Ajahn Ganha : A Nephew of Ajahn Chah ?

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thang
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Ajahn Ganha : A Nephew of Ajahn Chah ?

Post by thang »

Ajahn Ganha

Does anyone know about the teaching method of Ajahn Ganha who is a nephew of Ajahn Chah?

We have heard about him as follows:
A highly regarded dhammayuth nikaya monk in Thailand and has many disciples of his own right.
He had been continuing thudong during six months each year and his disciples are vegetarian.
His disciples of Wat Dhammaram have published two little booklets named Manasikaradhamma and ... .
He has practiced under ajahn chah for some period of time.

Does anyone know about his teaching method ?
Is it similar to ajahn chah's or different?
Are there any special characteristics of his teachings ?
"Bhikkhus, whatever the Tathāgata speaks, _ all that is just so and NOT otherwise."
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pilgrim
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Re: Ajahn Ganha : A Nephew of Ajahn Chah ?

Post by pilgrim »

In Thailand it is the custom to refer to each other as uncle, grandfather, nephew, auntie, etc. Ajahn Ganha who is known for his metta practice is actually not related to Aj Chah by blood.
thang
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Re: Ajahn Ganha : A Nephew of Ajahn Chah ?

Post by thang »

pilgrim wrote: Tue Sep 25, 2018 12:14 am In Thailand it is the custom to refer to each other as uncle, grandfather, nephew, auntie, etc. Ajahn Ganha who is known for his metta practice is actually not related to Aj Chah by blood.
Are these not saying about a blood relationship ??
As being Venerabla Ajahn Chah’s nephew, he had a chance to be his disciple to study The Dhamma-Vinaya and meditation practice under his guidance at Wat Nong Pah Pong.
http://www.watpahpateeparam.com/about-ajahn-ganhah
A noted disciple of Luang Por Chah who is gaining respect in his own right as a teacher is his nephew, Ven. Ajahn Gunhah.
https://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebdha012.htm
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pilgrim
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Re: Ajahn Ganha : A Nephew of Ajahn Chah ?

Post by pilgrim »

thang wrote: Tue Sep 25, 2018 5:35 am
pilgrim wrote: Tue Sep 25, 2018 12:14 am In Thailand it is the custom to refer to each other as uncle, grandfather, nephew, auntie, etc. Ajahn Ganha who is known for his metta practice is actually not related to Aj Chah by blood.
Are these not saying about a blood relationship ??
I can't be certain but this was what was told to me by a bhikkhu disciple of Ajahn Ganha who stayed with him for 5 years. It is possible that misinformation is spread when one website copies the info from another.
thang
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Re: Ajahn Ganha : A Nephew of Ajahn Chah ?

Post by thang »

pilgrim wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:14 am I can't be certain but this was what was told to me by a bhikkhu disciple of Ajahn Ganha who stayed with him for 5 years.
Yes, a bhikkhu disciple who stayed with him for 5 years is more trustworthy than a website.
And thank you for the information. May you receive more dhamma information you need !
"Bhikkhus, whatever the Tathāgata speaks, _ all that is just so and NOT otherwise."
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Re: Ajahn Ganha : A Nephew of Ajahn Chah ?

Post by DNS »

thang wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 3:03 pm He had been continuing thudong during six months each year and his disciples are vegetarian.
I wonder how they are able to eat vegetarian? I've heard that in Thailand, the lay devotees who prepare and give food to the monks are almost all omnivores and provide mostly non-vegetarian foods.
thang
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Re: Ajahn Ganha : A Nephew of Ajahn Chah ?

Post by thang »

I just found he mentioned in site wideanglewilderness
But the book found on this site is may be the only instruction book of him.
Luang Por Guṇha Sukhakāmo
Luang Por Guṇha is actually a nephew of the great Ajahn Chah, although he has long since established himself as a great Ajahn and teacher in his own right. As a young monk he was known as an austere tudong monk with an unrelenting determination and fearless commitment to sacrifice for the sake of his practise. Nowadays, he is highly revered for the power of his meditation, particularly his mettā, and for the simple 'straight talk' of his teaching style. He currently lives in Nakhorn Ratchasima province, Thailand.
"Bhikkhus, whatever the Tathāgata speaks, _ all that is just so and NOT otherwise."
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Re: Ajahn Ganha : A Nephew of Ajahn Chah ?

Post by AgarikaJ »

A lot more about this monk, including many pictures, can be found here: http://www.jaiphensook.net/index.php?op ... 6&Itemid=2, something shorter here. http://www.watpahpateeparam.com/about-ajahn-ganhah
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There the knowledgeable go to bathe, and cross to the far shore without getting wet.
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Re: Ajahn Ganha : A Nephew of Ajahn Chah ?

Post by dharmacorps »

DNS wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 2:33 am
I wonder how they are able to eat vegetarian? I've heard that in Thailand, the lay devotees who prepare and give food to the monks are almost all omnivores and provide mostly non-vegetarian foods.
I have that thought too, especially if they are doing Thudong, they can't pick and choose what they eat.
thang
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Re: Ajahn Ganha : A Nephew of Ajahn Chah ?

Post by thang »

dharmacorps wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 4:16 pm
DNS wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 2:33 am I wonder how they are able to eat vegetarian? I've heard that in Thailand, the lay devotees who prepare and give food to the monks are almost all omnivores and provide mostly non-vegetarian foods.
I have that thought too, especially if they are doing Thudong, they can't pick and choose what they eat.
I have read about them somewhere not only as vegetarian but also as caffeine-less.
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Re: Ajahn Ganha : A Nephew of Ajahn Chah ?

Post by Kumara »

About whether Ajahn Ganha is a nephew of Ajahn Chah, I think I've a more complete understanding.

If we hear a Thai saying so-and-so is a nephew of so-and-so, bear in mind he's translating from a Thai word: laanR. As you can see from searching this word on this page: หลาน - thai-language.com (http://www.thai-language.com/id/135318), it covers quite a large ground.

I once asked a Malaysian monk who's a disciple of Ajahn Ganha about this, and he explained that "nephew" isn't correct. It's correct though to say he's a descendant blood relative of Ajahn Ganha. (It's from him I learnt this word laanR. I don't know much Thai.)

I also once asked Aj Tiradhammo about this, and he related a meeting among the Wat Pah Pong monks, in which some monks raised their displeasure about Ajahn Ganha having supposedly made a false claim that he's a laanR of Ajahn Chah. After some hooha of it, one monk who's a known blood-relative of Ajahn Chah stood up and said that Ajahn Ganha is indeed a laanR of Ajahn Chah. That settled it.
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Re: Ajahn Ganha : A Nephew of Ajahn Chah ?

Post by Kumara »

dharmacorps wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 4:16 pm
DNS wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 2:33 am
I wonder how they are able to eat vegetarian? I've heard that in Thailand, the lay devotees who prepare and give food to the monks are almost all omnivores and provide mostly non-vegetarian foods.
I have that thought too, especially if they are doing Thudong, they can't pick and choose what they eat.
Not a problem. He's wellknown enough in Thailand as a vegetarian.
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