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Stillness Flowing: The Life and Teachings of Ajahn Chah
This important work details the life and teachings of Luang Por Chah, also known as Ajahn Chah, and has been in the making for over two decades. This biography is based on the 1993 Thai biography of Luang Por Chah entitled Upalamani which was also authored by Ajahn Jayasaro. It includes translations from Upalamani, in particular many of the anecdotes and reminiscences of Luang Por’s disciples, as well as a significant amount of social, cultural, historical and doctrinal information to provide context to an audience that may be unfamiliar with Thai culture and its Buddhist heritage.
850 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2017
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128 people want to read
About the author
Ajahn Jayasaro
11 books26 followersAfter joining Ajahn Sumedho's community as an anagārika in 1978 he travelled to Thailand to ordain at Wat Nong Pah Pong in 1979.He received full ordination by Ajahn Chah in 1980 and was abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat from 1997 to 2002.
Jayasāro has been involved in educating Thai people about the ivory trade. In 2018, Jayasāro authored a biography of Ajahn Chah entitled Stillness Flowing.
In 2019, Jayasāro was honoured with a royal title from Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn (Rama X).
On 9 March 2020, Jayasāro was granted Thai citizenship by royal decree.
He currently lives alone in a one monk monastery in Thailand.
Jayasāro has been involved in educating Thai people about the ivory trade. In 2018, Jayasāro authored a biography of Ajahn Chah entitled Stillness Flowing.
In 2019, Jayasāro was honoured with a royal title from Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn (Rama X).
On 9 March 2020, Jayasāro was granted Thai citizenship by royal decree.
He currently lives alone in a one monk monastery in Thailand.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 6, 2022
This biography is a pretty long read, written to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Ajahn Chah's birth. Certain sections can seem a bit repetitive, but as this book is meant to capture Ajahn Chah's larger than life figure, I think any disciple or author (in this case a very senior monk Ajahn Jayasaro) will always feel that he had not done enough justice to his teacher. So I do understand the breadth of coverage.
The first chapter "A Life Expired" was a rather dry for me. It touched on Ajahn Chah's death and funeral, and all the pomp that surrounded it including the patronage of the Thai royalty. The tone is very reverential and it was a bit overwhelming (or rather underwhelming) for me and I almost put the book down.
But from the second chapter onwards, it was more interesting because one gets a flavour of what Ajahn Chah was like, as well as a close look at life at the forest monastery Wat Pah Pong. I get to appreciate the difficult life in the monastery (especially during its early days in the 60s), the larger cultural context of Buddhism in Thailand (eg the differences between institutional Buddhism and the forest monks), the differences in temperament between Western (farang) monks and Thai monks and how Ajahn adapted his approach to teaching them, and how the Thai Forest monastery tradition expanded.
For a lay person like me, being able to get a glimpse of the daily life and training of a forest monk is really an eye opener. All the physical hardships they have to endure, including the terrible climate, the bare necessities available, and the strict vinaya rules. For eg, forest monks at Wat Pah Pong are only allowed one set of monk robes. They are not allowed to accept commercially sewn robes but have to dye the cloth themselves, and patch them till they can not be patched any more. Ajahn's principle was that the rules are tools meant to help train the mind. (But I do feel that some of the practises are too extreme. I don't quite agree with the approach Ajahn Chah took in his early years of refraining his monks from seeking medical attention but to endure through the pain. Modern treatment is available to relieve suffering and for unenlightened beings, including most monks, this allows one to continue practise their spiritual path. Afterall, the Buddhist path is a gradual one, which means that it will take time for average persons to train and transform our minds, including over many lifetimes.)
But I do appreciate Ajahn's strictness on some areas eg towards money and monks' response to laity's pavara (open invitation to monks to ask for their needs) - that monks must not ask for more than what they truly need as life is hard for lay people, and it is important never to take advantage of their contributions. This is important for the monks' own training, and for the larger good of the sangha. (Sadly, this is not the approach of the "official sangha" in countries where Buddhism has become institutions aligned with the powers of the land. There is too much indulgence in the material and sensual world, as well as corruption.)
The chapter "The Heart of the Matter" touched on Ajahn's approach to meditation. There is a lot of misunderstanding today about samatha (stillness) and vipassana (right seeing or insight). Many people think that these are separate practises. But Ajahn was very clear that these are "states" and not "practises", and that both are a pair - they come together. When one achieves stillness of mind, insight and right seeing will come too. And that we need to apply mindfulness to our meditation, and that the state of mindfulness should extend to beyond the formal sitting. That mindfulness alone is like a sharp knife that has no purpose, but needs to be accompanied by insight and wisdom to be able to penetrate and cut through our delusion.
I also appreciate how the book shares that Ajahn Chah emphasised more on sila (living an ethnical life) to his western audiences during his visits to UK in the late 70s/early 80s. Most of the westerners in his audience were interested in different types of meditation. But surprisingly to those who accompanied him on the trips, Ajahn Chah chose to emphasise on sila because it has a big impact on the quality of one's state of mind, and meditation practise. So it is not very useful to know different types of meditation, and hop from one method to another, because it is not possible to meditate well if one has been cruel to another, often lies, is committing adultery or is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The mind would be very, very restless because subconsciously, one would be plagued by one's own unskillful actions and mental states (According to the author, Ajahn Chah was open to different methods of meditation, depending a person's certain temperament. But he advised practitioners to stick to one method for a while and see how it works. He primarily encouraged those to are able to focus on the breath to practise breath meditation, as this was Buddha's main method).
So you would need time to read this long biography. But my key take away reading this tome is to focus on our own mind, to be watchful of our own mental states and intentions, and our own defilements and to let go these go. Don't cling on to what is harmful (like a cobra - let it slither away). While trying to grow something good/useful like a cabbage, weeds will inevitably grow too. We need to be watchful and disciplined in removing the weeds, so that the mind can eventually purified. And also to appreciate the role of discipline.
I must add that the chapter on the last days of Ajahn Chah "Ice in the Sun" did distress me a bit. His physical suffering, and the stroke the damaged his brain and affected him. And the role of modern medicine in trying to prolong his life against his wishes. I am still trying to make sense of this, and how an arahant (many think Ajahn Chah is one) copes with his own life at the end stage, especially when the mind is damaged by physical disease.
The first chapter "A Life Expired" was a rather dry for me. It touched on Ajahn Chah's death and funeral, and all the pomp that surrounded it including the patronage of the Thai royalty. The tone is very reverential and it was a bit overwhelming (or rather underwhelming) for me and I almost put the book down.
But from the second chapter onwards, it was more interesting because one gets a flavour of what Ajahn Chah was like, as well as a close look at life at the forest monastery Wat Pah Pong. I get to appreciate the difficult life in the monastery (especially during its early days in the 60s), the larger cultural context of Buddhism in Thailand (eg the differences between institutional Buddhism and the forest monks), the differences in temperament between Western (farang) monks and Thai monks and how Ajahn adapted his approach to teaching them, and how the Thai Forest monastery tradition expanded.
For a lay person like me, being able to get a glimpse of the daily life and training of a forest monk is really an eye opener. All the physical hardships they have to endure, including the terrible climate, the bare necessities available, and the strict vinaya rules. For eg, forest monks at Wat Pah Pong are only allowed one set of monk robes. They are not allowed to accept commercially sewn robes but have to dye the cloth themselves, and patch them till they can not be patched any more. Ajahn's principle was that the rules are tools meant to help train the mind. (But I do feel that some of the practises are too extreme. I don't quite agree with the approach Ajahn Chah took in his early years of refraining his monks from seeking medical attention but to endure through the pain. Modern treatment is available to relieve suffering and for unenlightened beings, including most monks, this allows one to continue practise their spiritual path. Afterall, the Buddhist path is a gradual one, which means that it will take time for average persons to train and transform our minds, including over many lifetimes.)
But I do appreciate Ajahn's strictness on some areas eg towards money and monks' response to laity's pavara (open invitation to monks to ask for their needs) - that monks must not ask for more than what they truly need as life is hard for lay people, and it is important never to take advantage of their contributions. This is important for the monks' own training, and for the larger good of the sangha. (Sadly, this is not the approach of the "official sangha" in countries where Buddhism has become institutions aligned with the powers of the land. There is too much indulgence in the material and sensual world, as well as corruption.)
The chapter "The Heart of the Matter" touched on Ajahn's approach to meditation. There is a lot of misunderstanding today about samatha (stillness) and vipassana (right seeing or insight). Many people think that these are separate practises. But Ajahn was very clear that these are "states" and not "practises", and that both are a pair - they come together. When one achieves stillness of mind, insight and right seeing will come too. And that we need to apply mindfulness to our meditation, and that the state of mindfulness should extend to beyond the formal sitting. That mindfulness alone is like a sharp knife that has no purpose, but needs to be accompanied by insight and wisdom to be able to penetrate and cut through our delusion.
I also appreciate how the book shares that Ajahn Chah emphasised more on sila (living an ethnical life) to his western audiences during his visits to UK in the late 70s/early 80s. Most of the westerners in his audience were interested in different types of meditation. But surprisingly to those who accompanied him on the trips, Ajahn Chah chose to emphasise on sila because it has a big impact on the quality of one's state of mind, and meditation practise. So it is not very useful to know different types of meditation, and hop from one method to another, because it is not possible to meditate well if one has been cruel to another, often lies, is committing adultery or is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The mind would be very, very restless because subconsciously, one would be plagued by one's own unskillful actions and mental states (According to the author, Ajahn Chah was open to different methods of meditation, depending a person's certain temperament. But he advised practitioners to stick to one method for a while and see how it works. He primarily encouraged those to are able to focus on the breath to practise breath meditation, as this was Buddha's main method).
So you would need time to read this long biography. But my key take away reading this tome is to focus on our own mind, to be watchful of our own mental states and intentions, and our own defilements and to let go these go. Don't cling on to what is harmful (like a cobra - let it slither away). While trying to grow something good/useful like a cabbage, weeds will inevitably grow too. We need to be watchful and disciplined in removing the weeds, so that the mind can eventually purified. And also to appreciate the role of discipline.
I must add that the chapter on the last days of Ajahn Chah "Ice in the Sun" did distress me a bit. His physical suffering, and the stroke the damaged his brain and affected him. And the role of modern medicine in trying to prolong his life against his wishes. I am still trying to make sense of this, and how an arahant (many think Ajahn Chah is one) copes with his own life at the end stage, especially when the mind is damaged by physical disease.
November 3, 2020
Lovingly written book by a disciple of the life and teachings of his much-loved teacher. It is a massive tome which looked quite unsurmountable at first but to the credit of the author, it draws you to the different aspects of Ajahn Chah.
The chapters are well structured chapters covering the early life of Ajahn Chah, how he became a monk, his style of bringing the Buddhist teachings to locals and foreigners, the strict discipline he inculcated in the monastery to his later years until his death. It also gives insight and shares the journey of how Ajahn Chah first accepted westerners to his monastery and from there, was persuaded to bring his teaching to the West.
The author's sharing of his own journey in writing the 800-page book can be found at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2JZl...
The chapters are well structured chapters covering the early life of Ajahn Chah, how he became a monk, his style of bringing the Buddhist teachings to locals and foreigners, the strict discipline he inculcated in the monastery to his later years until his death. It also gives insight and shares the journey of how Ajahn Chah first accepted westerners to his monastery and from there, was persuaded to bring his teaching to the West.
The author's sharing of his own journey in writing the 800-page book can be found at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2JZl...
May 21, 2023
There is only one theme in this book: Buddhist monasticism. At times it is a instruction manual for how to be a Buddhist monk in the Thai Forest Tradition, but most of it is pure propaganda for monasticism. The view this book has on lay people is surprisingly repulsive. If you think a life can be meaningful as a non-monastic, don't read this book, or if you do be prepared to have that veiw challenged constantly and unapologetically. It's literally 850 pages in praise of monasticism.
September 8, 2019
Resourceful, but the author writes from his perspective and the way he perceived about his teacher. This is disappointing because I don't wish to look at Ajahn Chah from the authors eyes but understand him from my eyes.
Very poor editorial quality. Lot of rambling sentences which frustrated and compelled me to stop reading further.
Very poor editorial quality. Lot of rambling sentences which frustrated and compelled me to stop reading further.
September 2, 2018
Great biography of Ajahn Chah that shares not only his life and his teachings, but the Dhamma itself.
June 20, 2021
Best read as a monk. A lot of the contents are quite relatable if you're a monk.
August 19, 2022
Provides a good general depiction of Thai Forest monasticism during Ajahn Chah's time. Very accessible to western audiences with little knowledge of Thai culture.
December 31, 2022
Amazing audiobook available for free on podcasts app
February 8, 2025
The most beautiful and complete account of Luang Por Chah's life, filled with timeless wisdom for anyone interested in Buddhism practiced properly.
April 8, 2020
A very important book to understand the life and teachings of Ajahn Cha. Ajah Jayasaro describes in depth all aspects of Ajahn Cha's life having lived with him in Thailand for several years. The result is a very comprehensive and detailed description of who Ajahn Cha was, his teacihngs and the influence he had on the spread of Buddhism in the West. A must read for all those interested in Theravada Buddhism.
I highly recommend it.
I highly recommend it.
June 22, 2025
this book was my musing for the summer. i found reading about the history of the Thai Forest Tradition quite thrilling, particularly beginning around the 70's when Western Monks started to show up in the picture. while i am still not fully convinced of Ajahn Chah's enlightenment, i do feel inspired enough to visit Thailand and explore his impact on the Theravadin Buddhist world. to me it feels like the convergence of culture, history, & tradition in Thailand makes it perhaps the only place in the world where Theravadin Buddhism can survive in its purest form. but what do i know? either way this gave me so much context for my retreat experience with Tan Sirimedho and a lot of the teachings i've found online from Ajahn Brahm!
May 31, 2021
The 800 page biography of the Theravada Buddhist (the earliest form of Buddhism) Thai Forest master (Ajahn Chah is considered to have been enlightened). This book is available for free from many Theravada Buddhist monasteries, or as a free pdf/epub/mobi file from the Amaravati Monastery website.
I listened to an audio book/podcast of the book (in two different podcast readings of 30ish episodes each) read by Ajahn Amaro, who gives many asides and elaborations, and adds details to the episodes in the book from his 40 years as a Theravadan monk. The whole book is also available as a book read podcast.
I also just finished reading a physical copy of the book. Really enjoyed it.
I listened to an audio book/podcast of the book (in two different podcast readings of 30ish episodes each) read by Ajahn Amaro, who gives many asides and elaborations, and adds details to the episodes in the book from his 40 years as a Theravadan monk. The whole book is also available as a book read podcast.
I also just finished reading a physical copy of the book. Really enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews