Ajahn Jayasāro

Ajahn Jayasāro (born Shaun Michael Chiverton on 7 January 1958) is a British and Thai Buddhist monk in the Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah.^[3]

Ajahn Jayasāro
Ajahn Jayasāro in 2018
Personal
Born	Shaun Michael Chiverton (1958-01-07) 7 January 1958 (age 66)[1] Isle of Wight, England
Religion	Buddhism
Citizenship	United Kingdom Thailand
School	Theravāda
Lineage	Thai Forest Tradition
Notable work(s)	Stillness Flowing: The Life and Teachings of Ajahn Chah (2017)
Organization
Order	Mahā Nikāya
Senior posting
Teacher	Ajahn Chah (upajjhāya)
Based in	Janamāra Hermitage near Khao Yai National Park (since 2003)
Ordination	3 June 1980, aged 22[2] (44 years ago) Wat Nong Pah Pong
Previous post	Abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat (1997–2002)
Website	jayasaro.panyaprateep.org

Biography

Jayasāro was born on the Isle of Wight in England.^[3] At the age of seventeen, having been in contact with Buddhism through reading, he left for India, where he spent "a couple of years" travelling and learning before hitchhiking back to England. At the time he was still looking for a way of life in line with his personal principles. In Asia he heard about an Englishman who had been a monk in the Thai Forest Tradition and was leading meditation retreats. Upon hearing his stories of life as a forest monk, he realised it was the way of life he was looking for.^[4]

After joining Ajahn Sumedho's community as an anagārika in 1978 he travelled to Thailand to ordain at Wat Nong Pah Pong in 1979.^[3] He received full ordination by Ajahn Chah in 1980^[5] and was abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat from 1997 to 2002.^[5] He currently lives alone in a one-monk monastery in Thailand.

In 2017, Jayasāro published a biography of Ajahn Chah entitled Stillness Flowing.^[6]

In 2019, Jayasāro was honoured with a royal title from Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn (Rama X).^[7] On 9 March 2020, Jayasāro was granted Thai citizenship by royal decree.^[8][9]

Thai honorific ranks

Further information on honorific ranks: Ecclesiastical peerage of Thailand

• 28 July 2019 – Phra Raj Bajramanit Bisithadharmagunasundorn Mahakanisorn Bovornsangaram Gamavasi (พระราชพัชรมานิต พิสิฐธรรมคุณสุนทร มหาคณิสสร บวรสังฆาราม คามวาสี)^[10][7]
• 17 July 2020 – Phra Thep Bajranyanamuni Vipassanavidhikosol Vimolbhavanavarakit Mahakanisorn Bovornsangaram Gamavasi (พระเทพพัชรญาณมุนี วิปัสสนาวิธีโกศล วิมลภาวนาวรกิจ มหาคณิสสร บวรสังฆาราม คามวาสี)^[11]
• 7 July 2021 – Phra Dharma Bajranyanamuni Phawanavidhisuvithan Srilajahnsuvimol Kosonkitchanukit Mahakanisorn Bovornsangaram Gamavasi (พระธรรมพัชรญาณมุนี ภาวนาวิธีสุวิธาน สีลาจารสุวิมล โกศลกิจจานุกิจ มหาคณิสสร บวรสังฆาราม คามวาสี)^[12]

Notable works

• On Love (2010)
• Daughters and Sons (2011)
• Mindfulness, Precepts and Crashing in the Same Car (2011)
• Seen in Their True Light (2012)
• Without and Within: Questions and Answers on the Teachings of Theravāda Buddhism (2013)
• Skilful Desires (2014)
• Stillness Flowing: The Life and Teachings of Ajahn Chah (2017)
• From Heart and Hand (2017)
• From Heart and Hand: Vol. II (2019)
• From Heart and Hand: Vol. III (2022)

References

1. "2566.01.07 เกิดใหม่ทุกวัน โดย พระอาจารย์ชยสาโร" (in Thai). YouTube. 19 January 2023. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023.
2. "พระอาจารย์ชยสาโร" (in Thai). Panyaprateep Foundation. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021.
3. "Ajahn Jayasaro". Amaravati Buddhist Monastery. 9 September 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
4. "2563.03.02 Dhamma Discourse at Shan State Buddhist University by Ajahn Jayasaro". YouTube. 15 March 2020. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023.
5. Ajahn Jayasāro (10 November 2017). "Just Do It". Lion's Roar. Archived from the original on 12 November 2017.
6. Ajahn Jayasāro (2017). Stillness Flowing: The Life and Teachings of Ajahn Chah (PDF). Bangkok: Panyaprateep Foundation. ISBN 978-616-7930-09-1.
7. Dibdin, Cara (14 August 2019). "Thai King Bestows High Honor on Western Buddhists". Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023.
8. "พระบรมราชโองการ ให้แปลงสัญชาติ "พระฌอน ชิเวอร์ตัน ชยสาโร" เป็นไทยกรณีพิเศษ". Matichon Online (in Thai). 9 March 2020. Archived from the original on 9 March 2020.
9. "โปรดเกล้าฯ พระราชทานพระบรมราชานุญาตให้แปลงสัญชาติเป็นไทยเป็นกรณีพิเศษ". Prachachat.net (in Thai). 9 March 2020. Archived from the original on 9 March 2020.
10. "พระบรมราชโองการ ประกาศ เรื่อง พระราชทานสัญญาบัตรตั้งสมณศักดิ์" (PDF) (in Thai). 28 July 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2019.
11. "พระบรมราชโองการ ประกาศ เรื่อง พระราชทานสัญญาบัตรตั้งสมณศักดิ์" (PDF) (in Thai). 22 July 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2020.
12. "พระบรมราชโองการ ประกาศ เรื่อง พระราชทานสัญญาบัตรตั้งสมณศักดิ์" (PDF) (in Thai). 8 July 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 July 2021.

External links

• Ajahn Jayasāro's channel on YouTube
• Official website of the Panyaprateep Foundation
• Blue Eyes in Saffron Robes (1979 documentary featuring Ajahn Jayasāro)