Looking for a Thai Monastery for the Mentally Ill

[mountainsandrivers]

Hi everyone,
I'm currently practicing at a zen monastery in Japan, I've been here for a 3 month ango. I leave for Thailand January 2nd. Awhile ago I read about a Thai monastery started by a monk for Thai people who suffered from mental illness and may have been ejected from their communities. I was curious to visit this monastery and speak with the abbott about mental illness and monastic practice, the effects of meditation on the monks, and how they manage medications and so on. I tried looking up the monastery again but I couldn't find the original article or the short video documentary I recall watching. If you have any leads I'd be greatly appreciative. BTW this is not the "rehab temple" Wat Thramkrabok aka the Vomit Temple.

If you have any other suggestions on monasteries to visit feel free to add a comment.

Thank you!

[AgarikaJ]

I know of no such monastery (it might exist, of course).

But maybe it will help to give a short oversight how 'mentally ill' is defined in the Theravada Dhamma, in the Rogasutta:
- https://suttacentral.net/an4.157/en/sujato

And this short article from Bikkhu Nandisena could also be useful: 'Mental Illness according to Theravada Buddhism'.
- http://btmar.org/files/pdf/Mental-Illness-Paper.pdf

How this fits in with a Western idea of clinical mental illness, I have no idea. To my knowledge, at least in Western offsprings of Thai traditions, it would be difficult to ordain with a (serious) mental illness.
- viewtopic.php?t=25598#p368632

Maybe you could contact @JamesTheGiant directly, he was a Bikkhu in the Thai Forest tradition and might be able to help you with your questions.
- memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=10064

[mountainsandrivers]

Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll give them a read. From my memory this particular sangha dealt with the mentally ill in the western sense of the word. Some of the monks had schizophrenia if my memory serves me.

[JamesTheGiant]

I don't know of such a place, but it's a great idea, especially in Thailand where there's not too much support for the mentally ill.
Please do let us know when you find the name of the monastery.
Best wishes!