page_title: Wat Pah Nanachat
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Wat Pah Nanachat / History
caption_attribution_description: English: The main meditation hall of Wat Pah Nanachat, the International Forest Monastery in Ubon Rachathani, Thailand.
context_page_description: Wat Pah Nanachat is a Thai Theravada Buddhist Monastery in northeast Thailand about 15 kilometres from the city of Ubon Rachathani. It was established in 1975 by Ajahn Chah as a training community for non-Thais according to the norms of the Thai Forest Tradition. Resident monks, novices and postulants include a wide range of nationalities. The primary language of communication and instruction is English.
context_section_description: The monastery was founded in response to increasing international interest, particularly from the United Kingdom, in the Theravadin forest tradition of Thailand. The first abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat was Ajahn Sumedho, an American bhikkhu trained by Ajahn Chah at Wat Nong Pah Pong, the mother house of Wat Pah Nanachat. Today, as a consequence, students of the Thai forest tradition are found in branch monasteries around the world under the collective label of The Forest Sangha. The largest monastery of this network is Amaravati Monastery, about 30 miles north of London. Its abbot was Ajahn Sumedho, who recently relinquished the post to Ajahn Amaro (ex-co-abbot of Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in California).
caption: The main meditation hall of Wat Pah Nanachat, the International Forest Monastery in Ubon Rachathani, Thailand.
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