The Pa-Auk Forest Monastery, known in

Burmese Burmese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia * Burmese people * Burmese language * Burmese alphabet * Burmese cuisine * Burmese culture Animals * Burmese cat * Burmese chicken * Burmese (horse), a ...

as the Pa-Auk Tawya (), is a

Theravāda ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' ( anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or '' Dhamma'' in ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

in the

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

of Pa-Auk in

Mawlamyine Mawlamyine (also spelled Mawlamyaing; , ; ; , ), formerly Moulmein, is the fourth-largest city in Myanmar (Burma), ''World Gazetteer'' southeast of Yangon and south of Thaton, at the mouth of Thanlwin (Salween) River. Mawlamyine was an ancient ...

Mon State Mon State (, ; ) is an administrative division of Myanmar. It lies between Kayin State to the east, the Andaman Sea to the west, Bago Region to the north and Tanintharyi Region to the south, also having a short border with Thailand's Kanchanabu ...

. Situated in a

tropical forest Tropical forests are forested ecoregions with tropical climates – that is, land areas approximately bounded by the Tropic of Cancer, tropics of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, Capricorn, but possibly affected by other factors such as prevailing ...

along the

Dawna Range The Dawna Range (; ), also known as Dawna Hills, is a mountain range in eastern Myanmar (Burma) and northwestern Thailand. Its northern end is located in Kayah State where it meets the Daen Lao Range, a subrange of the Shan Hills. The range runs ...

. The Most Ven.

Bhaddanta Āciṇṇa The Most Venerable Bhaddanta Āciṇṇa Mahāthēra (), more commonly referred to as the Pa-Auk Sayadaw (), is a Burmese Theravāda monk, meditation teacher and the abbot of the Pa-Auk Forest Monastery in Mawlamyine. Most Venerable Āciṇ� ...

has been its

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

since 1981, succeeding the Ven. Phelhtaw Sayadaw Aggapañña at the latter's request. The monastery provides an ideal setting for the long-term practice of meditation. The number of residents varies seasonally from approximately 1,500 to 2,500 during festive periods. This includes more than 300 foreign

monks A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

nuns A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of Evangelical counsels, poverty, chastity, and obedience in the Enclosed religious orders, enclosure of a monastery or convent.' ...

and lay practitioners, originating from over 20 countries. It is the main monastery complex and

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditat ...

centre of the Pa-Auk Society. The Pa-Auk Society comprises over 40 branches and associate centres in Myanmar and internationally.

References

External links

Official website

Pa Auk Tawya Heho

Pa Auk Tawya Vipassana Dhura Hermitage

Angthong International Meditation Center

Pa Auk Tawya Vipassana Dhura Hermitage Indonesia Branch

Sayadaw Kumarabhivamsa
Dawna Range Burmese Theravada Buddhist temples and monasteries Buildings and structures in Mon State 1926 establishments in Burma Buddhist temples in Myanmar {{Myanmar-Buddhist-monastery-stub