Visiting Hartridge monestry

I have over the past few years visitied a numer of Buddhist temples in the UK and today I drove out to the Devon Vihara at Hartridge and had a wonderful time. It is strange to see monks in saffron going about their daily routine but the people of East Devon have grown used to seeing the monks with their begging bowels in the local towns and villages. The monks at the Devon Vihara follow the Forrest sangha tradition a tradition that can be traced to the third-century B.C.E. and Prince Ashoka, originating in India, the forest monk tradition spread to Thailand, Burma, Laos, and Sri Lanka.

As I walked through the door of the temple the monks where sat eating their mid day meal, (the only meal of the day). When the abbot saw me he said “hello, go into the kitchen and have something to eat and I will see you later”……..and I did. Everyone there was friendly, welcoming and happy.

The temple is in a remote part of East Devon at the end of a very long lane surrounded by 22 acres of woodland. The monks live in small wooden huts called “kuti’s”, and follow the teachings of the Venerable Ajahn Chah. Ajahn Chah was born on June 17, 1918 in a small village near the town of Ubon Rajathani, North-East Thailand. After finishing his basic schooling, he spent three years as a novice before returning to lay life to help his parents on the farm. At the age of twenty, however, he decided to resume monastic life, and on April 26, 1939 he received upasampada (bhikkhu ordination). For further information please visit:

http://www.forestsangha.org/