In September 2012 I visited Amaravati and took some new pictures on the occasion of a ceremony to set up a memorial shrine in the temple to remember Ajahn Maha Boowa, a Thai monk who along with Ajahn Chah was a leader in establishing the Forest Monastery tradition which concentrates on both the monastic discipline and meditation
The day at Amaravati starts with a bell being rung at 4 am to prepare everyone to come to the Temple for the morning Puja which starts at 5 am. This shot shows the cloister.
At 5 am this shows the entrance to the Temple as seen from the Cloister entrance.
The daily Puja , morning and evening, consist of an hour of silent meditation and about twenty minutes of Chanting. This is dedicated to the development of Awareness, Truth and Community, Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, and the recollection of key teachings.
On emerging from the Temple with it’s guided bronze statue of the Buddha, a gift from Thailand, the sun is now out in the cloister and it is son time for a simple breakfast of gruel followed by a morning of work.
The abbot of Amaravati, Ajahn Amaro, welcomes a party of Year 11 school students who had come to visit the monastery as part of their Religious Studies programme.
The monks, bhikkhus, gather in the main hall with the lay supporters before their main meal always eaten before noon.