Suan Mokkh

Suan Mokkh is a forest monastery along the coast of Southern Thailand, 600 km from Bangkok. It was founded in 1932 by Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu and grew to become the most innovative and progressive Buddhist teaching center in Siam. Although Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu has passed away, much of his work continues. This site is a continuation of that work, one of many virtual Suan Mokkhs. As the true Suan Mokkh can only be found within the nature of the silent mind, any attempt to speak of it is virtual, whether in talks, books, or cyberspace. Here we attempt to extend the discoveries of Suan Mokkh into the 84,000 virtual worlds. May the contents support you in the realization of the liberation that is ever now within the nature of the mind that is experiencing this “reality,” virtual or what-have-you. Ajahn Buddhadasa Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu (Servant of the Buddha) went forth as a bhikkhu (Buddhist monk) in 1926, at the age of twenty. After a few years of study in Bangkok, which convinced him “purity is not to be found in the big city,” he was inspired to live intimately with nature in order to investigate Buddha-Dhamma in study and practice. Thus, he established Suan Mokkhabālārama (The Grove of the Power of Liberation) in 1932 near his hometown of Pum Riang (now in Chaiya District). At that time, it was the only forest Dhamma Center and one of the few places dedicated to vipassanā meditation in Southern Thailand. Word of Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu, his work, and Suan Mokkh spread over the years so that they are easily described as “one of the most influential events of Buddhist history in Siam.” Here, we can only mention some of the most interesting services he has rendered Buddhism.