranankara

Ven. Sri Saranankara arrived in Malaysia from Sri Lanka 30 years ago.  Over the past three decades, Venerable has been working energetically to fulfill the spiritual and religious needs of Buddhists throughout the country.  As its abbot, he had built the Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple in Sentul into an important monastery today with many resident bhikkhus.

Ven. Sri Saranankara is also instrumental in establishing many other Buddhist Societies, notably the Maha Karuna Buddhist Society, Kinrara Metta Buddhist Society, Mudita Buddhist Society, Upekkha Compassionate Home, and Sungai Long Buddhist Society.  Venerable Sri Saranankara is also the Spiritual Advisor to many Buddhist Societies throughout Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

In recognition of his vast contributions to the development of Malaysian Buddhist movement, the Malwatte Chapter of the Syamupali in Kandy, Sri Lanka, conferred upon Ven. Sri Saranankara the ecclesiastical title of “Adhikarana Sangha Nayaka” in 2008.  The Theravada Buddhist Council of Malaysia also appointed him a Monastic Advisor in 2012.

Ven. Buddharakkhita

Ven. Buddharakkhita was born in Penang in 1971.  After attending a short meditation retreat at Tusita Hermitage (Kuching) in 2008, he was inspired by Ven. U Mangala and the young monastic that he decided to go forth.

He was ordained in 2009 by the most Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw and began to train under Ven. U Mangala. He  is fluent in both English and Mandarin. Currently he is assistant teacher to Ven. U Kañcana in Tusita Hermitage (Kuching), teaching meditation to monks, nuns and laity.

Below is the recording of  1st session guided meditation by Ven. Buddharakkhita on Thursday, 10 Aug 2017:

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Ven. Dhammavuddho Mahathera

Ven. Dhammavuddho Mahathera was the abbot of Vihara Buhhha Gotama. As a layman, he graduated from the University Malaya in 1971 and worked as an Electrical Engineer with the Public Works Department. In 1983, he went forth into the homeless life in the Mahayana tradition. Three years later, he was reordained in the Theravada tradition in Thailand. Thereafter, he spent about 10 years living the solitary lifestyle in quiet places.

He has written numerous booklets on Buddhism, e.g. Return to the Original Buddha's Teachings, Message of the Buddha, Buddhist Monk's Precepts, Liberation: Relevance of Sutta-Vinaya, Only We Can Help Ourselves, etc. His talks in English, Hokkien/Fujian, Cantonese, span the years 1988 - 2013. The 5 Nikayas in English, Hokkien Angguttara Nikaya, Samyutta Nikaya, Majjhima Nikaya; as well as other talks have been recorded in audio and video. In 1998 he established the Vihara Buddha Gotama, a 15-acre piece of land outside Temoh, Perak. In 2012, he consented to be on the Monastic Advisory Panel of the Theravāda Buddhist Council of Malaysia (TBCM).

Ven. Ajahn Anan Akiñcano

Ven. Ajahn Anan Akiñcano took ordination under Ven. Ajahn Chah in 1975. He spent the next four years diligently practicing meditation and acting as Ven. Ajahn Chah’s personal attendent, allowing him to develop a close connection with his teacher.

After this intensive training period he sought out more secluded and dangerous places to further his meditation. In 1984 he settled in the dense forest of Rayong, establishing the monastery that came to be known as Wat Marp Jan. The early years there were difficult and on multiple occasions Ajahn Anan faced bouts of malaria that took him close to death.

Today, his reputation as a meditation master has grown, along with the number of monks coming to practice under him to seek his guidance. He is responsible for looking after more than ten branch monasteries and well over 100 monks.

Ven. Ajahn Dtun

Ven. Ajahn Dtun is considered to be one of the greatest living meditation masters in Thailand. Renowned for his gentle demeanour and deep wisdom, Ven. Ajahn Dtun has always had an impeccable reputation as a well-practised monk in the Ajahn Chah Tradition. Even as a junior monk, there was a buzz among the monks regarding Ven. Ajahn Dtun due to his dedication to practise and an aura of calm and clarity around him.

Born in 1955 in Ayutthaya, Thailand, Ven. Ajahn Dtun was raised in Bangkok. After completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, he decided to become a monk at Wat Nong Pah Pong with Ven. Ajahn Chah as his preceptor. Presently, Ven. Ajahn Dtun is the Abbot of Wat Boonyawad in Chonburi, Thailand. Wat Boonyawad has grown from being a hermitage of a few monks to a large monastery with close to fifty monks training under the guidance of  Ven. Ajahn Dtun.

Ven. Ajahn Nyanadhammo

Ven. Ajahn Nyanadhammo was born in Adelaide, Australia in 1955 and studied biology at university. His contact with the Dhamma via reading a Buddhist book eventually drove him to Thailand to receive his novice ordination in 1978 at Wat Bowon Niwet Wiharn in Bangkok.

Full ordination followed in 1979 at the age of 24, under Ven. Ajahn Chah at Wat Nong Pah Pong in Ubon Ratchathani province. In 2002, he became the abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat, a branch monastery of Wat Nong Pah Pong with an international community of English speaking monks. In 2007, he became abbot of Wat Ratanawan, where he is currently residing.

Below is a video of Dhamma talk by Ven. Ajahn Nyandhammo