Biodata of Ajahn Martin Piyadhammo

Ajahn Martin Piyadhammo has lived as a Buddhist forest monk in jungles of Thailand for many years. He was born in Stuttgart in 1957 and studied electrical and computer engineering in Germany and the USA. At the end of the 1980s, he discovered meditation, and he lived in monasteries and meditation centers in England and Germany for four years.

In 1995, he went to live with the famous Thai mediation teacher Luangta Maha Bua in Baan Taad Forest Monastery near UdonThani in Thailand, and he was ordained as a Buddhist monk in December 1995. He has lived there ever since, going on tudong ( journeying alone in solitude through the forests) for a few months each year and meditating about 14 hours everyday.

Originally, an English-speaking monk, Ajahn Paññavaddho, was responsible for instructing lay visitors who came to visit Baan Taad. However, after 2002 an increasing number of German people came to visit, and Ajahn Paññavaddho asked Ajahn Martin take on the instruction of these visitors who wished to know more about the Dhamma.

Two years later, in 2004, Ajahn Pannavaddo died, and the teaching of lay visitors became shared between Ajahn Dick and Ajahn Martin. After Ajahn Dick left the monastery in 2007, Ajahn Martin carried the sole responsibility for teaching lay visitors about Dhamma and meditation.

Please visit http://www.forestdhammatalks.org/ for further information

Things to take note of:

• The Sanctuary never charges for any Dhamma teaching. However, all donations towards the Dhamma teacher is much welcomed.

• Bodhi Residences (dormitory) facilities are available for stay-in participants. A minimum donation of RM 35 per night is suggested for stay-in participants for the duration of 5 nights. The donation will help to cover the cost of the utilities as well as upkeep and maintenance of Bodhi Residences. Receipts will be issued upon acceptance of donation during check-in.

• Walk-in Yogis should attend at least 4 sessions a day to benefit from the Dhamma sharing by Ajahn Martin.

• All meals during the retreat are fully sponsored by the Yogis In Retreat fund. The Yogis in Retreat fund was established as an opportunity for the Sanctuary's devotees to perform dana to cover the meals and basic necessities of yogis and Meditation Teachers of the Sanctuary’s in-house retreat programs. If you have benefitted from this fund, do consider donating to this fund to help sponsor the needs of future yogis and Meditation Teachers of the various Buddhist Traditions invited for the Sanctuary’s in-house retreat programs.

• During the retreat, do ensure that your clothings are comfortable for meditation sessions and proper as befitting a retreat. If in doubt, do write to us for further information.

• Ajahn Martin will only facilitate certain sitting meditation sessions. The remaining sessions will be on the yogis'personal practice.

• Any questions in regard to your practice can be posed to Ajahn during the Dhamma talk or request for personal consultations. For female yogis, must be accompanied by a male yogi during consultation.

• For those who would like to participate in meal time offerings for Bhante Martin, please be punctual for the food preparation at 10 am (lunch).

For further queries, please write in to activity@bodhihearts.net