Ajahn Chah Memorial Day

Today is Ajahn Chah Memorial Day, which is a time when the life and teachings of this great forest monk are commemorated with much chanting, bowing and Dhamma talks from senior bhikkhus. Fifteen years ago today Luang Poo (‘Venerable Grandfather’) Chah passed away after a ten year illness. Prior to this period of his life, the forest ajahn had spent many decades devoted to sharing the Buddha Dhamma with whoever came his way.

Over a period of several days the forest around Ajahn Chah’s monastery Wat Nong Pah Pong is populated with thousands of people living in tents and spending their time meditating, chanting, and sharing the Dhamma. There is also lots of freely donated and distributed food, and people from miles around come to get a free meal (or two or three).

It’s a reflection of how deeply-loved and respected Luang Poo Chah still is that so many people come to his temple every year to pay their respects to his memory. Scattered around the grounds of Wat Nong Pah Pong are signs that contain teachings of the ajahn. A typical example is the following message, pinned to a tree, and expertly translated by my personal assistant at Forest Wisdom (my wife!). The words on the sign say:

"Some people come to the temple on every holy day and listen, close their eyes and meditate. Then when they’ve gone back home, they can’t be bothered to keep it up. They argue with their family and other people. They think that the time to meditate has passed."

As we read the words above, we couldn’t help looking around at the people in the monastery grounds – would they “keep it up” when they returned back to their homes? And what about my wife and I: are we keeping our mindfulness in our every day lives? And what of you, dear reader, right now? Are you mindful of these words and your mind’s reaction to them?

Links of Interest:

• Forest Wisdom
• Wat Nong Pah Pong