Luang Por Sumedho

     Luang Por Ajahn Sumedho a bhikkhu for 43 years, is the senior Western representative of the Thai forest tradition of Therevada Buddhism. He has been abbot of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery just north of London since its  consecration in 1984. Luang Por means Venerable Father, an honorific and term of affection in keeping with Thai custom. A bhikkhu for 40 years, Sumedho is considered a seminal figure in the transmission of the Buddha's teachings to the West. 

    Luang Por Sumedho was born in Seattle, Washington in 1934. After serving four years in the US Navy as a medic, he completed a BA in Far Eastern Studies and a MA in South Asian Studies. 

     In 1966, he went to Thailand to practice meditation at Wat Mahathat in Bangkok. Not long afterwards, he went forth as a novice monk in a remote part of the country, Nong Khai, before receiving full ordination in 1967.

     A year of solitary practice followed. Although fruitful, it showed him the need for a teacher who could more actively guide him. A fortuitous encounter with a visiting monk led him to Ubon province to practice with Luang Por Chah. He took dependence from Luang Por Chah and remained under his close guidance for ten years. 

     For more information on Ajahn Sumedho's remarkable history, visit his Wikipedia page or to listen to a sample of his teachings, visit HERE.