Biography of Venerable Bhikkhu Pesala

Bhikkhu Pesala is the author of www.aimwell.org and the Spiritual Director of the Association for Insight Meditation, which he set up in 1995 with the help of Christine Fitzmaurice and David Glendinning.

His first contact with Buddhism came through meeting two meditators who had practiced the U Ba Khin meditation method with Sri Goenka in India. After an intensive ten-day retreat with Mr John Coleman, the author of »» " A Quiet Mind ," he resolved to dedicate his life to the practice of insight meditation .

He ordained in 1979 with Venerable Mah?si Say?daw as his preceptor, and Chanmyay Say?daw U Janaka as the examiner. Later the same year, he went to practice intensive meditation for six months at Mah?si Yeikth? in Rangoon. Altogether, he has been to Burma four times to practice meditation under senior disciples of Mah?si Say?daw, especially Chanmyay Say?daw U Janaka.

Over the years, he has edited many books by Mah?si Say?daw, Ledi Say?daw, and other Buddhist monks and scholars. He has worked tirelessly for many years to promote the systematic approach to insight meditation taught by the late Mah?si Say?daw.

Bhikkhu Pesala has had to endure all kinds of difficulties over the years due to his wish to adhere strictly to the Vinaya rules, as practiced by his most venerable preceptor. Many monks nowadays do not observe even the basic training rules for bhikkhus; they regard the monastic training as impractical in the modern world. Bhikkhu Pesala has opposed this lax and negative attitude throughout his life as a monk, and urges lay supporters to take a more active role in protecting the Buddha's Dispensation from further decline.

Those who are unwilling to follow the training should reflect that they are causing the disappearance of the true Dhamma. The training rules were laid down the Omniscient Buddha to preserve the s?sana for future generations. They were designed to protect a monk's spiritual growth and long-term happiness, not to make life more difficult and painful than it is already. One needs faith to inspire faith in others.

No Offence

150.Those monks who explain what is no offence as an offence work for the harm, unhappiness, and loss of gods and men. They make much demerit and cause the disappearance of the true Dhamma.

151.Those monks who explain what is an offence as no offence …

152-9.Those monks who explain what is a light offence as a heavy offence … a heavy offence as a light offence … a gross offence as not a gross offence … a not gross offence as a gross offence … a partial offence as a complete offence … a complete offence as a partial offence … a curable offence as incurable … an incurable offence as curable … work for the harm, unhappiness, and loss of gods and men. They make much demerit and cause the disappearance of the true Dhamma.

160-1.Those monks who explain what is no offence/an offence as no offence/an offence, work for the welfare, happiness, and benefit of gods and men. They make much merit and preserve the true Dhamma.

162-9.Those monks who explain a light offence as a light offence … work for the welfare, happiness, and benefit of gods and men. They make much merit and preserve the true Dhamma.

(A.i.150-169)

Not Dhamma

140. Those monks who explain what is not Dhamma as not Dhamma, work for the welfare, happiness, and benefit of gods and men. They make much merit and preserve the true Dhamma.

141. Those monks who explain what is Dhamma as Dhamma, work for the welfare, happiness, and benefit of gods and men. They make much merit and preserve the true Dhamma.

142-9. Those monks who explain not Vinaya as not Vinaya, Vinaya as Vinaya, what was not said by the Tathägata as not said by him, what was said by him as said by him, what was not practiced by him as not practiced by him, what was practiced by him as practiced by him, what was not laid down by him as not laid down by him, what was laid down by him as laid down by him, work for the welfare, happiness, and benefit of gods and men. They make much merit and preserve the true Dhamma.

(A.i.140-149)

Front Row: Ven Ny?naponika, Ven Piyatissa, Ven Rewata Dhamma, Ven Mah?si Say?daw (seated), Say?daw U Janaka, U Aggadhamma, U Myat Saw (the owner of Oakenholt), and two temporary monks Bhikkhu Pesala is at the far right of the middle row

.

Venerable Mah?si Say?daw with Ajahn Chah,
Ajahn Sucitto, Ajahn Ñ?nadharo, and Ven. Hammalawa Saddh?tissa

Back Row: Dave Ashcroft, Mrs Aung's 2 sons, Jurgen, Jerry Rollason (artist of Ajahn Chah's portrait at Chithurst), Dr Michael Clark, Roy Brabant-Smith, Burmese Kappiya, John Woodfine (Ajahn K?runiko), 3 unknown, Mr Dennison.

Monks: Unknown, Ven Dhammawiran?tha, Rob Johnson, U Aggadhamma, Mah?si Say?daw, Say?daw U Janaka, 3 temporary monks, Ajahn Ñ?nadharo (Laos), U Khin (BBC), U Pesala.

Front Row: 2 Tibetan nuns, unknown, Mrs Aung's 2 daughters, hidden, unknown, Mrs Khin, Joan Hamze, Mrs Aung, Mrs Ruth Dennison, Abhiññ?ni, 6 unknown.

Books:

An Introduction to Buddhism

An Introduction to Meditation

An Explanation of Kamma

An Explanation of Rebirth

Porisada - The Man-Eater

Where Have You Come From

The Way Down To Hell Is Easy

The Power Of Love

What Is Nibbana

The Debate Of King Milinda

An Exposition Of The Mangala Sutta

An Exposition Of The Metta Sutta

An Exposition Of The Dhammacakka Sutta

The Nature Of Illusion

A Precious Human Rebirth

Money Makes The World Go Round

The Heart Of Buddhism

Ethical Dilemmas

The Five Workers

(all the books above may be read online at AIM Website or in the Library section)