Throughout its history, Buddhism has worked as a civilizing force. Its teachings on karma, for instance — the principle that all intentional actions have consequences — have taught morality and compassion to many societies. But on a deeper level, Buddhism has always straddled the line between civilization and wilderness. The Buddha himself gained Awakening in a forest, gave his first sermon in a forest, and passed away in a forest. The qualities of mind he needed in order to survive physically and mentally as he went, unarmed, into the wilds, were key to his discovery of the Dhamma. They included resilience, resolve, and alertness; self-honesty and circumspection; steadfastness in the face of loneliness; courage and ingenuity in the face of external dangers; compassion and respect for the other inhabitants of the forest. These qualities formed the "home culture" of the Dhamma.
Periodically, as Buddhism spread and adapted to different societies, some practitioners felt that the original message of the Dhamma had become diluted. So they returned to the wilderness in order to revive its home culture. Many wilderness traditions are still alive today, especially in the Theravada countries of Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. There, mendicant ascetic monks continue to wander through the remaining rainforests, in search of Awakening in the same environment where the Buddha found Awakening himself.
In Sri Lanka, there are many forest monastaries in remote villages, where local & western monks live a very simple life and do full time meditation. You can visit these monastaries and can disscuss with the monks and experience the real way of the forest buddhist tradition.
There are many forest monasteries in Sri Lanka and here are some of them you can visit.
1. Na-Uyana Monastery- An ancient monastery with a few caves and a beautiful forest with many big Ironwood trees. In the forest it is not too hot. There are 100-120 monks at present and there is a strong meditative atmosphere. Well organised, clean and tidy. All the monks in the monastery work according to the same time table. They all worship three times a day. They start the day at 4 a.m. Monks can be observed spending most of their time meditating in separate chambers in the surrounding forest. They meditate according to the "Vissuddhimagga" where it leads from Samatha to Vidharshana, as recommended by the Lord Buddha himself.
2. Arankele Monastery- An ancient monastery, which is still the quiet abode of many meditating monks it has an aura of peace and quietude that is almost tangible. The archaeological structures at one end of the site are typical to a monastery and the many double platforms linked with stone bridges among the ruins at this site are believed to have been used for meditation and teaching. There are also endless promenades through the woods for the monks to walk in meditation. However, the historical importance of Arankele also lies in the fact that Maliyadeva Thero, the last arhat monk of Sri Lanka is said to have had his meditation chamber in Arankele. His meditation chamber that dates back to the 8th Century BC can still be seen here.
3. Nissarana Vanaya- Nissarana Vanaya is of the Galduva tradition and is considered “the” meditation monastery in forest tradition history. Even today it functions well.
In Sri Lanka, there are many forest monastaries in remote villages, where local & western monks live a very simple life and do full time meditation. You can visit these monastaries and can disscuss with the monks and experience the real way of the forest buddhist tradition.
There are many forest monasteries in Sri Lanka and here are some of them you can visit.
1. Na-Uyana Monastery- An ancient monastery with a few caves and a beautiful forest with many big Ironwood trees. In the forest it is not too hot. There are 100-120 monks at present and there is a strong meditative atmosphere. Well organised, clean and tidy. All the monks in the monastery work according to the same time table. They all worship three times a day. They start the day at 4 a.m. Monks can be observed spending most of their time meditating in separate chambers in the surrounding forest. They meditate according to the "Vissuddhimagga" where it leads from Samatha to Vidharshana, as recommended by the Lord Buddha himself.
2. Arankele Monastery- An ancient monastery, which is still the quiet abode of many meditating monks it has an aura of peace and quietude that is almost tangible. The archaeological structures at one end of the site are typical to a monastery and the many double platforms linked with stone bridges among the ruins at this site are believed to have been used for meditation and teaching. There are also endless promenades through the woods for the monks to walk in meditation. However, the historical importance of Arankele also lies in the fact that Maliyadeva Thero, the last arhat monk of Sri Lanka is said to have had his meditation chamber in Arankele. His meditation chamber that dates back to the 8th Century BC can still be seen here.
3. Nissarana Vanaya- Nissarana Vanaya is of the Galduva tradition and is considered “the” meditation monastery in forest tradition history. Even today it functions well.