Customer Reviews

Venerable Father: A Life with Ajahn Chah

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I've bought and read both Being Dharma and Still Forest Pool, and enjoyed them very much. But Venerable Father is far superior to them in giving this soft American a real idea of what it was like studying under and living with Ajahn Chah. I both envy Paul Breiter for his experience, and am really glad it was him rather than me going through it! :)

But seriously, this humble yet assured voice resonates throughout the book. Yes, it is the skill and compassion of Luang Por that is responsible for the quality of much of the book, but truly Breiter's frank evaluations of his experiences during and after life as a forest monk makes this much different from other, more traditional memoirs that I have read. I'm not saying that he's enlightened with a capital E, but during the course of the book the training (when fully followed, as Ajahn Chah taught) seems to automatically make the monks into more awake, more compassionate, less suffering people. The importance of even trivial-sounding Vinaya rules becomes apparent, and thus Chah's way is illuminated.

The sections of the book after he disrobes are even better. You can take the monk out of the forest (and his robes), but you can't take the forest out of the monk. These chapters were poignant and in some cases very funny indeed. Ajahn Chah's total intuitive understandng, and effortlessly devastating criticism, of Mahayana double-talk was especially amusing. For instance, to the Mahayana claim that we don't need to do anything to improve because our nature is originally perfect, when he says that's like saying if you put sh*t on a silver platter, you don't need to clean it before eating from it because the platter was originally clean! But all the time he is understanding totally how Mahayana, for all its linguistic troubles and even theological difficulties, is as dedicated to the path of freedom and compassion in its own very different way as is the Forest School.

This book is a gift. It gives us the feeling of sitting at Luang Por's feet -- the wonder and the horror of it, a highly (even totally) awakened master teaching each student to match his or her understanding, and a mischievous old man pushing his monks to the very edge of sanity, or a little beyond. I know I wouldn't want him tugging on my robes and laughing while I was trying to give a first Dhamma talk in Thai, but it would have been amazing to know and love this man. Venerable Father is as close as any of us will come to Ajahn Chah, and we have Paul Breiter to thank for it. I'm incredibly inspired to ordain, even more than before. Scared, too, of course, but living under the Vinaya sounds like a pure and productive way to live.

If you want to read Luang Por's words and get even more inspired, buy and read Being Dharma and Still Forest Pool, too!

NOTE: Be sure to buy this book in the Paraview edition. There are other, unauthorized reprints out there, and this is a beautiful volume.

Venerable Father, I didn't want to put it down A 1970's true story of a western monk in Thailand monasteries, living the monk's life while living with and under the guidance of the very well respected Ajahn Chah. Entertaining and sometimes very funny, or other times almost painful is the image as you read, the story tells of the monk's real day and night life, the rules of practice, the daily and seasonal routines of practice, the tasks of maintaining the place, the meals, the living arrangements, and all the walking they do. Then there are the joys, hardships, issues, occurances and problems. It's interesting to find out how the monastic community tends to lay visitors and newly ordained monks, offering the teachings to one and all, even to children who are sent by their parents. It's a lot of work for the monks and Ajahns, often at it very late at night only to rise at three a.m. to do their own practice. But then in turn you read of lay people showing great reverence, bringing dona, meals, cloth, and caring for a monk outside the monastery grounds, when he goes out for alms, or into town to see a doctor for instance. He tells of other mundane life instances you don't generally get to read about. You really get a sence of, and then wonderment of how they do it. A deep appreciation grows.

A major aspect of the book is directed at Paul's path of Buddhism, through the wisdom and sometimes harsh guidance of Ajahn Chah. A monk is faced with many hardships and questions, and the enlightened Ajahn Chah's direction and answers were not often what Paul expected or wanted, but there was always so much love, friendship and faith in this joyous Ajahn's wisdom grew. Although sometimes confused and horrorstricken, Paul followed the Ajahn's teachings and ultimately he received lessons of profound insight, and peace. You get close to this often playful character, Lang Por, get a glimps of how he lived the Theravada tradition, was surely an enlightened being, had the wisdom, and was able to touch, teach and guide, so Buddhism has spread around the world. What a great teacher this man was, a true gift to us all, and so is Paul Breiter's book. it's a five star read. You need it in your library.

I found Paul Breiter's "Venerable Father" poignant and compelling, both as a reminder of what it was like to come of age in those years of the 1970s and as a happy experience of the great friendship two persons can share.

First, the honest searching of a privileged generation for authenticity in life has largely been forgotten, or washed away in commercialism and popular culture. But Breiter's memoir is like turning a page back to the good and the bad of those times, but mostly to the energy and naivete.

Second, and relevant to all readers, is the insight into human friendship the book offers; albeit on an unconventional level more often pigeonholed as student-pupil or master-disciple.

In this case, the book is about basic human love, something that transcends Buddhism or any particular sect or religion. Obviously, Ajahn Chah saw something of himself in Breiter, perhaps a kindred humility and humor embodied in a younger person from a vastly different superficial world. And Breiter found a kindred spirit in the venerable father, but one who had learned and traveled his own way, and who saw the value in this young wayfarer.

Watching their relationship unfold, and with it Breiter's own inner evolution, proved immensely involving as a story. It was also spiritual on a gut level - and without any didacticism or heavy-handedness; certainly what Ajahn Chah embodied and the best testament one friend could offer to another.

From the moment I picked this book up I could not really put it down until I finished it. It took about two days and the feast was over. I go frequently to the branch monasteries of Chah in the UK, Chithurst and Amaravati - the fantastic food, the beautiful gardens and land dedicated to wildlife and contemplation. None of this possible without Chah. But this book gives the other side. I can only paraphrase from a cynical card sent to a friend after reading this book:

"There was a spiritual sadist called Ajahn Chah. Western disciples flocked to him. The food was so bad that you couldn't have been paid to eat it. The disciples suffered sleep deprivation, starvation, not being allowed to get into a comfort zone, cholera and typhoid. Some of those that survived are now the abbots of 20-500 acre monasteries in BUANC (Britain, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada) - living in comparative luxury compared to the huts, hard wooden floors and privations of a forest Wat. There are people running around them desperate to feed them - some of these monks may even be genuine. Religion is a funny thing."

As this book points out, a monastery is at best like a hospital though a comparison to military barrack life is not far off - there was a hierarchy, you had to put up with orders, tight discipline and having your complaints thrown right back at you. You had to try and put in five years ....

I don't think things at the Buddha's time were so different somehow. In the Mahaparinibbana sutta, when a monk called Subaddha (not the Subaddha who had a deathbed conversation with the Buddha) hears of the Buddha's final nibbana, he says - good, now we won't be ordered around and forced to do things we don't like (words to that effect). Even the Buddha said that being a monk was hard. That sometimes, his disciples were expected to stay up at night meditating. Ajahn Chah ... was a disciplinarian worthy of a Buddhist setting in ancient India.

We can see that basically he was a fantastic teacher because - he tolerated people he knew were not interested - he suffered them to listen to his well meant teachings dispensed without judgement about his listeners. He did not surround himself with a group of yes men and attack "outsiders" but always expressed Dhamma - in your face, teasing, rustic and not afraid to upset those in his care. Chah was ready to talk to lay people, before going back to bed desperately ill - once he became a master; no expense was spared in opportunities to teach.

Somehow, I get the impression that the practices in these monasteries was so similar to that at the time of the Buddha and there are no illusions. I mean, being stuck in a relatively small space, with manual work, an alien culture with snakes and insects and not really being allowed any peace, except the peace of taking the medicine. Then you get sent to another monastery, another teacher for a while and you spend your time rotating around and round various forest venues until you become relatively senior to take up disciples and your own establishment. A good monk's life is almost impossible.

Varayapanno/Breiter knew this. But he did not count on the fact that even after he disrobed and shunned becoming a permanent translator to Chah, that Chah would soon be dumb - unable to transmit any further teachings for a decade or so before his death. So Bretier, along with Kornfield did their best to record for posterity his teachings and this book is one big example.

A big low down on one of the most famous Thai masters in recent times. What I like about Breiter is that he does not make assertions that Chah was an Arahant (though he winkles out points about this). He just says that Chah was an enigma - and this is how I like it to be. An Arahant is an enigma, and this book keeps open that Chah may or may not have been whatever .... despite the assertions of the likes of Ajahn Brahmavamso (his Australian disciple) that Chah WAS an Arahant. We could and would potentially all hail our own teacher as the greatest, for cynical motives. In Bretier there is no - "Chah was the greatest", talk. Just that Chah was ultimately the salvation to many - a big, spiritual wake up call. A venerable father - someone you would be indebted to forever.

Read it and don't believe - this is a no holes barred roller-coaster ride about the monastic life. I just wish there could be similar books about other Thai masters like Ajahn Lee or Ajahn Tate, some of these monks described or seem to have described meditation in a more intellectual context than Ajahn Chah. Someday, Ajahn Chah may even make it to Hollywood.

Venerable Father is the thrilling adventure of a young man from New York partaking on his spiritual journey and the fascinating experience of living in the forest monasteries of Thailand with one of the great masters of Buddhism.
It's both an exhilarating story and the tale of the profound journey of a young mans spiritual quest.

I very much enjoyed the high level of detail provided in this book, particularly as it pertains to Theravada Buddhist life in Thailand and Ajahn Chah's distinctive personality. Breiter has apparently disrobed, but his five or so years as a Buddhist monk of the Thai Forest tradition is intriguing in itself. Imagine living in a kuti, surrounded by a variety of characters (lay and monk), in the middle of nowhere, and having to upkeep a very rigid schedule of dedication (and a Visa) while trying to comprehend your senior teacher's joyful/angry mood shifts and lengthy teachings.

Ajahn Chah was, in my mind, an ideal teacher (from what I have read regarding his teachings and his life of monasticism). Breiter brings the day-to-day experiences with Ajahn Chah to the forefront and in a very practical, straightforward manner. Also of particular interest were Breiter's travels in and around Thailand as a monk from the US, relying upon the kindness of others for his food while going from one monastery to another during his experiences as a monk.

All in all, an excellent read.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Ajahn Chah and/or Buddhism and the Thai Forest Tradition. What shines through this well written and from the heart book is the humour, Luang Por Chah was most certainly in possession of a quite mischevious sense of humour, as well as true insight.

An absolutely timeless account . This is a very good look at an important moment in the history of Buddhism , when Westerners first
fully embraced and were embraced by the Theravada School of Buddhism. I have a good friend who is currently a Bhikkhu in Thailand , under the tutelege of another great living master meditation monk . I am using Paul Breiter / Ven. Varapanyo's book here as a model to suggest my friend do the same invaluable recordation of his own story and the teachings of his own great master. He has read this book too , and he is thinking about it.
Stay tuned !