Incredibly rare footage of Mahasi Sayadaw, who revitalized a style of Vipassana mediation in Burma during the 1970s, influencing well over one million people in Southeast Asia. This footage also shows footage of Sayadaw's main disciple U Silanada, and some of the first Westerners to bring Theravadin Buddhism to the the West including Jack Kornfield, Alan Clements, Joseph Goldstein, and the Indian Anagarika Munindra. This is an essential link in the transmission of the history as Asian thought into Western culture, and ultimately the American arts. Also included is the opening of a meditation retreat at Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts with Mahasi Sayadaw and his monks, hosted by Jack Kornfield. This includes opening instructions, and actual meditation interviews with Sayadaw.

This is a short film made for the Open University series Man’s Religious Quest in 1977 and is set at the main monastery for Ajahn Chah: Wat Pah Pong in Ubon Rachathani, Thailand.

The main interest in the film is that it has recordings of Ajahn Chah himself answering questions on the nature of the monastic life and the teaching of the Buddha.

We also get glimpses of a very young Ajahn Liem (now head of that group of monasteries), identified as a very well respected young monk in the film, and Ajahn Anan, one of the leading meditation teachers in the school (walking behind Ajahn Chah on piṇḍapāta).

We also see an interview with a young monk from England, but I have been unable to identify him by name, and apparently he disrobed soon after returning to England.

The film looks at the daily life of the monks, shows them on piṇḍapāta, in the dānasāla, doing walking and sitting meditation, and going about their daily life and work.

Santeri (26) decides to become a monk in Thailand and to give up everything he has in Finland. His sister and the director of the documentary Anja Ahola, wants to understand her brother’s great decision to leave behind his possessions, friends and family and to become an ascetic Buddhist monk for the rest of his life.

This is a documentary about the early days of the opening of the Cittaviveka, or Chithurst Buddhist Monastery, in West Sussex, England, which was begun in 1979 under the auspices of Ajahn Chah. The film opens with a group of monks walking on piṇḍapāta through the English countryside and a gathering of lay and monastics, presumably inside the mansion.

We also see the sometimes hostile, sometimes friendly, sometimes indifferent reactions of the local population to the monastics who have moved in there; to try to ease fears and get understanding the monks have an open day and arrange meetings to discuss matters with the locals.

In the film we see Ajahn Chah, who explains some Dhamma principles, a young Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Sucitto, who eventually took over thre running of Chithurst, and a lay woman who became Ajahn Candasirī. Now, as we know, nearly 40 years after the events, the monastery and the monks are as much a part of the community as anyone else who lives there, and they have done so by being true to their calling of living a quiet and simple life.

This is a very interesting documentary set in Thailand at Wat Bowonniwet and Wat Pa Nanachat where they interview the monks about their lifestyles and their thoughts on being Western monks in Thai culture.

However, it takes on extra significance given the fact that the film was made in 1979 and we see some very famous monks near the beginning of their career, including Ajahn Brahm, Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Jayasāro.

The film maker, from RTV in Eire, first met some western monks in Bangkok at Wat Bowonniwet where he is told that there is a monastery full of Western monks in the North-East, and is intrigued enough to go and see for himself.

Along the way he interviews the then Abbot Ajahn Pabhākaro (who later disrobed, but still occasionally teaches meditation), a young Ajahn Brahm (around five Rains), and back in Bangkok is a white robed Shaun, who was to become Ajahn Jayasāro.

The film is quite good, letting the monks explain things themselves for the most part, and is only marred towards the end when then interviewer professes his faith in Jesus, and when his ideas are contradicted by Shaun, he brings both the interview and the film to a sudden close.

This exquisite documentary explores the world of forest-dwelling Theravadan monks at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in Redwood Valley, California. Abhayagiri (“Fearless Mountain” in Pali) is a community of monks who follow the precepts originally set down by Buddha. An inspirational film that captures the heart of inquiry as well as the beauty and simplicity of a Buddhist lifestyle.

Seven key chants in good quality.

Pali Chanting in Thai Script in Romanized Pali and with English Translation. Collecting and publishing the Theravada Chantings as recited in Thailand is the purpose of this blog.

The John C. and Susan L. Huntington Photographic Archive of Buddhist and Related Art contains nearly 300,000 original color slides and black and white and color photographs of art and architecture throughout Asia. Countries covered in the collection include India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar (Burma), China, and Japan.

On this website you will find a lot of photos about Myanmar (Burma).

No big story, only pictures. If you're interested in Buddhist temples and statues, this is the place to be!

This site, one of the oldest Buddhist sites on the web, takes a highly personal and practical approach towards Buddhism. Includes a Buddhist humor section.

This site offers an extensive collection of English translations of suttas from the Pāli Canon, as well as a multitude of free downloads of Dhamma from the Kammaṭṭhāna (or Thai Forest) Tradition of Buddhism. Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu of Metta Forest Monastery is the speaker, author or translator unless otherwise noted.

Contemporary Buddhism publishes articles on the current state of Buddhism from across the human sciences. The journal presents work from philosophers, theologians, historians, psychologists, anthropologists, sociologists and political scientists. Contemporary Buddhism examines the historical, doctrinal and political developments that have formed contemporary versions of Buddhism.

Book by Bhikkhu Nanamoli. Among the numerous lives of the Buddha, this volume may well claim a place of its own. Composed entirely from texts of the Pali Canon, the oldest authentic record, it portrays an image of the Buddha which is vivid, warm, and moving. Chapters on the Buddha's personality and doctrine are especially illuminating, and the translation is marked by lucidity and dignity throughout.

Ce site en français est dévolu à la connaissance du bouddhisme theravâda.

La Casa de Meditación Vipassana se funda en México en el año 1985, bajo la guía espiritual del Muy Venerable Ajahn Tong Sirimangalo (Venerable Chao Khun Phra Raja Prommajahn). Es entonces cuando se transmiten por primera vez en nuestro país las enseñanzas de la tradición del Budismo Theravada y la práctica de la meditación de introspección Vipassana, legadas por los Theras, o monjes más antiguos, y que son las más cercanas a las enseñanzas del Buda Histórico (Sidharta Gautama). La Fundadora, Guía Espiritual Residente y representante del Muy Venerable Ajan Tong en México es Chakkaratani (Vicky Gurza), quien recibiera la enseñanza y la preparación directamente del Muy Venerable en el año de 1984 en Tailandia. La semilla sembrada desde entonces ha germinado en otros grupos o escuelas de meditación Vipassana.

The Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies is one of the oldest departments that exists in the faculty of Humanities and has an outstanding international reputation. It is a vigorous and expanding center of teaching and research and remains deeply committed to the study of Pali and Buddhist Studies. The department handles three main disciplines. They are Pali, Buddhist Philosophy and Buddhist Culture.

Jain sacred books, composed in Ardha-Magadhi language, a close relative of Pali.

The mission of the Oregon Buddhist Vihara is to share the Buddha's message of Peace and Happiness and help to create peace and harmony within and ourselves and in the surrounding world. Vihara is open to people of all faith traditions and cultures. We welcome you come and see, to participate in spiritual practices such as meditation, sila bhavana, Dhamma discussions and community events.

Offers weekly group Vipassana meditation.