17 Facts About Ajahn Sumedho

Ajahn Sumedho was born on Robert Karr Jackman on July 27,1934 and is an American Buddhist monk.

Ajahn Sumedho was ordained in 1967, and was instrumental in establishing Wat Pa Nanachat in Thailand and the Cittaviveka and Amaravati monasteries in England.

One of the most senior Western representatives of the Thai Forest Tradition of Theravada Buddhism, Sumedho is considered a seminal figure in the transmission of the Buddha's teachings to the West.

Ajahn Sumedho, known as Luang Por Sumedho, was born Robert Karr Jackman in Seattle, Washington, in 1934.

Ajahn Sumedho then did a BA in Far Eastern studies and graduated in 1963 with an MA in South Asian studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

Ajahn Sumedho has come to be regarded as the latter's most influential Western disciple.

In 1977, Ajahn Sumedho accompanied Ajahn Chah on a visit to England.

Ajahn Sumedho was granted authority to ordain others as monks shortly after he established Cittaviveka Forest Monastery.

Ajahn Sumedho then established a ten precept ordination lineage for women, "Siladhara".

Until his retirement, Ajahn Sumedho was the abbot of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery near Hemel Hempstead in England, which was established in 1984.

Ajahn Sumedho played an instrumental role in building this international monastic community.

Ajahn Sumedho's successor is the English monk Ajahn Amaro, hitherto co-abbot of the Abhayagiri branch monastery in California's Redwood Valley.

Ajahn Sumedho returned to Amaravati Buddhist Monastery near Hemel Hempstead in England in 2020 and now resides there.

Ajahn Sumedho is a prominent figure in the Thai Forest Tradition.

Ajahn Sumedho's teachings are very direct, practical, simple, and down to earth.

Ajahn Sumedho is known for his engaging and witty communication style, in which he challenges his listeners to practice and see for themselves.

Ajahn Sumedho said that he was directly influenced by Edward Salim Michael's book, The Way of Inner Vigilance.