Obituary of Venerable Ajahn Dhammadaro (1913 -2005)

Christopher Titmuss

Venerable Ajahn Dhammadaro, Thailand’s foremost Vipassana teacher, died in his room in his monastery, Wat Sai Ngam, Supanburi, Thailand on Sunday October 9, 2005, after two years in a coma. He was 92. I was informed the following day.

I visited him four months earlier in June, 2005. In a touching moment, I knelt at the foot of his bed to pay final respects. After putting both my hands around one of his feet, his other leg twitched. The monks smiled and nodded approvingly. A German documentary film team accompanied me on my pilgrimage to Thailand. The film team, the monks and I spoke and filmed in the Ajahn’s room. I was hoping, possibly, possibly, that in the depth of Ajahn’s mind he might know that I was present.

I had the great privilege of being his first Western Vipassana student practising for three years under his guidance in his previous monastery, Wat Chai Na, just outside Nakornsridhammaraj, Thailand from 1970 -1973. Those three years set the direction for the rest of my life.

Under Ajahn's single pointed focus of seeing into body, feelings, states of mind and Dharma (Satipathana – Four Applications of Mindfulness), I had the opportunity to explore the depths of the inner life, see into the three characteristics of existence, investigate the world of dependent arising and realise that sense of knowing of the essence of the dharma teachings.

Ajahn Dhammadaro never cared about books, formal religion or orthodoxy. He was a true warrior for practice, practice, practice. He banned the reading of books and he didn’t approve of me writing books. We practised outdoors, either on the porch of our huts or on the sandy floor among the trees of the six acre monastery with around 70-100 monks and similar number of nuns. So he could keep an eye on us!

He never put pressure on me to study Thai language, remember the rules of the Vinaya or learn to chant. He only permitted chanting in the hall four times a month - on the major phases of the moon. He guided us in the depth of sitting, waking, standing and reclining meditation. We practised morning, noon and night while he gave dharma teachings every night, 365 nights a year. He was inspiring while the daily discipline challenged every cell in our being.

Jack Kornfield, author of Á Path with Heart, described Ajahn Dhammadaro in his first book titled Living Buddhist Masters (1977) as a ‘man of enormous energy and self-confidence.’
The Ajahn instilled into me some of these qualities, though admittedly, my confidence can run close to a detached superiority.

I remember flying to Thailand to pay respect to the Ajahn (the word means teacher) for his 80th year. I travelled with him on a gruelling 17 hour journey in a small truck with his attendant, the driver, a senior monk, three nuns, including Meichee Patomwon – a beloved friend for 36 years, Vipassana teacher and head nun of the province – and myself. We left Wat Chai Na at 5 am and arrived at Wat Sai Ngam at 22.00.

Upon arrival, Ajahn Dhammadaro called us, and an interpreter, to his room to discuss the depth of significance of the Pali word patthana – it means foundation, application and also means station. By 3.30 am. I couldn’t keep my eyes open another minute and left. The discussion continued. At 7 am I woke up, went to his meeting room – outside the room were 70 pairs of sandals. He had discussed the dharma through the night, ended the meeting, and then greeted newly arrived Thai pilgrims. No sleep. Typical of his enormous energy and passion for the Dharma.

Bhikkhu Nagasena from India and Suddhinand Janthagul always kindly acted as my interpreter to answer my many questions to the Ajahn, as well as explained to me in detail the teachings of the Buddha.

I recall as well going on a Yatra (silent walking pilgrimage called ‘tudong’ in Thailand) with Ajahn, senior monks and nuns, including Meichee Patomwon, to remote villages in southern Thailand, including a very tense situation with the army and terrorists in Hua Prik. We were there to facilitate healing in a climate of fear and violence. Our sangha conducts Yatras in the West, including Israel. Venerable Maha Ghosananda, who spent several years in his monastery, emerged from the monastery to become a patriarch and leading light in Cambodia following the mid-1970s Cambodian holocaust with two million people murdered. A truly humble and saintly man, the Venerable Maha was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize on five occasions for his courage in leading Yatras in his war-torn homeland.

In the 1980’s, Ajahn Dhammadaro came to the Thai Monastery in Bodh Gaya to watch me teach. He had never witnessed before a 10 day Vipassana retreat. He returned to Thailand to initiate such a course for householders and schoolchildren. Some years later, I asked him if he had started courses in Vipassana. He said ‘yes.’ I asked him how many people attended the last course. He said: ‘About a thousand.’

In my office at home, I have a large and beautiful formal photograph of Ajahn Dhammadaro sitting in the cross legged posture. It is hanging on my wall. He would have wanted to know what it had to do with practice.